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CarPlay in iOS 26 adds new ‘Smart Display Zoom’ feature [Gallery]
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CarPlay in iOS 26 adds new ‘Smart Display Zoom’ feature [Gallery]
iOS 26 is crammed full of upgrades for CarPlay users, including a refreshed Liquid Glass design, support for widgets, and more. There’s even support for a new “AirPlay video in the car” feature that developers and automakers can adopt if they so choose. Apple says that this new Smart Display Zoom option is designed to help CarPlay better adapt to the various shapes and sizes of in-car screens. At least as of the first iOS 26 beta, Smart Display zoom is disabled by default.
CarPlay in iOS 26
One change that is flying under the radar, however, is a new Smart Display Zoom feature. Apple says that this new Smart Display Zoom option is designed to help CarPlay better adapt to the various shapes and sizes of in-car screens.
In a session video from WWDC 2025, Apple explains:
“Vehicle screens come in many shapes and sizes. In iOS 26, some screen configurations allow drivers to adjust their display scale with Smart Display Zoom configurable within Settings in CarPlay. When Smart Display Zoom is enabled, your CarPlay app will be automatically resized to the new display scale.”
At least as of the first iOS 26 beta, Smart Display Zoom is disabled by default. It’s also not available on every car. Availability appears to vary based on the size of your car’s infotainment display.
Here are some screenshots showing what classic CarPlay user interface elements look like with and without Smart Display Zoom enabled. These screenshots were taken on my 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Keep in mind that iOS 26 is still in early developer beta, and things can (and will) change between now and when the update is released to the public later this fall.
CarPlay Dashboard
Default Zoom:
Smart Display Zoom:
App Grid
Default Zoom:
Smart Display Zoom:
Widgets screen
Default Zoom:
Smart Display Zoom:
Messages app
Default Zoom:
Smart Display Zoom:
Now Playing in Music
Default zoom:
Smart Display Zoom:
Home tab in Music
Default Zoom:
Smart Display Zoom:
Now Playing in Podcasts
Default Zoom:
Smart Display Zoom:
Apple News app
Default Zoom:
Smart Display Zoom:
Apple Maps route picker
Default Zoom:
Smart Display Zoom:
Apple Maps navigation
Default Zoom:
Smart Display Zoom:
Apple Maps search
Default Zoom:
Smart Display Zoom:
Settings app
Default Zoom:
Smart Display Zoom:
iOS 26 Adds New Zoom Setting to CarPlay
iOS 26 adds a new Smart Display Zoom setting to CarPlay. When the setting is enabled, CarPlay will be automatically resized to better fit the shape and size of your vehicle’s dashboard screen. With the setting turned on, all of the user interface elements become smaller, allowing for an extra row of app icons to fit.
When the setting is enabled, CarPlay will be automatically resized to better fit the shape and size of your vehicle’s dashboard screen, if possible.
The images below show what CarPlay looks like before and after the Smart Display Zoom setting is enabled. With the setting turned on, all of the user interface elements become smaller, allowing for an extra row of app icons to fit on the screen.
Before Before
After After
Apple highlighted the setting in a WWDC 2025 video for developers this week.
“Vehicle screens come in many shapes and sizes,” said Olivia Hess, a CarPlay software engineer. “In iOS 26, some screen configurations allow drivers to adjust their display scale with Smart Display Zoom configurable within Settings in CarPlay. When Smart Display Zoom is enabled, your CarPlay app will be automatically resized to the new display scale.”
To see this new CarPlay setting, you will need to be using an iPhone running iOS 26, which is currently in developer beta. A public beta will be available next month, and the update should be released in September for the iPhone 11 and newer.
CarPlay is gaining many other new features with iOS 26, including a Liquid Glass design, Live Activities on the Dashboard screen, a new widgets screen, Tapbacks and pinned conversations in the Messages app, multi-touch support in mapping apps, the ability to play videos from an iPhone via AirPlay while the vehicle is parked, and more.
Source: https://9to5mac.com/2025/06/13/carplay-in-ios-26-smart-display-zoom/