Britpop pioneers, Blur once mused that modern life is rubbish.
That sweepingly broad generalisation might be a little unfair. And while certain aspects of life could, arguably, be consigned to the waste bin, life is nothing if not hectic. Never better illustrated than when we're on the move. Which as a species, we constantly are in 2023.
Google maps, Spotify, Apple Music, your phone book, audio books, podcasts, WhatsApp.
You name it, and it turns out we all need it instantly to hand.
So as to check in/on/at everything that serves to distract our everyday. Courtesy of that collection of little squared-off apps that live on the home screens of our smartphones and which are seemingly invaluable to our very existence.
According to the unofficial guide to modern life, these are all the things we instantly reach for when we’re on the go. And let’s face it. When doesn’t the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it rapid pace of our lives mean we’re not always on the go 24/7.
Our Busy Car Lives
But a lot of that 24/7 time is spent behind the wheel of our vehicles.
At least, the bits when we’re not eating, sleeping, raving and/or rewinding.
So, what we really needed was for someone to come along and devise a way to sync these all-important apps to our interactive dashboard displays in our cars. Or infotainment set-ups, to coin another much-bandied about modernism.
Now, whilst this sounds like a gig for the late, great Steve Jobs, in the event it was someone else at Apple who stepped up to the table and invented the CarPlay sharing system. More of which in two ticks.
So All’s Fair In Love And War
Not really, no.
Thing is, it’s not always straightforward to sync our phones to our cars. Especially not when we purchase a used vehicle.
But before we plot the sat nav coordinates for Geeksville, let’s remind ourselves just what Apple CarPlay is.
In its purest, most stripped back form and function, Apple CarPlay is a technology platform that connects your Apple iPhone to your vehicle’s infotainment system. Basically, mirroring the phone and allowing you to facilitate and control numerous smartphone apps via the car’s interface as opposed to the handset.
And to ensure/comply with safety at all times, drivers can use voice assistant Siri to remain completely hands free.
So far, so good, right?
Well, yes and no.
But let’s begin by taking a look at how Apple CarPlay materialised.
Apple CarPlay: A Brief Timeline Of Events
Several years of joint developments between Apple and BMW Group’s American tech gurus led to the iOS feature called ‘iPod Out’. Out of which the subsequent concept of Apple’s CarPlay was originally born. First announced at the 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference alongside iOS 7 it was billed as ‘iOS in the car’.
As snappy-sounding brands go, it wasn’t exactly up there with Nike, Tik-Tok or Alan Michael Sugar Trading, and at the time was loosely described as ‘iOS built into a vehicle’s sat navigation system’.
Tim Cook of Apple referred to iOS in the car as ‘part of the ecosystem’ and underlined that it was Apple’s core focus going forward. Although the talk wasn’t walked immediately thereafter, as ‘iOS in the car’ failed to be included at the launch of iOS7 in September 2013.
However, a precursor to what eventually became CarPlay did become a feature in many 2014 vehicles. Siri’s ‘eyes free’ connectivity afforded iPhone users the platform to interact with their devices without looking at their smartphone screens. That being said, there was no integration with an in-dash display at this juncture.
At the Geneva Motor Show in the March of that very same year, Apple released an official statement regarding the ‘iOS in the car’ concept.
A statement which essentially unveiled ‘CarPlay’.
So now we know what’s what, there’s a few more questions about Apple CarPlay that you’ll probably want answering. Hence why we’ve created a quick FAQ area below.
Apple CarPlay FAQ’s
Can I Add Apple CarPlay To An Older VW Audi Group Vehicle
As a general rule of thumb, it’s unlikely to connect Apple CarPlay to vehicles which pre-date 2014. That being said - and this is the bit where we come in - in some cars it was an optional extra. And providing that your vehicle is home to a compatible infotainment system (even if CarPlay isn’t specified), it may be possible for us to activate the system.
For ‘maybe’ read ‘very likely’.
Conversely, don’t take it as gospel.
However, it’s often possible to install a new operating system in tandem with Apple CarPlay onto a vehicle’s existing infotainment system. Elsewhere, it’s feasible to buy a new aftermarket infotainment system with CarPlay that can be installed in your vehicle in place of the original system.
Although this isn’t plausible should the infotainment system control some of the vehicle’s operational functionality. For example, driving mode or suspension settings.
VW Audi Group Vehicles Which Currently Support Apple CarPlay
Let’s start alphabetically with A for Audi.
And progress through Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche and SEAT, through to Skoda and ultimately, Volkswagen. The latter necessitates a lot of right hand scrolling.
Audi
A3 - 2017 - to date
A4 - 2017 - to date
A5 - 2017 - to date
A6 - 2017 - to date
A7 - 2017 - to date
Q2 - 2017 - to date
Q7 - 2017 - to date
R8 - 2017 - to date
TT - 2017 - to date
Q5 - 2017 - to date
A8 - 2017 - to date
E-tron - 2019 - to date
Q8 - 2019 - to date
Q3 - 2020 - to date
E-tron Sportback - 2021 - to date
E-tron GT - 2022 - to date
Q4 - e-tron - 2022 - to date
Q4 Sportback e-tron - 2022 - to date
Bentley
Bentayga - 2017 - to date
Continental - 2019 - to date
Flying Spur - 2020 - to date
Lamborghini
Centenario - 2017 - to date
Aventador - 2018 - to date
Huracan - 2019 - to date
Urus - 2019 - to date
Porsche
718 - 2017 - to date
Panamera - 2017 - to date
Macan - 2017 - to date
Cayenne - 2017 - to date
911 - 2017 - to date
Taycan - 2020 - to date
SEAT
Alhambra - 2016 - to date
Ibiza - 2016 - to date
Leon - 2016 - to date
Toledo - 2016 - to date
Ateca - 2017 - to date
Arona - 2018 - to date
Tarraco - 2020 - to date
Skoda
Yeti - 2016 - to date
Fabia - 2016 - to date
Octavia - 2016 - to date
Rapid - 2016 - to date
Superb - 2016 - to date
Karoq - 2017 - to date
Kodiaq - 2017 - to date
Scala - 2017 - to date
Kamiq - 2018 - to date
Enyaq iV - 2020 - to date
Volkswagen
CC - 2016 - to date
Scirocco - 2016 - to date
Amarok - 2016 - to date
Beetle - 2016 - to date
Beetle Cabriolet - 2016 - to date
Golf R - 2016 - to date
Caddy - 2016 - to date
Transporter - 2016 - to date
California - 2016 - to date
Caravelle - 2016 - to date
Golf - 2016 - to date
Golf Cabriolet - 2016 - to date
Golf GT/e - 2016 - to date
Fox - 2016 - to date
Passat - 2016 - to do
Polo - 2016 - to date
Sharan - 2016 - to date
Tiguan - 2016 - to date
Touran - 2016 - to date
Crafter - 2017 - to date
Arteon - 2018 - to date
Bora - 2018 - to date
T-roc - 2018 - to date
ID.3 - 2021 - to date
ID.4 - 2021 - to date
ID.5 - 2022 - to date
ID.6 - 2022 - to date
ID. Buzz - 2023 - to date
Which iPhones Support Apple CarPlay?
Aha. Another useful question.
The short answer is, all of them from the iPhone 5 onwards. For the longer answer, scroll down below.
iPhone 5
iPhone 5s
iPhone 6 Plus
iPhone 6s Plus
iPhone SE
iPhone 7
iPhone 8
iPhone X
iPhone XR
iPhone XS
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd gen)
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro
Just Holler
If you wish to activate your Apple CarPlay then please get in touch with our friendly customer service team today.
Who’ll be only too happy to book you in at a convenient date in the foreseeable future.