This is turning out to be a huge year for CarPlay, surprising many of us after years of mediocre updates. Among the multitude of new CarPlay features recently added in iOS 26, there’s a key solution to what has long been the most annoying Messages problem for me: the lack of support for tapbacks.
CarPlay in iOS 26 adds support for message tapbacks
Since Apple unveiled the “next generation of CarPlay” in 2022, the new updates for the standard CarPlay experience have been quite disappointing.
But things are starting to change, with the launch of CarPlay Ultra and iOS 26 bringing a full range of new CarPlay features.
One of these features is the kind of low-hanging fruit that serves as perfect evidence of CarPlay’s previous lack of attention on Apple’s part.
Tapbacks are a core feature of the Messages app, and have been since they were introduced almost a decade ago in iOS 10.
Yet, until now, you could never send tapbacks via CarPlay.
This proved particularly annoying for me personally, as my typical message conversations almost always end with a tapback.
Using a thumbs up, heart, or laughing emoji has become extremely common for me. This is a way of acknowledging receipt of the previous message, but also intentionally not continuing the conversation.
Now, with iOS 26, tapbacks are finally supported in CarPlay’s Messages app.
The same simple convenience of tapbacks on the iPhone is now also available inside the car.
That’s not the only change in messages: pinned conversations are also supported in CarPlay.
These features join the variety of other iOS 26 upgrades for the Messages app on iPhone.
Hopefully Apple’s renewed efforts on CarPlay are a sign that Apple won’t let similar basic app features, like tapbacks, disappear from the car for so long.
Are you happy that CarPlay finally supports tapbacks in Messages? Let us know in the comments.
