Tesla was one of the first automakers to shun Apple CarPlay and phone mirroring in general in place of its own native software. The automaker believed its proprietary operating system provided a better experience, but a new report alleges it’s working to add the highly requested feature.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, “people with knowledge of the matter” told the publication that the company has already begun testing CarPlay and that the feature could arrive in customer cars very soon. It would allegedly have its own Tesla twist and operate in a small window within the larger infotainment display.
As far as we know, Tesla isn’t testing the new CarPlay Ultra that takes over every screen in the vehicle. The rollout for that feature has been slower than expected, with some automakers losing interest in offering the technology. Aston Martin was the first to get Ultra, but Tesla only sounds interested in the standard version.
This would signal a major shift for the automaker, which has staunchly avoided adopting the technology since its inception. But there’s more competition than ever, and phone mirroring remains a highly desired feature even if Tesla isn’t completely alone—Rivian has no plans to integrate CarPlay, and General Motors is working hard to remove the option from all of its vehicles.
2025 Tesla Model Y Interior
Photo by: Tesla
If the report is accurate, and Tesla offers CarPlay in its vehicles, it would be a significant win for consumers and consumer choice. It’s a feature that buyers say they must have and use often, and there’s a vocal group that outright refuses to buy specific makes and models that lack the feature.
If Tesla, a pioneer of in-car software, relents and allows phone mirroring, it’ll be harder for the other holdouts to justify their stance. If Tesla can figure it out, offering CarPlay without tainting the overall Tesla software experience, so can others.
CarPlay would also be a significant differentiator for Tesla compared to Rivian or GM electric vehicles, which were the automaker’s first models to lose phone mirroring. But there are workarounds.
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