Aftermarket CarPlay Support Faces Technical Hurdles, Uncertain Future

carplay_touchWhile a recent report from a customer service representative indicated that Pioneer was exploring the possibility of bringing support for Apple's new CarPlay iPhone vehicle integration to third-party dashboard systems and Mercedes-Benz acknowledged efforts to bring extend support to its own older vehicles, it appears that full support will take some time to appear given challenges involved in the implementation.

AppleToolbox spoke with both Volvo and Ferrari, two of Apple's launch partners for CarPlay, and both manufacturers acknowledged that extending compatibility to older vehicles would be difficult, with Ferrari ruling out the possibility and instead promoting its alternative phone integration systems.

The new system CarPlay is available only on new range cars and cannot be installed on older ones. However, since we know that infotainment solutions are really important for our customers and also owners of older vehicles deserve the same care as all other customers, we developed an AfterMarket product aimed at offering last generation infotainment, completely compatible with most recent phones.

Volvo does not appear to have ruled out older model support for CarPlay entirely, but acknowledges that it would be difficult for the company to add that support.

We have not announced any plans for an aftermarket solution for Apple CarPlay. While I cannot reveal any potential future products, I can say that there are major roadblocks for this, both from a technical as well as from a usability point-of-view.

And despite Pioneer's statement of interest earlier this week, which the company backed away from in a statement to AppleInsider, other third-party manufacturers are expressing reservations about whether they will even pursue CarPlay support. In an email to MacRumors, a Kenwood representative indicated that the firm would be "looking at" CarPlay but that adoption is not imminent.

I can tell you Apple CarPlay won't be in any of our 2014 product. We will be looking at this operating system along with Google's.

I haven't had any discussions with our engineers regarding Apples willingness or unwillingness to extend into aftermarket.

Currently our [radios] support many of the features found on Apple CarPlay including SIRI control, AV content and even Navigation Apps, so perhaps this interface will have more of an impact with OEM systems that lack that kind of connectivity?

It's clear that there remain a number of unknowns regarding CarPlay, and it seems that Apple has not kept third-party manufacturers abreast of its plans. As a result, it may yet be some time before those manufacturers can have proper discussions with Apple and explore just what it would entail to add CarPlay support to their products.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iOS 26.1 Beta Liquid Glass Battery Drain Test: Tinted vs Clear Mode

Friday October 24, 2025 2:30 pm PDT by
In the fourth iOS 26.1 beta, Apple added a "Tinted" option that reduces the translucency of Liquid Glass for those who prefer a more opaque look. I saw some comments wondering whether the setting might preserve battery life, so I thought I'd do some testing. Test Settings I did four separate tests using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and I kept the parameters as similar as possible. Here are the...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Says U.S. Passport Feature on iPhone is Coming Soon

Monday October 27, 2025 7:41 am PDT by
You will "soon" be able to add a digital version of your U.S. passport to your iPhone, according to Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. Bailey reiterated that the feature is coming soon during her keynote at the Money20/20 USA conference in Las Vegas on Sunday. On its iOS 26 page, Apple says the delayed feature will be "coming later this year." Apple's...
macos tahoe

Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:21 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week. The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included. macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

iPhone XX? 6 Features Rumored for Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday October 27, 2025 4:01 pm PDT by
For the 10th anniversary iPhone that came out in 2017, Apple introduced the iPhone X with Face ID, notch, and minimized bezels, providing more display space than ever before. The 20th iPhone anniversary is approaching and Apple wants to take the iPhone X design even further. We're two years away from the 2027 iPhone, but it's tough for Apple to keep major changes under wraps. We've rounded...

Top Rated Comments

aswiec Avatar
152 months ago
Can someone please explain to me what specific "Technical Hurdles" they might have to overcome? Shouldn't it be as easy as installing a new touch screen radio will a cord that you can plug your iPhone into? It doesn't seem that difficult to me.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dacreativeguy Avatar
152 months ago
You'd think Apple could just let users enable a CarPlay mode on their phones and iPads to get the car interface. Who needs a new head unit!

But that would be toooooo easy and not generate more money :(
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JAT Avatar
152 months ago
Shoot, guess I'll have to get a new Ferrari.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Boatboy24 Avatar
152 months ago
What I'm reading is that carmakers are agreeing to put this into their new vehicles as long as Apple doesn't license the thing to the Pioneers and Kenwoods of the world; effectively forcing anyone who wants this to buy a new car, or an aftermarket version of CarPlay from an auto manufacturer.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
madsci954 Avatar
152 months ago
Can someone please explain to me what specific "Technical Hurdles" they might have to overcome? Shouldn't it be as easy as installing a new touch screen radio will a cord that you can plug your iPhone into? It doesn't seem that difficult to me.

First guess? Apple being mum on the API's and SDK's who aren't OEM's. Meaning, it will probably open up in time, but not this year. Next year's not looking too good either.

And I find it BS as an excuse to buy a new car, especially for those who got a new car in the last year or two.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jettredmont Avatar
152 months ago
Don't expect car manufacturers to retrofit this into their existing models. Even if every customer agreed to pay $4,000 to have a CarPlay system adapted to their one to three year old car it would still suck. The dashboards, buttons and other design elements of the vehicle just wouldn't be right for this.

From the looks of the original models, we are talking about a double-DIN head unit in a conventional car, with steering wheel or other secondary controls for the common functions. This doesn't seem like a system it would be hard to build an aftermarket stereo to mimic (the steering wheel controls are hard, but you just use whatever controls are there already; the other secondary controls just need to be installed and wired up).


If they caved and offered it for existing vehicles I think it would generate a lot of ill will for the makers. It'd not be free, too expensive, too many headaches getting it installed and working well.

I doubt anyone would be upset that they would have to pay money to get a new stereo head unit, with large touchscreen display, etc.


The user will have a much better experience getting this in a new car that was designed from scratch to work with this system.

Um, no, probably not. OEM car stereos, across the board, suck compared to what can be gotten aftermarket. Yes, a new car might work better for someone than an old one, but just from the stereo system perspective, likely not.


Car manufacturers are in business to sell new cars and this helps them sell new cars.

Yes, exactly. That is why all the car manufacturers are claiming aftermarket devices will never work; their interest lies in getting you to buy a new car, not make the old one "habitable" by upgrading the stereo head unit.

Note that car manufacturers officially profess that after-market stereos don't work in their vehicles. That doesn't mean it is true. They just want you to see a modern stereo system as something you get when you buy a new vehicle.


If you don't like that concept maybe you should consider moving to North Korea.

And you get the Overreaction of the Thread award! Congratulations!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)