A new update for iOS 17 will allow passengers to add music to CarPlay playlists using SharePlay.
Apple promised an overhaul of the CarPlay experience in 2022, which hasn’t appeared so far. Yet the Cupertino giant is introducing a series of incremental updates to get there. First on the list? Apple Music SharePlay now works with CarPlay, so passengers can add their favorite tracks to the in-car playlist on road trips.
For the feature to work properly, the owner of the car must be connected to CarPlay with an Apple Music subscription. Passengers don’t need to have a subscription to add songs. Instead, the Apple Music interface on CarPlay provides a QR code (seen above) that passengers can use to see the car’s joint playlist. Everyone in the vehicle can add tunes to the queue.
Most major luxury car brands are still supporting CarPlay, unlike some American manufacturers looking to phase out the technology in favor of their own. Lucid, Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, and Volvo have all announced support for the next generation of CarPlay technology.
Meanwhile, General Motors will stop offering CarPlay and Android Auto support on its new electric vehicles in favor of its in-house infotainment system. The new Chevrolet Blazer EV is the first vehicle from GM not to support CarPlay or Android Auto.
The latest versions of CarPlay seek to integrate with the car in ways that allow users to control climate controls and heated seats. Perhaps GM finds that level of integration with a third party unthinkable when they could pull a BMW and charge a subscription price for heated seats and other luxury features to generate recurring revenue. The GM system utilizes Google technology for its built-in infotainment system that doesn’t require a phone mirrored to display information to the driver.