Photo: reddit user steppyhen
CarPlay didn't receive much love during Apple's latest developer event, but this doesn’t necessarily mean the company didn't prepare a handful of refinements for its car experience.
The iPhone maker focused mostly on small improvements, and given most of them haven't even been announced, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if some users don't even know they exist.
One of these refinements improves the way users interact with an important feature in Apple Maps, and at some level, makes it easier to give up on Google Maps. iPhone users often switch to Google Maps due to the lack of features in Apple Maps, including satellite navigation, so with this update (and the recent addition of offline maps), Apple gives users another important reason to stay onboard in the long term.
As most users probably know, Apple Maps includes voice guidance, so you're provided with directions on which way to go without needing to look at the screen. At the same time, Apple Maps can also generate audio warnings and alerts for the active route, once again, in an attempt to reduce the driver's distraction and let them focus on the road.
This feature, however, isn't everybody's cup of tea, and many users either turn them off completely or temporarily. For example, I typically disable the voice guidance and the alerts when I don’t travel alone, as I don't want Apple Maps to keep talking when my little one sleeps in the back.
Doing this comes down to a few taps, as Apple Maps includes a dedicated menu hiding under the audio icon, always available on the screen. If you tap it when Apple Maps is running on CarPlay, the application allows you to choose the audio behavior and allow voice guidance or switch to alerts only.
Beginning with iOS 17, Apple Maps running on CarPlay reintroduces a little trick that makes toggling between the two much faster and easier. The app will let users tap the black directions box to switch between guidance and alerts only on the spot, so you no longer have to do this through the dedicated menu. This feature is available when the navigation is enabled, so it doesn’t require more than a single tap to use it. Once again, the purpose is to reduce the driver's distraction, as the user can adjust the settings without taking their eyes off the road for too long.
The feature is already available in the existing beta build of iOS 17, but for the time being, only developers can try it out. A public beta build should go live in just a few weeks, at which point anyone would be allowed to try it out on their iPhone. As for the production version, Apple plans to release it in the fall, most likely in September. The new operating system version will support the iPhone XS and newer, so if you own an older smartphone, you're stuck with the old CarPlay and Apple Maps feature lineup with no option to get the 2023 pack of improvements.
One of these refinements improves the way users interact with an important feature in Apple Maps, and at some level, makes it easier to give up on Google Maps. iPhone users often switch to Google Maps due to the lack of features in Apple Maps, including satellite navigation, so with this update (and the recent addition of offline maps), Apple gives users another important reason to stay onboard in the long term.
As most users probably know, Apple Maps includes voice guidance, so you're provided with directions on which way to go without needing to look at the screen. At the same time, Apple Maps can also generate audio warnings and alerts for the active route, once again, in an attempt to reduce the driver's distraction and let them focus on the road.
This feature, however, isn't everybody's cup of tea, and many users either turn them off completely or temporarily. For example, I typically disable the voice guidance and the alerts when I don’t travel alone, as I don't want Apple Maps to keep talking when my little one sleeps in the back.
Doing this comes down to a few taps, as Apple Maps includes a dedicated menu hiding under the audio icon, always available on the screen. If you tap it when Apple Maps is running on CarPlay, the application allows you to choose the audio behavior and allow voice guidance or switch to alerts only.
Beginning with iOS 17, Apple Maps running on CarPlay reintroduces a little trick that makes toggling between the two much faster and easier. The app will let users tap the black directions box to switch between guidance and alerts only on the spot, so you no longer have to do this through the dedicated menu. This feature is available when the navigation is enabled, so it doesn’t require more than a single tap to use it. Once again, the purpose is to reduce the driver's distraction, as the user can adjust the settings without taking their eyes off the road for too long.
The feature is already available in the existing beta build of iOS 17, but for the time being, only developers can try it out. A public beta build should go live in just a few weeks, at which point anyone would be allowed to try it out on their iPhone. As for the production version, Apple plans to release it in the fall, most likely in September. The new operating system version will support the iPhone XS and newer, so if you own an older smartphone, you're stuck with the old CarPlay and Apple Maps feature lineup with no option to get the 2023 pack of improvements.
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