- Apple CarPlay is set to support video playback
- The update is added with iOS 26
- However, car manufacturers will have to sign up for the feature
As with each iOS update, iOS 26 will bring some changes to CarPlay interface that appears when your iPhone is connected to your vehicle -and Apple has now quietly confirmed that one of these changes will be support for video playback.
This was not mentioned by the big reveal of iOS 26 on WWDC 2025, but as discovered by macumors, it is now listed as a feature on the Apple Developers Web site. We expect iOS 26 to roll out to the masses in September.
“AirPlay video in the car allows people to watch their favorite videos from iPhone right on their CarPlay screen when they are not running,” the site says. “Integrate support for CarPlay with AirPlay video to activate this feature in your car.”
And that’s the catch – car manufacturers will have to activate this feature separately for the rest of the CarPlay functionality, so it is possible that it is not displayed in each vehicle and can be limited by local security regulations worldwide.
Keeps step
Videos would of course be too distracting for drivers, which is why this only works when a car is parked up. It is possible that Apple has not mentioned it until now, because it is not certain how far this will be supported, at least originally.
The AirPlay streaming standard implemented here is the standard implemented by Apple on its other devices, including the Apple TV 4K box. It’s worth noting that although many iOS apps support AirPlay for streaming, Netflix doesn’t.
This is a step that Apple had to do really: built -in options from car manufacturers such as Tesla, BMW and Mercedes are already offering video playback, and the feature is also on its way to Android Auto. Apple does not want its CarPlay interface to fall behind.
We should get more details from Apple over time. The public beta for iOS 26 needs to be launched every day now – which means anyone can test the software in advance – before it is completed and pushed out later in the year with the iPhone 17 series.
