Android Auto left behind as ChatGPT comes to CarPlay

Google consciously limits the apps and experiences available on Android Auto, but competitors like Apple CarPlay are zooming past, with experiences like AI digital assistants like ChatGPT now available on their platform.

As MacRumors notes, ChatGPT on iOS has been updated to support Apple CarPlay. iPhone users can now ask ChatGPT questions in their car via CarPlay, allowing them to make requests directly from their vehicle without picking up their phone.

The report notes that Apple began allowing third-party voice-based conversational apps to interface with CarPlay in iOS 26.4. However, apps need to implement the feature and then get a special entitlement from Apple.

For these conversational apps, voice should be the primary interaction method in CarPlay, and chatbots should not display text or imagery in response to queries. They also need to use a voice control template, which displays a voice control screen while voice-based services are active. Keep in mind that there is no wake word available, so users will need to open the ChatGPT app on CarPlay to use it. The chatbot also cannot control the vehicle or any iPhone functions.

Apple’s openness to these chatbots comes as a surprise, especially given the control it exercises over vehicle-adjacent platforms. It also contrasts with Google’s stubbornness in not allowing third-party chatbots on Android Auto — Google has an allowlist for Android Auto-supported app categories, and chatbots are not on it (even though Gemini is allowed on Android Auto). That means you cannot use a third-party voice-based conversation app through Android Auto in your car, even when it’s parked — but you can watch videos and play games just about fine.

The rationale for allowing apps with even more distractions but not chatbots is not clear, as Google could have allowed third-party chatbots under Apple-like guidelines or allowed their use only when parked.

If you’re itching to use ChatGPT on Android Auto, there are some workarounds. You can set ChatGPT as the default digital assistant on your phone by changing the setting at Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Digital Assistant app > ChatGPT (presuming ChatGPT is installed on your phone). You can also use ChatGPT on your phone directly and have the audio routed through your car’s speakers. It would have been ideal if ChatGPT could also be launched as an app in Android Auto. Hopefully, this changes in the future.