It Might Be Your Fault Apple CarPlay Isn't Available On Tesla Vehicles Yet

Late last year, Bloomberg revealed that Tesla was working to support CarPlay on its vehicles, as part of a push to improve customer satisfaction but also lure new buyers. While the publication still believes CarPlay will soon be added to Tesla, it also says the reason why it hasn't been publicly announced yet is that not enough people have downloaded the latest versions of iOS 26.

While it might sound a bit weird, Bloomberg reports that when Tesla started working on CarPlay integration, it realized that Apple Maps wasn't correctly syncing with its own auto-mode pilot. To prevent issues with this integration, Tesla engineers started working with Apple to address that. The publication says this issue with Apple Maps has been resolved with a later iOS 26 update, and not the first one released in September. However, it's unclear if that happened with iOS 26.1, iOS 26.2, or even with the latest iOS 26.3 version.

The issue comes after Apple revealed that over 74% of all the iPhone models released in the past four years are running iOS 26. Whether this is the user's response to the new Liquid Glass design, Tesla cannot guarantee that most of its customers are running the latest iOS version (and not only iOS 26) to avoid issues if it releases CarPlay support.

Bloomberg reports that, in addition to this fix, Tesla was working with Apple on another fix, but it didn't know how many of its customers were actually running iOS 26 to justify the release of the new experience. However, with Apple now touting this new user base, the publication says the EV maker will "accelerate the timeline" to introduce this feature.

As of now, Bloomberg suggests the CarPlay experience won't take over the entire display. In fact, it will be like drivers would be opening a window on the full Tesla experience. Still, this would give Apple users the ability to enjoy the perks of CarPlay.

It's important to note that Tesla might be holding the release of CarPlay to pair it with another long-requested feature: the ability to unlock Tesla vehicles with Apple Wallet Car Key support. According to Not A Tesla App, one of the last builds of 2025 released by Tesla revealed that the company was planning to support Harmony Wallet Key Cards, which is the same feature that iPhone users have, but for Huawei. The publication notes that Tesla usually introduces these features first in China, and then brings them to the West with Apple and Android support. That said, the Tesla roadmap for Apple users in 2026 is looking rather enticing.

If you're a Tesla owner, one thing you can do is update your iPhone to the latest version, which shows you're prepared for this new experience. Once it's available, more than just enjoying Apple's several CarPlay iOS 26 features, you'll also have access to other functions that have been available forever.

For example, Tesla users will finally be able to take full advantage of all Apple stock apps, which means you'll be able to read, send, and react to iMessage messages, listen to the Apple Podcasts app episodes or Apple Books audiobooks, and even navigate with Apple Maps (although I suspect Tesla's experience might be better).

On top of that, with iOS 26, Apple added support for widgets, Live Activities, and other features that will make your Tesla a lot more connected to your iPhone, so you'll be able to see a Live Activity of a family member's flight about to arrive, access music control with more ease, and even take a FaceTime call with a new interface. There's even a new Siri coming out sometime in 2026, if you prefer Apple's experience over Tesla's Grok.

Still, you won't need to worry about choosing one or the other, as the full Tesla experience will continue to be available for you, as this was likely the main reason why you bought an EV from the company in the first place.