Overview
- Apple’s updated CarPlay Developer Guide adds a “voice-based conversational apps” category and a required entitlement starting with iOS 26.4.
- Eligible apps must use a dedicated Voice Control template, prioritize spoken interaction, limit on-screen elements, and keep UI depth to three template screens.
- Third-party assistants cannot function as the system-wide voice helper, leaving Siri in that role within the in-car experience.
- These apps are barred from controlling vehicle or iPhone functions and cannot be triggered by a wake word, requiring manual launch from the dashboard.
- iOS 26.4 is in developer beta now with a public release expected this spring, and real-world use will depend on companies like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic adding the entitlement and passing Apple’s review.