iOS 27.2 has two CarPlay improvements, here’s what’s new

iOS 27.2 arrived this week with new features for Messages, Apple TV, and more, as well as two improvements for CarPlay. Here’s what’s new for CarPlay users.

#1: Apple Podcasts adds sections for new episodes and continue reading

Apple Podcasts in iOS 27.2 adds two new sections to the Home tab: “New Episodes” and “Continue Reading.”

Essentially, Apple has redesigned how the main “Up Next” queue in its Podcasts app works.

As you might expect, “New Episodes” contains only the latest episodes of your favorite shows. But after you start an episode, you’ll find it in the “Continue Reading” line just below.

This podcast management overhaul makes it easier to find the latest episodes of your shows and also allows you to pick up where you left off previously. I’m a big fan of change.

#2: Siri AI upgrades

Siri AI introduces a variety of upgrades in iOS 27.2, including two that also carry over to CarPlay.

According to Apple’s release notes:

• Siri AI can recall your past conversations, so you can ask Siri about something it told you before, like what restaurants it recommended last week.
• Siri AI can draw on more sources to give you a great response, including photos attached to messages, participants in Calendar events, your voicemails, and better results from Safari history and reading list.

It might take some adjustment to remember that Siri AI is available in the car, just like on iPhone. But CarPlay is a particularly useful platform for Apple’s more powerful assistant.

Bonus: The new Apple Music app icon and its design changes

It’s debatable whether this constitutes an “improvement”, but it’s a change worth mentioning. iOS 27.2 includes a new app icon for Apple Music, as well as some minor design changes in the app.

These changes are linked to the complete Apple Music rebranding revealed last week.

For more new CarPlay features recently arriving in iOS 27, check out our coverage here.

What are your favorite recent changes to CarPlay? Let us know in the comments.

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