iOS 26.4 CarPlay Public Beta Previews Video Functionality, Conversational AI Apps

Apple has released the first public beta of iOS 26.4, a major mid-cycle update that’s set to add several new features and functions along with minor design and performance tweaks. While the much-awaited next-gen Siri personal voice assistant (powered by Google’s Gemini AI models) most likely won’t make a debut as previously planned, third-party conversational AI is coming to an unexpected place – CarPlay.

The CarPlay car integration interface will now allow video playback when a car is not in motion. This means carmakers need to enable video playback for each model they ship, as the software needs to be able to detect the car’s status. Developers have posted screenshots of Apple’s own Apple TV app, demonstrating how the feature is likely to work when adopted by third parties. 

Within the app, subscribers will see their libraries including lists of what they have been watching and the ability to continue where they left off, just like on any other device. AirPlay video casting from an iPhone is also supported, with touch controls for playback. Other app features such as episode information blurbs are also supported.

In another development, iOS 26.4 introduces a new category of apps that can be used via CarPlay, called “Voice-based conversational apps”, joining the existing categories for navigation, audio, EV charging, parking, safety, communication, and more. This means third-party AI tools including ChatGPT can be used while driving, although interaction must be through voice both for questions and answers. Users will be able to ask questions and get answers, or use voice commands to perform actions. This is not meant to replace Siri, and these apps will not take over voice interactions with the CarPlay system itself. 

New betas of all Apple operating systems for its various device platforms are available now to anyone who wants to get a taste of the company’s latest improvements, though it is not recommended to install them on your primary devices as they are not yet ready for a full release. New features for iOS include AI playlist creation in Apple Music, more stringent stolen device protection, more data in Apple Health, better personal hotspot data usage monitoring, and minor UI improvements.