CarPlay
Your observations of ACP are not wrong, but technically not Apples fault. Tesla designs the interface based on the screen size they created. ACP has to adapt to 50 automakers with different screen sizes. This universal ability hinders that they can do. As for Apple integration into other aspects of the vehicle, looks like automakers are pulling back on that. When it was announced, I think there were multiple brands on Apple's powerpoint, but so far only Aston after 3+ years.
but tesla must also make their software work on different screen sizes and for the X and S across 2 separated screens.
anyway, carplay is important for millions of drivers… it’s just going to be interesting to see where it goes from here.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,631
Likes: 4,045
From: Maryland
Tesla's screens are just different sizes of the same shape screen, CarPlay has to fill every screen regardless of the size and shape and has to do it without having the size and shape of every screen available when the U/I is designed, thats very different.
and tesla’s had portrait screens too…
Last edited by bitkahuna; Jan 18, 2026 at 08:58 AM.
CL Community Team
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,545
Likes: 229
From: San Francisco, CA
Im pretty sure Tesla stopped supporting the software behind those original S and X with the portrait screen but someone here who may own one should comment.
Maybe Apple is too stuck on its original IOS design with the four fixed app icons on the bottom.
What bothers me about ACP the most is that the icons and business names on the map are not clickable. I would expect that you can click on POI on the map and then there would be a "navigate to" button. But it's completely useless.
Maybe Apple is too stuck on its original IOS design with the four fixed app icons on the bottom.
What bothers me about ACP the most is that the icons and business names on the map are not clickable. I would expect that you can click on POI on the map and then there would be a "navigate to" button. But it's completely useless.
CL Community Team
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,423
Likes: 201
From: US
CL Community Team
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,423
Likes: 201
From: US
the more i go back and forth between carplay and tesla, the more i realize how limited carplay is.
with my tesla i can pin about half dozen app icons on the bottom of the screen plus it shows others recently used. carplay on my car? 3 icons on left side i can't pin.
carplay typically shows an app full screen, except for the 'home screen' with audio/map and maybe some other info or widgets.
tesla allows positioning and sizing of app content and never needs to use the whole screen so other stuff like nav, charge info etc. can still be displayed.
the icons on the carplay screen are comically huge with no adjustment.
with my tesla i can pin about half dozen app icons on the bottom of the screen plus it shows others recently used. carplay on my car? 3 icons on left side i can't pin.
carplay typically shows an app full screen, except for the 'home screen' with audio/map and maybe some other info or widgets.
tesla allows positioning and sizing of app content and never needs to use the whole screen so other stuff like nav, charge info etc. can still be displayed.
the icons on the carplay screen are comically huge with no adjustment.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 20,237
Likes: 274
Im pretty sure Tesla stopped supporting the software behind those original S and X with the portrait screen but someone here who may own one should comment.
Maybe Apple is too stuck on its original IOS design with the four fixed app icons on the bottom.
What bothers me about ACP the most is that the icons and business names on the map are not clickable. I would expect that you can click on POI on the map and then there would be a "navigate to" button. But it's completely useless.
Maybe Apple is too stuck on its original IOS design with the four fixed app icons on the bottom.
What bothers me about ACP the most is that the icons and business names on the map are not clickable. I would expect that you can click on POI on the map and then there would be a "navigate to" button. But it's completely useless.
But they also got new/updated spotify last month for instance and bunch of other features.
video showed a lot more than using the chatbots. grok wasn’t available in carplay last time i checked (couple of months ago?). but glad it is now. to me it has the best conversational mode.
