Apple CarPlay gaining a new AI chatbot app before Siri AI arrives

Meta AI's iPhone app now works with Apple CarPlay, making it the fourth third-party AI chatbot to support the platform, joining ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Grok, though the feature appears to be in limited testing with some users seeing a 'Not supported' message. The integration follows Apple's support for conversational apps on CarPlay since iOS 26.4, ahead of Siri AI's arrival with iOS 27 in September. Meta AI also recently launched as a more capable desktop app for Mac.

Since iOS 26.4, Apple has supported conversational apps on CarPlay. This category includes AI chatbot apps. Siri AI joins the CarPlay party starting with iOS 27. The iPhone software update is currently in beta ahead of the official launch in September. Meanwhile, the fourth third-party AI chatbot has arrived with Apple CarPlay support: Meta AI. Meta AI iPhone app now works with Apple CarPlay — with a catch The latest version of Meta AI for iPhone https://apps.apple.com/us/app/meta-ai/id1558240027 now works with CarPlay. The Meta AI app joins three other third-party chatbot apps that work with CarPlay: ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Grok. However, Meta AI on CarPlay appears to be in limited testing for now. While the iPhone app appears in CarPlay, launching the app may include a “Not supported” message for now. At least for me, launching the CarPlay app says “Meta AI experience is not supported yet for your account.” I tried trialing a Meta AI paid account to see if CarPlay was locked behind a premium account. However, the message didn’t change in the Meta AI CarPlay app. Your mileage may vary. Anyway, it’s great to see CarPlay picking up a fourth major chatbot app — even before Siri AI officially launches for everyone. That’s the key benefit of CarPlay: integrating existing iPhone apps with your vehicle. You just can’t expect this amount of choice from built-in infotainment systems. Earlier this month, Meta AI also arrived on the Mac https://9to5mac.com/2026/08/19/meta-ai-is-now-available-as-a-more-capable-desktop-app-for-mac/ . The desktop version is much more capable than the iPhone and iPad app. See also: Affordable iPhone accessories for CarPlay worth trying https://9to5mac.com/2026/08/24/affordable-iphone-accessories-for-carplay-worth-trying/ CarPlay now works with over 120 popular iPhone apps https://9to5mac.com/best-carplay-apps/ Do more with your Apple products Apple AirTag 2 | Add Find My tracking to keys, bags, bikes, more https://amzn.to/4vjNWN1 AirPods 4 | Apple’s newest wireless headphones https://amzn.to/43ndewV AirPods Pro 3 | Apple’s best wireless headphones https://amzn.to/4ut3FYp Beats USB-A to USB-C Cable | The official CarPlay cable https://amzn.to/4mpKs7K FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. https://9to5mac.com/about/ affiliate our homepage http://9to5mac.com/ for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on exclusive stories https://9to5mac.com/feature/exclusive/ , reviews https://9to5mac.com/guides/review/ , how-tos https://9to5mac.com/guides/how-to/ , and subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/9to5mac