TL;DR
- Apple CarPlay could soon allow users to watch videos on the car’s screen.
- CarPlay has received a dedicated Apple TV app with iOS 26.4 beta, and developers can currently test it.
- Google announced a similar feature for Android Auto last year, but it’s far from complete.
Since large screens now occupy a significant portion of the dashboard in our cars, it is natural to want to play videos. When we recently asked our readers, an overwhelming majority agreed that they wanted to watch videos, at least when the car was parked. However, as we know it, the preparation for watching videos if you’re using Android Auto can be extremely cumbersome, and the hassle may not be worth it. Thankfully, Google is working on a fix and may soon allow Android Auto users to watch videos with certain restrictions. We don’t know when exactly that would be, but it looks like Apple may have beaten it to bring in-car video playback first.
CarPlay, Apple’s analog for Android Auto, might be gaining the ability to watch videos on the headunit’s display. ONE Jailbreak recently reviewed documentation for developers following the recent iOS 26.4 beta release. It found the mention of a feature “AirPlay video in the car,” which allows iPhone users to cast videos from their phones directly onto the car’s screen.
Do you want video playback support on Android Auto?
9830 votes
Yes, I’d like official support for video playback when parked.
47%
Yes, I’d like official support for video playback when parked and while driving for passengers.
40%
No, Android Auto needs attention elsewhere (elaborate in the comments).
3%
No, I wouldn’t watch video on Android Auto.
10%
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority?
As expected, the feature only works when the car is not moving, given the safety aspects of allowing it otherwise. ONE Jailbreak noted that CarPlay now has a dedicated Apple TV app, where users can browse content libraries from different apps installed on the iPhone. While the feature hasn’t gone live on phones, Apple is already allowing developers to test their apps for video functionality through the CarPlay simulator. The publication pulled screenshots of the video app from the simulator.
Currently, only Apple TV is supported, but we can’t confirm whether more apps will be added closer to release. Since the TV app will actually run on your iPhone, it will also sync progress for various TV shows, movies, and other sports content.
In the meantime, we’re unsure of when Google plans to allow apps to run on Android Auto. We know for sure that the feature is coming, especially after it was announced at Google I/O last year. But we have yet to see any visual glimpse of the feature, making us a little skeptical of the support coming anytime soon.
Thank you for being part of our community. Read our Comment Policy before posting.
