3 hidden Apple CarPlay options I discover actually helpful

When you’ve got each an iPhone and a automotive that was manufactured within the final 5 to 10 years, then there is a strong likelihood that you just make use of Apple CarPlay for all issues infotainment whereas out on the highway. CarPlay has gained appreciable traction in latest instances, and for good motive: it is an intuitive approach to benefit from the computational energy of your smartphone in a format that is optimized (and much safer) to be used whereas on excursions.

For probably the most half, the CarPlay circulation is so simple as it will get, counting on the identical fundamental app launching and contact screen-based swiping that we have all come to know and love on lots of our mobile gadgets. The expertise interprets fairly nicely onto the built-in dashboard show of any given automotive or truck, full with outsized and easily-discernible icons, widgets, and in-app controls.

Slightly below the floor, hidden proper in plain sight, are a set of extremely helpful Apple CarPlay features that, for my part, elevate the platform to an excellent higher diploma. Listed below are three such options that I discover extraordinarily helpful, and that I depend on each time I am utilizing a CarPlay setup whereas out and about.

CarPlay screenshots

Taking screencaps is an easy course of

As a author and reporter working within the shopper electronics trade, I inevitably take numerous screenshots all through my work day. Whether or not it is to do with interface modifications, new UI parts, or state-of-the-art software program options, there is a good likelihood that I’ve gone forward and captured the most recent contents of my display and saved it inside my digicam roll.

Some platforms — together with Apple’s personal tvOS — make screenshotting a bit extra of a problem to drag off, however this fortunately is not the case relating to CarPlay. What many do not understand is that by merely taking a screenshot of your iPhone whereas linked to CarPlay (wired or wi-fi), a secondary screenshot of your automobile’s CarPlay-powered infotainment show can even save to your digicam roll.

CarPlay parking spot updates

Always remember the place you parked your automotive once more

There’s nothing worse than exiting a mall after a busy day of buying, or leaving a movie show after watching a blockbuster function movie, and never figuring out the place on Earth you parked your automotive. Whereas it is true you could place an AirTag or comparable monitoring gadget inside your automobile to maintain tabs on its location, doing so is an extra funding that additionally requires commonly changing the button-style batteries that energy them.

As an alternative, I discover myself merely counting on CarPlay’s built-in automotive parking operate. Mechanically, each time I park my automotive and stroll away from it, its geolocation is marked on each Apple Maps and Google Maps, and is due to this fact simply accessible always. Personally, I flip off the push notifications that alert me of my up to date automotive park areas, as they’ll turn out to be annoying over time, however having the additional peace of thoughts with out having to manually drop a pin on a map to indicate a parking spot is a big high quality of life function on the entire.

CarPlay wallpaper customization

Add a pinch of personalization to your dashboard

Along with with the ability to toggle between light and dark mode themes, CarPlay enables you to customise your dashboard wallpaper independently of your iPhone’s background picture. Now, for higher or for worse, there is not any choice to set a customized wallpaper inside CarPlay, however Apple does present a pre-selected group of photos to select from.

Particular person wallpapers are adjustable immediately through the CarPlay interface, with out requiring you to dig by way of your cellphone’s settings to make modifications. Varied choices can be found, together with hues of blue, inexperienced, purple, orange, in addition to each strong colours and swirl designs. Every picture can be dynamic in that it affords each a light-weight and darkish variant, which might swap mechanically alongside your theming primarily based on ambient light circumstances.