CarPlay is making significant headway in iOS 12, with support for third-party navigation apps as the biggest change. You no longer have to use Apple Maps to get from A to B. Which navigation apps will all be available on CarPlay? Here we give you an overview of all CarPlay navigation apps.
1. Google Maps
Google’s navigation app, along with Waze, is the first app known to come to CarPlay. Google Maps has been available for competitor Android Auto for some time. Apple Maps has been losing out for a long time against map layout and information that Google has processed in its navigation app. However, this may soon change, as soon as the updated Apple Maps is rolled out.
The interface of Google Maps on CarPlay probably doesn’t differ much from the normal app. Apple makes it possible for external developers such as Google to keep the interface for their apps as unique as possible. Normally, CarPlay apps are based on fixed templates, but Apple has made an exception for navigation. Maps can be rotated with dials on the dashboard and standard pop-ups with alerts are available for each app.
2. Waze
During Apple’s presentation at WWDC 2018 of CarPlay in iOS 12, the CarPlay dashboard was shown with icons from Google Maps and Waze. This Chinese navigation app is a different child from Google and offers slightly more standard functions than Google Maps and Apple Maps.
Traffic jams, speed cameras, accidents and diversions are always kept up to date with real-time data. You can also record destinations and navigate offline in Waze. But for Waze the same applies as Google Maps: it is still unclear whether all functions from the app are also available in Apple CarPlay. In any case, in iOS 12, users will need to update their navigation app to make it compatible with the car.
3. Flitsmeister
The Dutch Flitsmeister announced in June that it would develop a CarPlay app. Flitsmeister is one of the most popular traffic apps in the Netherlands. At the beginning of this year, Flitsmeister added navigation to its app, making it a suitable option as a navigation app via CarPlay. Currently, research is still underway in the CarPlay framework. So it remains to be seen to what extent and in what way the warnings for, for example, speed cameras come back in CarPlay. Flitsmeister stated that the map should at least be central, but there is certainly room for warnings.
4. Sygic
Sygic is currently the latest addition to the list of navigation apps that will soon be available on CarPlay. This app mainly focuses on maps and routes that can be downloaded for offline use. Sygic makes the news in a blog post confirming they are coming to CarPlay. With a screenshot, the developer shows what their map looks like behind the Apple CarPlay traffic alerts.
They also say users can expect the update with CarPlay support later this year. Free offline maps of more than 100 countries can be downloaded in Sygic. Sygic uses TomTom maps for this. Voice-controlled navigation or current information about routes and traffic are also possible. Sygic’s earnings model is designed in such a way that you have to pay for such online navigation.
→ Want to know more about iOS 12 Carplay? These major improvements come to your car.