Apple has long been rumored to be developing support for video playback in CarPlay, and the feature is now officially available with the new iOS 26.4 beta update. The development was discovered after the Cupertino-based tech giant updated its official developer documentation. This feature will allow compatible vehicles to display video content through the CarPlay interface. While functionality is expected to be limited for safety reasons, this addition will mark a significant expansion of CarPlay entertainment capabilities.
Play videos in the car
As first highlighted by OneJailbreak, Apple has revised its CarPlay developer guide for Apple CarPlay, which mentions AirPlay video support in cars and outlines its capabilities. The company stated:
“AirPlay Video in the Car enables people to watch their favorite videos from iPhone directly on the CarPlay display when not driving. Integrate support for CarPlay with AirPlay Video to enable this feature in your car.”
The wording makes it clear that the video can only be played when the vehicle is not moving, thus addressing safety and regulatory concerns. Apple appears to be leveraging AirPlay to stream video content from an iPhone to a compatible car display, rather than building a standalone video app directly within CarPlay.
Notably, the document also suggests that automakers will need to integrate support for CarPlay and AirPlay video into their infotainment systems. This means the feature may not be universally available on all existing CarPlay-enabled vehicles and may depend on hardware compatibility.
A developer page update suggests that Apple is laying the groundwork for a wide range of in-car entertainment options via CarPlay, which may be released with iOS 26.4. However, the update is still in beta and not yet available to the public.
In addition to in-car AirPlay video, the iOS 26.4 update reportedly adds support for voice-based artificial intelligence (AI) applications to CarPlay. According to a report from MacRumors, Apple’s CarPlay developer guide page now states that “voice-based conversational applications” are allowed in CarPlay. It now supports application categories such as audio, communications, driving tasks, fueling, navigation, public safety, voice-based conversations, and more.
“Voice-based conversational applications must have a primary form of speech when launched; once launched, respond appropriately to questions or requests and perform actions,” the company explains.
