Starting with iOS 26.4, Apple supports using AI chatbot apps on the iPhone through CarPlay.
ChatGPT was the first AI app to arrive shortly after iOS 26.4’s release. Now a second AI chatbot has added support: Perplexity.
Perplexity requires voice mode for CarPlay
Similar to ChatGPT for CarPlay, Perplexity’s CarPlay app is designed about voice chat.
Unlike ChatGPT, however, Perplexity generally requires a Pro subscription ($20/month) for doing much with voice chat.
For that reason, Perplexity’s CarPlay app will really only be useful for paid subscribers for now.
Otherwise, the CarPlay app will just tell you that your voice mode limit has been reached.
Still, it’s great to see Perplexity quick to adopt CarPlay support so soon after iOS 26.4’s release.
We’re still waiting to see CarPlay support for other AI chatbot apps like Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini. xAI’s Grok also lacks CarPlay support for now.
Also for subscribers, Perplexity released its Personal Computer AI assistant feature for Mac this week. The company also brought its AI browser, Comet, from the Mac to the iPhone and iPad recently.
Voice-based conversational apps
Apple only allows specific app categories to work with CarPlay.
That’s because CarPlay is designed to make using iPhone apps safer while driving.
The category that AI chatbot apps fall into is voice-based conversational apps.
Strictly speaking, these don’t have to be AI chatbots.
For example, my favorite sports outlet NewOrleans.Football has a conversational CarPlay app based around a mock NFL draft for the New Orleans Saints football team.
It’s a pretty out-of-the-box example, but it works. Between that and the official New Orleans Saints app, my favorite NFL team just may have the best representation on CarPlay.
Have you used ChatGPT, Perplexity, or any other voice-based conversational app with CarPlay yet? Which apps do you want to see join CarPlay next?
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