Best Apple CarPlay Apps (2023)

CarPlay is a feature from Apple that brings communication and entertainment functions to your car’s built-in screen, using iPhone apps. With CarPlay support available from most manufacturers, we are seeing an increase in apps that are compatible with this feature. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the best apps to install on your iPhone to make the most of CarPlay and enhance your driving experience.

Best CarPlay Apps (2023)

Pre-installed Apple apps already offer a variety of features, including Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, News+, Podcasts, Books, calendars, Settings, and the Dashboard. However, there are many other third-party apps that can further enhance your CarPlay experience. Below, we have grouped these applications into several categories to make navigation easier and provide a more complete overview of the available options.

1. Audiobooks and Reading

For book lovers, there are ample of audiobooks and reading apps available for CarPlay, allowing you to listen to your favorite books on the go, check out these lists of apps below:

• Audible: The leading platform for original audiobooks, podcasts, and audio series.
• Blinkist: An app that provides 15-minute book summaries, ideal for those short on time.
• Bookmate: A reading platform offering audiobooks, e-books, and graphic novels.
• Free Audiobooks: As the name suggests, an app to download free audiobooks.
• Google Play Books: Google’s platform for e-books and audiobooks.
• Kobo Books: A reading service similar to Google Play Books, with an emphasis on discovering new titles.

2. Charging and parking for electric vehicles

If you own an electric vehicle, CarPlay-compatible apps will help you find nearby charging and parking stations. Check out the best apps in this category below:

• ChargePoint: An app that allows you to find, use and pay for ChargePoint electric vehicle charging stations.
• PlugShare: An app that offers a global map of electric vehicle charging stations, with reviews and information contributed by the community.
• SpotHero: An app to book and pay for parking in advance, ideal for finding parking spaces in large cities.

3. Music

For music enthusiasts, there are many apps available that offer music streaming, radio, and music podcasts. Among the best music apps compatible with CarPlay, the following are some of the apps included below:

• Amazon Music: Amazon’s music streaming service, with access to millions of songs and playlists.
• Clammr Radio: An app for discovering and sharing short audio clips from podcasts and other audio content.
• Dash Radio: A commercial-free online radio service with over 80 original stations.
• Deezer Music: A music streaming service with millions of songs, playlists, and radio stations.
• Digital Concert Hall: An app that offers live and archived concerts of the Berliner Philharmoniker.
• Doppler: An offline music app that syncs your music library between devices.
• Mixcloud: A streaming service for DJ mixes, radio, and music podcasts.

4. Navigation apps

For navigation and route planning, you can choose from several apps that offer detailed maps, driving directions, and traffic information. Here are some of the best CarPlay-compatible navigation apps:

• Google Maps: One of the most popular navigation apps in the world, with search and navigation features.
• HERE WeGo Maps and Navigation: A navigation app with offline maps and real-time traffic information.
• InRoute: A route planning app with advanced features such as route optimization and weather analysis.
• NAVER Map: A popular map and navigation app in South Korea.
• Rever Moto GPS and Rides: A specific route planning and navigation app for motorcyclists.
• TomTom GO Navigator: A navigation app offered by the popular GPS device manufacturer TomTom.
• Waze: A community navigation app that offers traffic information and alternative route suggestions.

That is all you need to know about the best Apple CarPlay apps. While you are here, you might be also interested to know Which is the Best Car Model for Apple CarPlay, and How to fix CarPlay Not Working on iOS 15 or iPhone 13.