Common Myths About CarPlay

[jimbones]

TL;DR: CarPlay is a flexible system designed to support a wide range of in-car experiences, from basic projection to full UI control, all depending on what automakers want to offer.

Rivian's position on Carplay is one of the hottest, constantly reoccurring topics on these forums, especially with next-gen CarPlay demos stirring up excitement and confusion. Its cool to see so much discussion, excitement, and debate about the capabilities, but it's apparent to me that there are still some misunderstandings and myths about Carplay, so I wanted to take a stab at setting a few facts straight.

Caveat, I’m not an expert. I'm just an Apple and Rivian enthusiast and someone who’s been following this closely (I've spent my career in tech), so it’s totally possible I’ve missed something or gotten a detail wrong. If that’s the case, feel free to jump in and correct me. I’ll happily update the post so we can keep the info accurate.

So let’s walk through some of the most common myths I’ve come across, from basic CarPlay to the deeply integrated stuff, and unpack what’s really going on behind the scenes.

Myth #1: “It’s all or nothing — either full CarPlay takeover or just the old version.”

Not true. CarPlay supports a spectrum of integration levels, and automakers can choose how much to adopt based on their goals.

Some examples:

• Basic CarPlay: Standard CarPlay running in a fixed portion (or full screen) of the infotainment screen. It only projects apps (like Maps, Music, Messages), with no access to vehicle data or controls. All climate, seats, drive modes, etc. stay fully within the car’s native UI. This is the most common implementation today.
• Partial Integration: Still runs in a portion of the screen, but the automaker might enable light enhancements such as showing album art on the instrument cluster, mapping steering wheel buttons to skip tracks, or allowing the car’s voice assistant to trigger Siri. CarPlay stays sandboxed, but there's a bit more cross-talk between systems.
• Full Integration (CarPlay Ultra): The iPhone renders the entire interface including gauges, climate, seats, drive modes, and media — and projects it to multiple screens. CarPlay essentially skins the car’s UI, but only if the automaker shares the necessary vehicle data and input handling.

There’s no binary switch. Automakers can implement a full-screen/windowed experience, a hybrid setup, or full UI handoff, depending on what fits their brand and customer base.

Myth #2: “CarPlay takes over the whole screen and automakers have no choice.”

Not true. CarPlay only takes over the full interface if the automaker wants it to.

Some manufacturers (e.g. Jeep, Ford, Volvo, screenshots attached) intentionally run CarPlay in a constrained area of the screen, leaving native controls visible and accessible below or beside it. This preserves access to HVAC, seat controls, and other vehicle-specific features through the car’s own UI.

Apple gives automakers this flexibility. CarPlay can be sandboxed, layered, or full-screen. It’s entirely up to the OEM. Full takeover is optional, not mandatory.

Myth #3: “You can’t control HVAC or seats unless CarPlay is fully integrated.”

Not true. CarPlay can control HVAC and seat features, but only if the automaker exposes those systems.

To support in-CarPlay controls, the car must:

• Share real-time system data (e.g. temp settings, fan state)
• Accept control messages from the iPhone
• Route physical controls (touch, knobs) to the iPhone for interpretation

If the OEM doesn’t enable this, those features remain in the native car UI. There’s no requirement to let CarPlay handle this. It’s opt-in and can be kept off the table entirely.

Myth #4: “Automakers don’t want to use CarPlay because Apple gets all their car data.”

Not true. This concern is understandable but based on a misunderstanding.

Apple does not get blanket access to your car’s internals. CarPlay uses secure APIs and data contracts, and automakers must explicitly choose what data to expose. That might include things like:

• Current speed or fuel level (for digital gauges)
• Climate system status
• Drive mode or battery charge

There’s no access to sensitive diagnostic or proprietary systems unless the automaker allows it and there’s no cloud sync of this data. Everything stays local between the car and the iPhone.

Automakers stay in full control of what’s shared and what’s not.

Myth #5: “CarPlay completely replaces the vehicle system.”

Not true. CarPlay doesn’t replace the car’s software, it overlays a new experience on top of the existing vehicle OS.

Think of it more like a custom theme for iPhone users. The underlying vehicle system is still fully operational in the background. CarPlay simply draws a new interface on top of it and takes over rendering and input handling, only if the automaker chooses to allow that level of control.

Automakers have full flexibility. They can:

• Run CarPlay in a limited window
• Allow partial integration (e.g. custom layouts or controls)
• Enable full UI handoff with next-gen capabilities

But even in full integration mode, the vehicle’s native OS is still running, handling things like safety systems, diagnostics, firmware updates, and more. CarPlay doesn’t replace the core vehicle experience, it rebrands the user-facing UI in a way that’s more familiar to iPhone users.

Hope that clears up some of the confusion. Let me know if there’s anything I got wrong, can clarify, or want to dig deeper on. Cheers!

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[mpshizzle]

Truth: Rivian has stated MANY times car play is not happening and they aren't changing their stance

 

[jimbones]

Truth: Rivian has stated MANY times car play is not happening and they aren't changing their stance

100% truth. And this post is not an opinion piece on Rivian's decision, simply clarifying misinterpretations and myths about the feature in question.

 

[mpshizzle]

100% truth. And this post is not an opinion piece on Rivian's decision, simply clarifying misinterpretations and myths about the feature in question.

I very much appreciate that!

 

[madhat]

I as well appreciate this info.

I personally don't see the love though... we hated it (admittedly android auto) when we tried it on our Cx5.

Can CP/AA allow Bluetooth connection instead of physically connected? I want to just get in and go while my media auto starts not dink around plugging in and whatnot.

 

[jimbones]

I as well appreciate this info.

I personally don't see the love though... we hated it (admittedly android auto) when we tried it on our Cx5.

Can CP/AA allow Bluetooth connection instead of physically connected? I want to just get in and go while my media auto starts not dink around plugging in and whatnot.

Yes, wireless AP/AA is available and up to the automaker to implement. Supports the varying levels of integration identified above. Technically uses a combo of Bluetooth and WIFI, although the wifi connection is “invisible” to the user. You just hop into your car and CP/AA is active on the screen.

 

[LivingInKaos]

Rivian is much more than an automaker and I think people do not understand this. Their whole premise of creating their own systems is not for only Rivian use. This was first brought to light with the VW pairing and the use by VW of the Rivian stacks. Rivian is diversifying a bit here and trying to make a product that will be advantageous for other automakers to onboard. Most automakers do one thing well, build cars (well some don't get that part right either), but when it comes to software, they lack the experience and backgrounds to make it happen in a great user experience- so they tend to throw Carplay and/or Andriod Auto in to make up for some of their lackings.

 

[Gottbetter]

Great information. I don’t miss CarPlay.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Myth #6, buy a different vehicle. Some other manufacturers are shipping their vehicles without carplay compatibility too.

 

[Great Gatsby]

Appreciate the post! But yeah, I'm with most. I much prefer a good UI and no Apple Carplay than bad/mediocre UI with Carplay. As much people complain and moan about the lack of Carplay, sales data does not really show it really slowing down or increasing sales with its inclusion or not. I completely understand why Rivian isn't even entertaining this topic anymore.

 

[True Brit]

I think we can all agree that playing your music from a USB drive would give the best sound/clarity available. We know it's not hard to do because so many other manufacturers have it available. We would not have the clarity loss from Apple or Android, nor from Bluetooth. We would not have the dead air spots from Tune In or Amazon.

Not to mention, should you head out on a trail and not have phone service or the car not have its connection, I guess then we should enjoy the quiet of nature? But then, shouldn't the noise speaker up front turn off? I know, Rivian only expects you to mall hop, the marketing as an adventure vehicle is just blowing smoke...somewhere. 2% may go beyond the pavement.

Lack of USB music playing is just stupid and annoying. Instead, I get orange interior lighting for Halloween and a stupid kids' graphic.

I am going to drive 15 miles to near the Irvine headquarters and the music from Amazon will die three times there and three times on the way back. On the 5 freeway in Orange County, with no tall buildings to block anything.

Sales pitch..."Man, we have a great Meridian Sound System. It just cuts in and out like 1970s AM radio. But when it's there, it's good, on and off."

The service centers' answer was "take a different route." Why didn't I think of that? Maybe that could be worked into ABRP, routes with no dead air space. Business idea.

 

[shortyjacobs]

All I really want is better maps. Having used carplay on many non-EVs and then AAOS in my polestar, google maps (or waze, if you must), are just so good. Even in an EV - in my polestar google has way more chargers in it than Rivian does, its autorouting is better, its traffic is better, (the Riv tried to send us down a closed road yesterday, Google seems to always be on top of road closures, as an example), and it's way more flexible for routing options, (like swapping out charger stations when you know one sucks on your route).

That said, a lot of promising hints coming from EV Play....a full infotainment replacement with access to car info through CAN, (but without usurping or replacing any Rivian control over the systems), access to all three screens, custom dashboards on the driver screen, etc. etc. etc. I'm very hopeful he can deliver on it, as it could be a great option if Rivian never decides to get out of their own way.

 

[lefkonj]

Our BMW I4 has CarPlay and it is nicely integrated and yes we have full access to the underlying BMW interface with the simple touch of the screen. Jumping between the two it really isn't a big deal to have it or not. The things that bother me about it are the lack of messaging and calendar integration, I use that all the time when CarPlay is supported. Eventually Rivian will get there but for now it is just something I choose to live without.

 

[SkyDave]

I rely on a lot of CarPlay functionality primarily from apps that dont often get mentioned in these discussions nor are likely to ever be re-implemented by Rivian. I’ve moved on by just adding a 3rd party, 3rd screen to my dash which supports wireless CarPlay. The solution does have some shortcoming and may seem odd for a 7 figure car, but I get what I want, and Rivian doesn’t have to invest software development resources to support what the vast majority of the car industry is already on board with. I like the current Rivian UI as is. Having a third screen for CarPlay makes it such that they are not mutually exclusive nor is Rivian screen real estate reallocated.

 

[ndmiller]

May we can push for a CarPlay specific forum, which will make it easier to ignore.

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