We've been hearing plenty about iOS 26's dramatic visual overhaul, but it looks like CarPlay won't be left behind, if a new rumor is anything to go by.
According to 9to5Mac, Apple is planning to bring the same design language to CarPlay that's coming to iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS. The extent of the redesign remains unclear, but Apple is reportedly working on multiple changes to match iOS 26's new aesthetic, which includes visionOS-inspired translucency and floating UI elements.
We've not been able to corroborate the rumor, but it makes sense. It would be jarring for your iPhone to feature glassy, rounded interface elements only to be plugged into your car to see the old-school CarPlay design. Apple's been pretty consistent about keeping its platforms visually cohesive.
The timing is interesting too, given that CarPlay Ultra just launched with Aston Martin vehicles. It would be easy to assume that Apple wants to focus all its CarPlay energy there, but it sounds like the company's committed to refreshing the regular CarPlay experience alongside everything else.
With iOS 26 expected to debut at WWDC 2025, we'll probably get our first official look at how Apple plans to translate those floating, translucent design elements to the dashboard. Here's hoping it doesn't distract from actually driving.
