Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Rocket Homes
General Motors has already abandoned CarPlay in new-generation electric vehicles, planning to switch to Android Automotive and leave behind the support for phone mirroring systems.
Meanwhile, the CarPlay ecosystem keeps expanding, not only because the majority of carmakers continue to support and offer Apple's in-car experience but also thanks to more developers joining the ecosystem.
All the big apps are already on CarPlay, including Google Maps, Waze, and Spotify, but the software collection available behind the wheel keeps growing. Today, it's the turn of Rocket Homes to join the CarPlay fun, though the features drivers will get aren't necessarily the most common for the driving experience.
Rocket Homes is a popular real estate service provider, and the company has been offering a mobile app for quite some time. The essential feature package lands on CarPlay, allowing users to check for nearby listings with a single tap. The application comes with a Nearby section that automatically retrieves your location, finds homes listed for sale, and displays them in the CarPlay interface without drivers needing to unlock their smartphones (which they shouldn't do anything, considering they're driving).
Tapping a listing reveals additional information, including the address, the price, and the number of rooms, and provides the driver with driving directions via Apple Maps to navigate to the front porch. Users can save a listing to the Favorites section and check it at a later time when they arrive home. All information is stored on the iPhone, so you can take your favorite listings with you wherever you go.
Rocket Homes also displays photo reviews, so you get nearly the full experience right from the CarPlay screen. If you find a home that you'd like to visit, you can call an agent right from the CarPlay interface. Everything was designed to be straightforward and intuitive, though you'll want to use the app while parked. Browsing the listings should be a big no-no when the vehicle is in motion, as it could significantly increase the driver's distraction.
The application is already available for download from the App Store if you want to try out the CarPlay experience. Users won't have to do anything special to activate the CarPlay support, as it's enough to update Rocket Homes to the latest version on the iPhone. Once you do this and launch CarPlay, the Rocket Homes icon should show up in the app drawer on the infotainment screen.
Rocket Homes is available on iPhones as long as they run iOS 16, so if you're on a previous operating system version, you must also update the smartphone to the latest OS build. For the best experience, you should update to iOS 17, available today for the iPhone XS and newer. Rocket Homes is offered free of charge on the iPhone.
All the big apps are already on CarPlay, including Google Maps, Waze, and Spotify, but the software collection available behind the wheel keeps growing. Today, it's the turn of Rocket Homes to join the CarPlay fun, though the features drivers will get aren't necessarily the most common for the driving experience.
Rocket Homes is a popular real estate service provider, and the company has been offering a mobile app for quite some time. The essential feature package lands on CarPlay, allowing users to check for nearby listings with a single tap. The application comes with a Nearby section that automatically retrieves your location, finds homes listed for sale, and displays them in the CarPlay interface without drivers needing to unlock their smartphones (which they shouldn't do anything, considering they're driving).
Tapping a listing reveals additional information, including the address, the price, and the number of rooms, and provides the driver with driving directions via Apple Maps to navigate to the front porch. Users can save a listing to the Favorites section and check it at a later time when they arrive home. All information is stored on the iPhone, so you can take your favorite listings with you wherever you go.
Rocket Homes also displays photo reviews, so you get nearly the full experience right from the CarPlay screen. If you find a home that you'd like to visit, you can call an agent right from the CarPlay interface. Everything was designed to be straightforward and intuitive, though you'll want to use the app while parked. Browsing the listings should be a big no-no when the vehicle is in motion, as it could significantly increase the driver's distraction.
The application is already available for download from the App Store if you want to try out the CarPlay experience. Users won't have to do anything special to activate the CarPlay support, as it's enough to update Rocket Homes to the latest version on the iPhone. Once you do this and launch CarPlay, the Rocket Homes icon should show up in the app drawer on the infotainment screen.
Rocket Homes is available on iPhones as long as they run iOS 16, so if you're on a previous operating system version, you must also update the smartphone to the latest OS build. For the best experience, you should update to iOS 17, available today for the iPhone XS and newer. Rocket Homes is offered free of charge on the iPhone.
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