GM Is Dropping CarPlay From Its EVs: What It Means for Car Buyers and the Aftermarket

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto became common enough that many buyers stopped checking for them. General Motors is testing that assumption. It dropped phone projection from its electric vehicles in 2023, its CEO pointed in October 2025 to a likely phase-out across the lineup, and in September 2026 GM clarified which vehicles keep it and which do not.

Most automakers still offer phone projection, as Apple’s list of more than 800 compatible models shows, so this is an early shift rather than an industry-wide one. But it changes what a GM EV buyer gets, and it puts aftermarket screens and adapters in play. Here is what was decided, why, and what the fixes can and cannot do.

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One big automaker is pulling phone projection while most still offer it

A GM spokesperson’s confirmation, reported by MacRumors on September 21, 2026, says future GM EVs will not offer CarPlay, while Apple still lists more than 800 CarPlay models and CarPlay Ultra remained limited to Aston Martin as of August 2026.

Our editorial reading of the cited data, not a forecast. How it is scored

By the numbers

• 800+Car models Apple lists as available with CarPlay, as of September 2026Apple
• 2023Year GM eliminated CarPlay and Android Auto from its electric carsKelley Blue Book
• 1 brandAutomakers offering CarPlay Ultra as of August 2026 (Aston Martin)MacRumors

What GM decided, and what it walked back

GM eliminated CarPlay and Android Auto from its electric cars in 2023, according to Kelley Blue Book. On October 22, 2025, CEO Mary Barra told The Verge that customer feedback drove a broader decision, and KBB reported that GM would likely phase out phone projection in all of its cars within about three years, as it moves to an all-new electrical and data architecture that debuts on a new Cadillac Escalade IQ.

GM then narrowed the message. A spokesperson told KBB that nothing changes for existing vehicles and that CarPlay and Android Auto remain available in all GM gas-powered vehicles for the foreseeable future. In mid-September 2026, GM said the next model-year gas Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups would run CarPlay and Android Auto on a portion of the screen beside GM’s own interface, rather than full screen, according to a September 15 Droid Life report.

Reports that GM had reversed course prompted a clarification. On September 21, 2026, MacRumors reported, via tech journalist Joanna Stern, a GM spokesperson’s clarification that the split-screen setup applies only to the gas pickups and that future EVs will not offer CarPlay. The exception is the upcoming model-year Cadillac Lyriq, an EV that continues to support both systems; MacRumors notes it is unclear whether that exception will last.

Existing GM cars keep what they have; the change applies to future EVs.

Why automakers want the screen back

Barra’s stated reason is the driver experience. She told The Verge that moving back and forth between a phone interface for some tasks and the car’s own system for others could be distracting, according to KBB. GM’s plan centers on a central computer that can run applications and receive updates at a much higher pace than its current vehicles.

KBB also pointed to a reason automakers discuss less: data. Modern cars collect data about how they are used, that data has financial value, and automakers may not want to give Apple access to information they can monetize themselves. That is KBB’s analysis, not a GM statement.

Apple’s answer is CarPlay Ultra, launched on May 15, 2025 with new Aston Martin orders in the U.S. and Canada. It integrates more deeply with the vehicle, letting the phone control functions such as climate and the speedometer display, per KBB. Apple named Hyundai, Kia and Genesis as newly committed brands and said the Aston Martin rollout would expand to vehicles globally within 12 months. As of August 2026, MacRumors reported it was still limited to Aston Martin, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman expecting at least one major new Hyundai or Kia model in the second half of 2026.

Which cars still have phone projection

For most shoppers CarPlay is still easy to find: Apple’s compatibility page lists more than 800 models. The gaps are specific. Apple’s Chevrolet list includes the 2017–2023 Bolt EV and the 2022–2023 Bolt EUV, but not the Blazer EV, Equinox EV or Silverado EV. Not every GM EV is missing: the list also includes the 2023–2025 Cadillac Lyriq and the GMC Hummer EV Pickup and SUV through the 2025 model year.

Used-car shoppers should check the exact model and year, not just the nameplate. Apple lists the gas Blazer, Equinox and Silverado, but not their EV versions, whatever the year.

Vehicle group	Phone projection status	Reported by
GM gas vehicles already on the road	Keep CarPlay and Android Auto	GM statement to KBB
GM gas vehicles going forward	Available for the foreseeable future	GM statement to KBB
Next model-year gas Silverado and Sierra	Split screen beside GM interface	Droid Life, MacRumors
Newer GM EVs such as the Blazer EV and Equinox EV	Not offered; future EVs will not get it	KBB, MacRumors, Apple
GMC Hummer EV Pickup and SUV	On Apple’s list through the 2025 model year	Apple
Cadillac Lyriq (EV), including the upcoming model year	Still supported	MacRumors, Apple
New Aston Martin orders	CarPlay Ultra	Apple

What the aftermarket can and cannot fix

Aftermarket gear solves two different problems, and buyers mix them up. Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto adapters are sold for cars that already support wired phone projection, to remove the cable. They are not designed to add CarPlay to a system that never had it, so check the listing’s compatibility before counting on one in a GM EV without phone projection.

For cars with no CarPlay at all, the add-on is a separate screen: a portable CarPlay and Android Auto display that mounts on the dash or windshield and sends audio to the car over Bluetooth, an AUX input or an FM transmitter. It works in almost any car, but it adds a second screen, a power cable and a mount to manage, and audio quality depends on the connection the car offers. Check your state’s rules on windshield mounts before choosing one.

We read replacing the factory head unit, the traditional fix, as a poor fit for newer EVs where the center screen also runs climate, charging and vehicle settings. That is the practical effect of GM’s move: the phone experience a GM EV buyer gets is whatever GM’s software offers, plus whatever a clip-on screen can add.

What to check before you buy

If phone projection matters to you, treat it as a line item rather than a given. Check Apple’s compatible-model list by model year, and on a test drive try the tasks you use most, such as navigation, messaging and audio apps, on the car’s native system.

If you are considering a GM EV, assume no CarPlay unless the specific model and year say otherwise; the Lyriq is the confirmed exception for the upcoming model year, and Apple lists the Hummer EV through 2025. If you own a car with wired CarPlay and only want to lose the cable, a wireless adapter is the simpler buy; if your car has none, a portable screen is the only add-on route.

The split-screen design is the thing to track. It keeps CarPlay visible while GM’s own interface stays on screen, and whether it spreads beyond the gas pickups is the clearest sign of where GM is heading.

What to watch next

• Whether a Hyundai or Kia model ships with CarPlay Ultra in the second half of 2026, as Mark Gurman reported
• Whether GM extends the split-screen CarPlay layout beyond the gas Silverado and Sierra
• Apple’s CarPlay model list, which stood at more than 800 models in September 2026

Where to start

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More: Auto and EVs trends and how the Trend Signal is scored.

Questions readers ask

Do GM electric vehicles have Apple CarPlay?

Mostly no. KBB reports GM removed CarPlay and Android Auto from its electric cars in 2023, and a GM spokesperson’s clarification reported by MacRumors on September 21, 2026 said future EVs will not offer it. The upcoming model-year Cadillac Lyriq is an exception that still supports both, and Apple’s list includes the GMC Hummer EV through the 2025 model year.

Will GM remove CarPlay from gas cars?

Not for now. A GM spokesperson told KBB that CarPlay and Android Auto remain available in all GM gas-powered vehicles for the foreseeable future and that existing vehicles are unaffected.

Which cars have CarPlay Ultra?

As of August 2026, only Aston Martin, per MacRumors. Apple has named Hyundai, Kia and Genesis as future partners.

Can a wireless CarPlay adapter add CarPlay to a car that does not have it?

No. These adapters convert an existing wired CarPlay connection to wireless. A car without CarPlay needs a separate portable CarPlay screen instead.