WhatsApp gets integrated with Apple CarPlay: What does this mean?

Apple Carplay is a technology being built into many new cars to bring the essential parts of the iPhone experience to the in-car display

| Published: Tuesday, January 30, 2018, 21:40 [IST]

WhatsApp is adding a new feature for its users, especially for iOS device owners. The popular instant messaging service provider is now not just connecting smartphone and people but also cars and people. Well if you are wondering how then WhatsApp has now added integration with Apple's CarPlay. And for those unaware CarPlay is basically an Apple standard that enables a car radio or head unit to be a display and also act as a controller for an iPhone. Besides, CarPlay seamlessly integrates Siri and iPhone apps with a car's dashboard.

WhatsApp gets integrated with Apple CarPlay: What does this mean?

Having said that, the new feature comes with WhatsApp v2.18.2 for iPhone. So with the new update and the integration, a WhatsApp icon will now be present in the CarPlay dash interface. This will allow users to seamlessly send and receive WhatsApp notifications while on the move. It will also help users to easily communicate with their contacts while on the move.

As mentioned earlier, users needed Siri integration on their vehicles to interact with the WhatsApp. But with the arrival of the official CarPlay support, it will now allow users to receive messages as and when they reach their mobile devices.

According to reports, WhatsApp is supposedly the first third-party app to integrate with Apple's CarPlay platform. The new feature is set to bring in better user experience as WhatsApp will show the number of unread messages and notifications along with the sender's name on the CarPlay dashboard. Users will be able to ask Siri to read the content of the messages but they will not be able to see the list of chat conversations on the app. Users can also use Siri to send messages via WhatsApp to their contacts.

The WhatsApp icon will also appear in the CarPlay multitasking sidebar and this will further allow users to quickly switch between apps while driving. The updated WhatsApp for iPhone with the CarPlay integration is available for download via the App Store.

Interestingly while the changelog or the app page doesn't mention anything about the update but folks at iCulture have spotted the new feature. Apparently, WhatsApp's new integration is better than iMessage.