Unlocking the Road: 5 Essential Apple CarPlay Insights
The only thing constant in life is change. That’s why cars are not bought nowadays just for how many people they seat or for their engine, but infotainment demands room on every car buyer’s checklist. This is where Apple CarPlay comes in handy. It does a lot more than give driving directions and can make things easier behind the wheel.
Apple CarPlay has the ability to do everything your phone can. It allows the driver to safely use applications, integrate their favorite music, call friends and family, listen to podcasts, etc. You could say CarPlay is the perfect co-pilot.
You can start using CarPlay by connecting your iPhone to your car’s Bluetooth. And then, rely on CarPlay to listen to music, get driving directions, listen to and respond to text messages, make and receive phone calls, etc. Most of these tasks can be accomplished by directly talking to Siri instead of fiddling with touch-screen controls. Although it mostly functions fine, Apple users are known to complain that CarPlay suddenly stopped working. This might be because of car incompatibility issues, a faulty USB cable, an outdated iOS version, or Bluetooth connectivity issues. If you check the compatibility and update the iOS version, the problem should be resolved.
To ensure you use CarPlay efficiently, here are some tips and tricks.
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Control The Dashboard
The dashboard was only capable of displaying one application at a time until iOS 13. So, if you wanted to use the Music player and see the Maps navigation screen, you couldn’t. You would have to bounce back and forth between the two apps. But now, it is possible to control the dashboard by splitting the screen between more than one application. You can cue up driving directions in one window, view your calendar in another, and control music from another.
Also, the dashboard comes with different configurations that you can switch between by choosing the home button. You can display your last or current application in full screen, view the home screen with access to all the applications, or view different apps in split-screen mode.
Moreover, you can tap on an application to display it in full screen or tap on the left side to switch to a different app.
Use Siri To Stay Hands-Free
Are you running iOS 14 or later? If so, Siri is not going to obstruct your view anymore. You can call upon the voice assistant whenever you want, and the car’s display will not be obstructed from your view. Siri is going to appear as a swirling ball at the screen’s bottom so it doesn’t take away your view from anything on the screen.
You can use Siri to enjoy hands-free texting, or you can have the voice assistant read aloud the texts sent to you. Also, the voice assistant can be asked to share your ETA with your contacts.
With iOS 15 or later, Siri announces new messages so you don’t have to look at the dashboard but can keep your eyes on the road. You can set this up by opening the Settings app > clicking Siri & Search > selecting Announce Notifications and enabling the switch for it. Then, tap CarPlay > turn on the switch for Announce Messages.
Add More Maps
Did you know you can add more apps? The types of maps supported by CarPlay have been expanded, and you can add compatible applications for parking, EV charging stations, food delivery, etc. You can even use alternative navigation apps like Waze and Google Maps.
The apps can be managed by opening the Settings app > selecting General > choosing CarPlay on your iPhone. Then, choose the name of your car and choose Customize to remove, add, and switch the order of available applications.
Focus On The Road
The Do Not Disturb option was revamped by iOS 15, and it is now called Focus. This feature controls notifications, and one of its categories is Driving. You can set this up by going to Settings > Focus > Driving and toggle it on.
If you want to allow notifications from some contacts, choose the People section under Allows Notifications and then add or remove specific people. You can go to the Options section to set up automated messages to alert anyone trying to contact you that you are driving and will get back later. You can set it up to automatically turn this Focus mode on when you are driving.
Find EV charging stations
Do you own an electric vehicle? You can get help from CarPlay when your car needs to charge. You can tap the Search bar in Apple Maps and enter EV Chargers. The nearest charging stations will be displayed on the screen.
Conclusion
So, check whether your vehicle and device are compatible with CarPlay. If it is, you can follow the tips mentioned above to unlock an exceptional driving experience.
