I Tried Chatgpt's New Carplay Integration: It's My New Go-to For The Questions Siri Can't Answer

Lance Whitney/ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• ChatGPT tin now merge straight pinch Apple CarPlay.
• Carry connected a full, hands-free speech pinch ChatGPT successful nan car.
• You request iOS 26.4, nan latest type of nan ChatGPT app, and CarPlay.

As an iPhone owner, Siri is my go-to sound assistant erstwhile I'm driving and plugged successful to Apple CarPlay. Though Siri tin usually grip elemental tasks, it often struggles pinch much analyzable aliases challenging questions. But now I tin easy turn to ChatGPT when I request accusation that Siri can't supply.

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Rolled retired connected Thursday, nan new ChatGPT integration pinch Apple CarPlay lets maine transportation connected a back-and-forth sound speech pinch OpenAI's AI erstwhile I'm down nan wheel. I tin inquire for accusation aliases talk immoderate taxable I usually would airs to ChatGPT. And pinch insignificant tweaking, I tin do each this activity hands-free.

How to usage ChatGPT pinch CarPlay

First up, you people request a car that supports CarPlay. My 2025 Toyota Camry came pinch CarPlay; that's 1 of respective reasons I chose that make and model. You must besides person nan latest type of nan ChatGPT app. If you don't person nan app, head to nan App Store connected your iPhone to drawback it. If you already person it, pat your floor plan icon successful nan App Store app, take Updates, past download nan latest type of ChatGPT.

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Further, your iPhone must beryllium moving iOS 26.4 aliases later. This type of nan mobile OS added CarPlay support for third-party AI chatbots for illustration ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Claude. This integration intends that you tin speak straight to immoderate supported AI hands-free. The companies down each AI request to pat into this caller support, pinch OpenAI apparently first to move.

ChatGPT has agelong been disposable connected nan iPhone done Apple Intelligence and Siri. If Siri can't reply a question, it tin walk on your petition to ChatGPT. You tin besides show Siri to inquire ChatGPT a question. But this process is simply a one-way street, wherever ChatGPT answers your mobility and past stops. The caller integration takes this attack a fewer steps further by letting you person a afloat speech pinch nan AI.

How nan integration works

Assuming you meet each nan criteria, commencement up your car and make judge your iPhone is connected. My Camry comes pinch wireless charging and synchronization, truthful I don't person to plug it into a USB larboard arsenic I did pinch my erstwhile vehicle.

On your iPhone, spell to Settings, prime General, and pat CarPlay. Select your car and past pat Apps. You'll spot a database of each nan apps compatible pinch CarPlay. Among those should beryllium ChatGPT. 

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Using nan three-lined hamburger icon, you tin move nan ChatGPT introduction higher aliases little successful nan list. I moved it higher truthful I could easy entree it from nan first CarPlay screen:

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

On nan CarPlay screen, pat nan ChatGPT icon and prime "New sound chat." Wait for nan relationship to footwear in, arsenic nan matter connected nan show changes from Connecting to Listening. You tin past footwear disconnected your conversation, and ChatGPT will respond arsenic it usually would:

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

From nan main ChatGPT screen, you tin spot your erstwhile chats. Tap a circumstantial chat to resume it. If you've stored immoderate past conversations successful a dedicated project, you tin besides prime that task to entree nan stored chats.

So far, truthful good. But what if you're driving and request to support your eyes connected nan road? All that tapping tin beryllium a vulnerable distraction. 

Thankfully, you tin group up ChatGPT to automatically commencement successful sound mode. To do that, make judge ChatGPT is connected nan CarPlay screen. Open nan ChatGPT app connected your iPhone and spell to Settings. In nan Voice section, move connected nan move for "Start automatically successful CarPlay." The adjacent clip you unfastened ChatGPT successful CarPlay, sound mode should beryllium connected by default.

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OK, but you still person to navigate to and pat nan ChatGPT app successful CarPlay to unfastened it. Ahh, but not if you move to Siri. Just say: "Siri, unfastened ChatGPT." From there, ChatGPT should past motorboat successful sound mode, fresh for you to commencement nan conversation.

This integration each sounds promising. Yes, but location are limitations.

Unlike Siri, ChatGPT can't straight activity pinch your iPhone. The AI doesn't person entree to email, messaging, Maps, aliases immoderate of your different apps. Nor tin ChatGPT spot your unrecorded location. That limitation intends you still person to trust connected Siri to nonstop an email aliases text, cheque your calendar, perceive to music, get directions, and more. Instead, deliberation of ChatGPT arsenic a measurement to supply accusation and grip requests that would usually stump Siri.

Plus, location are different ways ChatGPT tin thief you successful nan car. Maybe you look a agelong regular commute to activity aliases you're driving connected a agelong travel each by yourself. Why not onslaught up a speech pinch nan AI to walk nan time? Beyond conscionable asking it challenging questions, you tin simply chit chat astir whatever's connected your mind. You tin moreover usage ChatGPT for entertainment. Ask it to show you a story, play a crippled pinch you, aliases thatch you a caller language.

How does ChatGPT fare pinch CarPlay? 

I aimed respective questions and requests astatine nan AI to trial it. My questions were each answered. The conversations ran smoothly and naturally. The sound was clear and responsive. The only hiccup was successful starting ChatGPT. Though I turned connected nan move to ever motorboat successful sound mode, ChatGPT sometimes grounded to commencement up that way, forcing maine to pat nan surface to footwear disconnected a conversation.

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Otherwise, this integration is simply a adjuvant and effective measurement to usage ChatGPT successful nan car. I'll surely beryllium turning to this attack nan adjacent clip I'm driving and want to onslaught up a speech pinch my favourite AI.