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Apple’s CarPlay Changes Planned for iOS 15 Aren’t as Tragic as They Sound

A recent technical document published by Apple has caused more confusion than actually setting things right, as many believe that CarPlay is going to lose important capabilities when the iOS 15 update sees daylight in the fall of the year.
Apple CarPlay in 2021 Mustang 6 photos
Photo: Ford
The CarPlay dashboardWaze on Apple CarPlayHERE WeGo on Apple CarPlayNotification on the CarPlay homescreenThe CarPlay home screen
First and foremost, let’s see what this announcement is all about.

According to Apple itself, the debut of iOS 15 will mark the deprecation of several SiriKit intent domains, so once someone makes a request using them, the digital assistant would just respond with a message explaining they are no longer supported.

In plain English, what this means is that Apple removes some Siri commands for several capabilities, including in the car, from iOS 15. For CarPlay specifically, the removed intent domains include support for controlling the audio source, climate and defroster settings, choosing a radio station, and adjusting the seat position.

While many people didn’t even know Siri supported these commands in the first place, it’s because they were only available in certain vehicles where deeper integration with the vehicle was offered.

So why is Apple removing support for these Siri capabilities in iOS 15?

Clearly, deprecating these SiriKit intent domains is bad news, especially for users who are currently relying on them when running CarPlay behind the wheel.

But the Cupertino-based tech giant most likely hasn’t shared the full story, and while some capabilities are indeed being removed from iOS 15 as native commands, there’s a good chance they are actually moved to Shortcuts.

Again, what this means is that Apple is moving Siri commands for third-party apps to Shortcuts, therefore making it easier for developers to interact with the digital assistant in the first place.

The only big question is how Apple plans to make the Shortcuts integration more straightforward in the first place. Shortcuts allow users to create automations for a wide array of uses, including in the car, and right now, users are required to manually set them up for both first- and third-party apps.

One possible approach is for iOS 15 to bundle new functionality that would allow apps to add new entries in Shortcuts when launched, as otherwise, forcing users to manually create automations would be too much of a hassle.

Needless to say, with iOS 15 coming in September, expect more information to be shared rather sooner than later, but again, Apple isn’t removing any CarPlay functionality but only looking into ways to further enhance the Siri capabilities by giving developers more options.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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