The differences between the iPhone and Android show up when you connect them to your car, as well.

By Jack Whitcombe Aug. 16, 2026 1:30 pm EST Roman Vyshnikov/Shutterstock

Most car manufacturers have thrown their support behind Android Auto and Apple CarPlay over the last decade, which means it's easy to carry on using your phone's apps and services while you're driving. These two mirroring services feel like an extension of your Android smartphone or iPhone, but just as Apple and Google's phones are filled with differences, you'll find the same when using Android Auto or CarPlay.

CarPlay has plenty of features, but Google's approach to Android Auto means that users have access to more advanced features and more frequent updates, with enough to set it apart from its Apple counterpart — for now, at least.

Android Auto allows for more customization

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The Android Auto and Apple CarPlay experiences are polished extensions of those you'll find on your phone. Where they differ is in the depth of those experiences. For end users, Google has always allowed more customization to the Android interface, while Apple sticks to its tried-and-tested formula.

While CarPlay's interface primarily focuses on one app at a time, Android Auto ships with a multi-window design. It gives drivers the option to set up exactly where maps, media playback and widgets appear on the screen, and how much space they take up. It's up to the driver to pick where each item will sit on screen.

To be fair to Apple, it is trying to close the gap, but only so far. It lets you rearrange your app grid, and it does offer a split-screen view for maps and music, but other features, such as setting a custom wallpaper, are restricted to a set of stock photos only. Google has no such restrictions for Android Auto. You can use your phone's background wallpaper on your Auto display, for instance. Apple's next-gen CarPlay Ultra, being tested by Aston Martin (and reportedly Tesla) so far, may close the gap further. But, for now, the advantage is with Google.

Android Auto packs in extras for power users

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Power users who enjoy tweaking their settings will find a home with Android Auto. An entirely secret developer settings menu exists in Google Auto to manually change some of Auto's most powerful settings.

You can use this menu to allow apps from unknown sources, particularly those you've sideloaded onto your phone, onto your car's display. This'll let you use apps like CarStream, which you can then use (in a roundabout way) to watch YouTube on your car screen: perfect for the kids while you drive, but not while you're driving yourself.

That access to third-party apps is important, too. Apple CarPlay-friendly apps are restricted in number, with stringent guidelines on what they can and can't do. Google can limit these in the Google Play Store, too, but if you want a non-Google compliant app on your device, you can just sideload it.

You can also use the developer menu for quality-of-life changes to your setup. It'll let you manually change the default video resolution, force day or night mode at different times, or toggle wireless Android Auto on or off, which could be useful if you're having connectivity issues. Unfortunately for iPhone users, there isn't a comparable menu by design, as Apple really doesn't want you getting under the hood like this.

Gemini is a smarter AI driving companion (for now)

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Artificial intelligence might seem like an extravagance for a driver, but Gemini's ability to understand complex commands and questions can lead to fewer distractions.

Complexity is the key here. Gemini is one of the biggest, most powerful multimodal AI solutions created so far. It can understand natural language more clearly which, for a driver who might need answers quickly, is an advantage. Apple is even using Gemini to help power its latest Siri AI in the latest iOS 27 update.

A CarPlay hands-on comparison by TechRadar found that Gemini's natural language skills vastly outperformed the most recent Siri AI in the new iOS 27 beta, however. Siri's ability to understand even basic instructions, such as finding the next rest stop, reportedly caused it to instead open the calendar app. In contrast, Gemini could understand clear and natural instructions, contextual to the drive and responded accordingly. Our own hands-on for iOS 27 found that Apple's AI improvements to Siri are reliable, but there's still some way to go.

However, we're still very much in the testing phase for iOS 27. Apple won't release the final version until the fall, and it won't be until then that a full and fair evaluation of Siri AI's abilities can be made. Any changes to Apple CarPlay's abilities then, and in future iOS updates, could level the playing field.

Android Auto is a powerful tool for drivers

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The battle between Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is no different to the battle between Android and iPhone. Apple's locked down approach means that fewer apps are available and fewer settings are configurable, while Android Auto remains an open beast to tame. Android's developer menu means you can use more apps, even non-Play Store apps, on your car's display, while Apple restricts you to a smaller selection of CarPlay-friendly options.

Apple is catching up, however. CarPlay Ultra is a sign that the company is looking to upgrade the interface with better features and settings, and the new Siri AI will (hopefully) improve over time for users. For the time being, however, Android Auto continues to be a particularly powerful rival with more apps to access, better AI integration and more customization for power users to enjoy.