iOS 14 To Bring New Apple CarPlay Functions

The past few days and weeks have been peppered with new details about watchOS 7 and iOS 14 that relate to Apple Watch and iPhone or iPad. Now there is also a first little treat for iPhone support in the car, specifically CarPlay.

CarPlay: iOS 14 unveils new function

With CarPlay, Apple has been offering an option for using the multimedia functions of its smartphone in the car for many years. A radio or on-board computer that supports CarPlay is required for use. The connection is mostly successful via a cable, whereby the wireless CarPlay variant is slowly but gradually spreading. The content on the large display in the car, which should reduce distraction by using the smartphone, is played here from the iPhone. The car or radio does not have to be updated for new software features, Apple can do this in the form of a new iOS version.

As 9to5Mac reports, the iPhone manufacturer is currently planning this with a nice little novelty in iOS 14. Based on the code of a pre-release version of the upcoming operating system, which the colleagues have been taking apart for a few weeks now, Apple’s developers are working on the support of customizable background images on the car display, which can be selected from the iPhone.

Apple is currently testing this new feature, according to the report, using standard iOS 13 images. The selected wallpapers also adapt to a possibly activated dark mode on the iPhone.

iOS 14: Apple Maps improvements

In addition to the CarPlay improvement, 9to5Mac has also discovered improvements in Apple Maps. In the future, for example, Apple Stores, which are selected in the map app, should include significantly more details than has been the case so far. 

When you tap an Apple Store or selected service partner, you should no longer only see the phone number or opening hours, but also the current Genius bar times, for example. According to the report, it should be possible, to find out whether a store enables battery or display replacement on the same day. Trade-in details should also be displayed for potential customers. Moreover, cinemas that have IMAX films in their program should be particularly emphasized.