Sunday, November 3, 2024

PSA: Google Maps for CarPlay Not Feeling at Home Yet on iOS 18

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Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution

The next big iPhone update is in the works, with Apple projected to release it to production devices in approximately one month. The company still has several glitches to resolve before it gives the go-ahead for non-beta devices, and a major problem affecting navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze should be a priority.

While it’s not necessarily a surprise that beta builds of iOS 18 include bugs – this is the purpose of beta releases in the first place, as Apple uses feedback reported by users to polish the experience before the broad availability for production devices is announced – the issue breaks down essential features in navigation apps.

Users running Waze and Google Maps on CarPlay in cars with a control knob (not using touch for interaction) claim they can’t click anything on the screen when navigation is enabled.

While the cursor moves on the screen to select the button they want to click, users explain that the actual clicking doesn’t work. In Waze, a click is required when trying to dismiss an alert, while in Google Maps, the action allows users to dismiss a new route or interact with other messages on the screen.

The error only happens in cars without touch support, so if you use a control knob to control apps running on CarPlay, you might encounter the same glitch. However, keep in mind that this problem only happens in the beta builds of iOS 18, so fingers crossed that the company gets the feedback and resolves it before the production rollout begins.

CarPlay won’t get big changes in iOS 18, as Apple seems to focus more on the new-generation experience expected to launch this year.

However, CarPlay 2.0 seems to generate less buzz than anticipated in the automotive space, as only two carmakers confirmed its adoption so far. Porsche and Aston Martin are the only two companies that will bring the new-generation CarPlay experience to their cars, with their models still nowhere to be seen. Apple originally announced the new CarPlay at WWDC in 2022, so the company still hasn’t brought the new system to a car on the road two years after the big unveiling.

Apple originally promised that a long list of carmakers would adopt CarPlay 2.0, but big names like Ford and General Motors have yet to confirm it. Moreover, General Motors has adopted a controversial strategy that blocks Android Auto and CarPlay in its cars, going all-in on Android Automotive.

Meanwhile, iOS 18 should soon enter the final development phase, with the latest builds projected to launch in the coming builds. It won’t take long before we discover if this glitch is resolved, so make sure you submit a report to the iPhone maker if you’re a beta tester.

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