With Apple CarPlay you can control your smartphone or your car’s infotainment. Reuters/Robert Galbraith
Apple Carplay is a mirroring system that connects your iPhone to a vehicle.
If your car is equipped with Apple Carplay, you can control various things using your smartphone.
Navigation, music, SMS and hands-free calling – you can activate this and more with Carplay.
This is a machine translation of an article from our US colleagues at Business Insider. It was automatically translated and checked by an editor.
Apple Carplay is more than just streaming music while driving. Carplay is intended to make it easier to play music from your smartphone in the car. In addition, the iPhone mirroring system has many useful functions.
You interact with your vehicle via Apple Carplay, for example by dictating text messages, using the navigation function, controlling the infotainment system or making phone calls – all using voice commands.
According to Apple Newsroom, Carplay was first introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in spring 2014 and is now installed as standard in more than 800 vehicle models worldwide. If your car is one of these – and you use an iPhone – here’s what you should know about the system.
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How do I connect to Apple Carplay?
Connecting to Carplay couldn’t be easier. First, make sure your car is running (not driving!) and that Siri is enabled on your iPhone. You simply connect the cell phone to the vehicle using the Apple USB or a USB-C cable. Your device will automatically connect to Carplay in any vehicle equipped with this platform.
In addition to this wired connection, there is also a wireless connection in certain vehicles: you will receive a notification on your phone asking for permission to allow the wireless connection. In vehicles where only a wireless Carplay connection is possible, the setup process is slightly different.
How can I use Carplay wirelessly?
To connect wirelessly to Carplay, also make sure your vehicle is turned on and Siri is activated on your iPhone. Then switch the car’s infotainment and audio system to Bluetooth mode and press and hold the voice control button. Open the “Wifi” settings on your phone and tap on the Carplay network.
Finally, go back to “General” in the settings, tap “Carplay” and select your vehicle. Your phone will now be connected – and every time you turn on the vehicle.
In some vehicles you can only use Carplay wirelessly. You then establish a wireless connection as follows: First connect your phone to CarPlay in your vehicle with a USB cable and wait for a notification on your phone to allow the wireless connection. Then you just have to accept the wireless connection.
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Which apps are compatible with Apple Carplay?
Apple Carplay works with Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon Music and many other music apps. You can also manage and listen to audio books and podcasts with Carplay.
Navigation apps are another important feature that runs with Carplay. Carplay is compatible with Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, Tomtom and others. These apps give you turn-by-turn directions controlled from your phone but played through your car’s speakers.
Carplay also works with messenger apps including iMessage, Whatsapp, Snapchat, Telegram and others. With Carplay, you can dictate messages or have them read out via Siri, so you can text hands-free and securely.
You can even manage your calendar app, Zoom meetings, messaging apps, email, and your phone’s Settings app – all via voice commands or via the touchscreen or steering wheel interface of your vehicle’s infotainment system.
Is there a monthly fee for Apple Carplay?
Apple CarPlay is free. There is no initial purchase and there are no ongoing fees to pay. Carplay is now a feature of many current and recently released vehicles – there is no upgrade necessary, nor an aftermarket addition.
However, you can pay for an infotainment system with CarPlay to be installed in an older vehicle that does not have CarPlay.
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What are the disadvantages of Apple Carplay?
In a way, there are few disadvantages since Apple Carplay is an alternative application. You can always choose to rely on the vehicle’s other built-in features instead, even if you have used Carplay in the past.
Importantly, CarPlay does not work with every app, so some actions may be limited when using it.
Depending on how you use it, you may have to concentrate on your screen when using CarPlay. This means you have to take your eyes off the road – which is never a good thing when driving. But if you only use voice commands when connected to Carplay, that’s not a problem. Finally, no significant adjustments are possible with Carplay. The apps and control functions must be used as they appear on your vehicle’s screen.
Read the original article Business Insider.