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A Helpful App

                                                              apple.com 

A Helpful App

We all want to be safe on the road, as well as others. But some of us can't help being on our phone or becoming distracted with other things while driving. Thankfully there are a few hand-free options out there, and Apple's CarPlay is one of them. Standard infotainments don't offer what CarPlay does. With CarPlay, you are applying iPhone software expertise to your driving experience, with Siri voice commands.

Sending messages, playing music, asking for directions, streaming radio, or calling people hasn't been easier. All without touching your phone. It relies on Siri voice commands so you can keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. Keep in mind, CarPlay is an app, it doesn't replace your standard entertainment system. Your cars typical tasks like adjusting the temperature, view a backup camera, listen to SiriusXM or change your vehicle's general settings must be done after you exit CarPlay. So as long as you have an iPhone 5 or newer, running iOS 7.1 and above, your phone will work with CarPlay. There are 24 different car makers listed, with a total of 114 car models offering CarPlay support.

Can Your Car Work With CarPlay?

A majority of the cars on the list are 2016 or newer models. But you can retrofit it to an older year vehicle with CarPlay through third-party solutions. Pioneer offers 11 different aftermarket options; JBL, Alpine, and Kenwood do as well.

After plugging your phone into Lightning-to-USB cable, you'll need to go through a quick approval process. The app will automatically launch or select from your infotainment system's menu. The screen will show up as a version of your iPhone's home screen. The app is as easy to navigate as any app on your phone. Nothing new, right!

Are All Apps Available?

Here a few things to keep in mind though. Not all apps are available through CarPlay. You can't add, remove or rearrange the icons. The default setup is set in stone. Also, the app is basic. There is no dial pad, you can't view Messages app the way you can on your iPhone. The rest of the apps are the same, simple and Siri dominated.

Oh yeah, if you're a fan of Google Maps, don't expect it to work with CarPlay anytime soon. But a good thing about CarPlay is Apple lists some of the better-known music and radio apps like Spotify, Slacker, and others as being CarPlay-compatible. Siri will work while your phone is in CarPlay mode. So feel free to command Siri to call your mother, she worries about you.

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