ChatGPT is now available in Apple CarPlay. However, it can do less than you think

While Apple is opening its CarPlay platform to third parties, Google maintains strict control over Android Auto. As a result, iPhone users can now chat with ChatGPT directly from their car’s dashboard, while Android owners must continue to rely on Gemini – or resort to workarounds.

No text or images, voice only

ChatGPT in CarPlay works exclusively via voice. The app does not display any text or images – this is required by Apple’s rules for conversational in-car apps. On the screen, you will only see a button to end the call in the upper left corner and a microphone mute switch in the upper right.

Aside from these two buttons, your voice is the only way to interact. You also have access to a list of previous conversations so you can return to earlier queries. Importantly, ChatGPT does not have a so-called wake word to activate it – you must therefore manually open the app on the vehicle’s display.

ChatGPT in the car is not an assistant, but rather a chatty co-driver

Apple has set clear rules: voice conversational apps must not control vehicle or iPhone functions. ChatGPT will not switch songs, set navigation, or send messages. It serves purely as a conversational partner for answering queries while driving.

To use the feature, you need an iPhone with iOS 26.4 or newer and the latest version of the ChatGPT app from the App Store.

Android Auto lags behind

While Apple has surprisingly opened the door to competing chatbots, Google maintains strict control over Android Auto. The platform has a list of permitted app categories, and chatbots are missing from them – with the exception of its own Gemini, which Google allows.

How to use ChatGPT in a car with Android

If you have Android and don’t want to wait, there are a few workarounds. You can set ChatGPT as your default digital assistant in Settings → Apps → Default apps → Digital assistant. The second option is to launch ChatGPT directly on your phone and have the audio play through the car’s speakers.

However, neither solution offers the same level of integration as a native app in CarPlay. Whether Google will ever allow third-party chatbots on Android Auto is not yet clear.

Would you welcome ChatGPT on Android Auto?

Sources: 9to5Mac, MacRumors, Android Authority, The Verge