Can You Use Apple CarPlay Without Plugging Your iPhone In?

Apple CarPlay offers a seamless way to enjoy your phone apps, voice assistant, and more on your car's infotainment display. CarPlay has tons of features, including the ability to keep a note of your parking location, let everyone in the car play their tunes via SharePlay, and stay distraction-free with a focus mode. iOS 26 also added some pretty useful extras to this feature list, such as widgets for quick access to key information and the option to play videos when parked – as long as your car manufacturer allows.

One of the most common ways to access CarPlay is to plug your iPhone into the USB port on the dashboard with a USB cable. Also known as wired CarPlay, this is the most prevalent version of CarPlay offered by car manufacturers, particularly in affordable car models. However, wired Apple CarPlay isn't the only method; Apple also offers wireless CarPlay support, which can be used without plugging in your iPhone. While wireless CarPlay is getting more popular and is standard with many cars, it's not as common as wired CarPlay.

Wireless CarPlay uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for communication between your iPhone and your car. Aside from the wireless connection, everything else is the same between wired and wireless CarPlay. That said, the wireless version is comparatively seamless; it activates as soon as you turn on your car, and you don't need to fiddle with any USB cables. While the native support for wireless Apple CarPlay can only be added by the car manufacturer, there is one nifty way to get around it on cars that only support wired CarPlay.

As more and more people want wireless CarPlay even when the feature is not offered in their cars, a whole new product category has emerged. Called the wireless CarPlay adapter, these small USB flash drive-sized dongles plug into your car's USB ports typically used for wired CarPlay, and remove the need to directly connect your iPhone to the car. You can leave the adapter plugged in and get a similar experience to the one you get with native wireless CarPlay support.

There are tons of wireless CarPlay adapters on the market, including the AAWireless TWO+ and Ottocast U2-Air. While the former is a two-in-one wireless adapter that can handle both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the latter is only compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay.

Before you start shopping for a wireless CarPlay adapter, it's important to remember that these adapters are often third-party devices and built for universal usage. As a result, they can have issues with certain car models, including connection troubles. So, it's best to look for reviews from reputable publications and verified buyers before purchasing a wireless CarPlay adapter.