Apple CarPlay takes the most widely used iPhone features and puts them on your car’s built-in dashboard screen, making it easier to use your smartphone while keeping your driving focused. Available by default on some vehicles and optional on others, CarPlay can be controlled your voice or touch screen, and the buttons, dials and knobs in your car or truck.
The possibilities of CarPlay are extended by its applications. Although you can use Cards Messages, Music phone and other useful functions ios, including Siri many popular Apple and third-party applications are also supported. Here are some of the favorite apps, all of which are available on the App Store. Some apps are free while others charge per app or require a subscription to a service.
01
out of 10
audible
What we like
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Access to the world’s largest selection of audiobooks and audio shows.
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Adjustable narration speed.
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The first book is free.
What we don’t like
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I can’t buy books in the app. Must go through Amazon.
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There is no way to share paid audio with family members.
One of the biggest benefits of traveling by public transport is the downtime it provides to make up for lost time. On the other hand, flipping through the pages of a book while driving can land you in a ditch or jail cell. The Audible app lets you keep your eyes on the road and still enjoy a book or periodical read by professional storytellers and your favorite celebrities. You can choose from a wide selection of podcasts, making even the longest discs acceptable. Audible is owned by Amazon.
Audible offers a 30-day free trial and monthly subscriptions to access its audiobook library.
Download Audible
02
out of 10
MLB.com At Bat
What we like
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MLB results in real time.
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Live games off the market
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Free MLB game of the day.
What we don’t like
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Most features require a subscription.
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Difficult to search.
Read our MLB At Bat review
April to October MLB.com At Bat lets you listen to any Major League Baseball game through your car’s speaker system. The application allows you to choose between broadcasting the home or road team, as well as broadcasting in Spanish in most cases.
You’ll need a subscription to access each match’s audio feed, priced at $2.99 per month or $19.99 per year at time of publication. It’s a worthy price to pay if you’re a fan of our national pastime, as you’ll never miss an Opening Day pitch before the last time the World Series was out.
Download MLB At Bat
03
out of 10
Spotify Music
What we like
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30 million song library.
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Playlist curator.
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Quick access to recently released songs.
What we don’t like
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Free accounts contain a lot of ads.
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No live programming.
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The service is in no hurry to study user settings.
Spotify’s music library contains millions of titles spanning all eras and genres, offering the ability to either search for specific artists and songs or simply let the app surprise you while cruising down the highway. The free version of the Spotify music service is ad-supported and only allows you to skip a certain number of songs within a certain period of time. In the meantime, Spotify Premium removes all ads and provides unlimited passes and, in some cases, higher audio quality for a monthly fee.
Download Spotify Music
04
out of 10
Pandora Music
What we like
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Highly accurate algorithm predicts music likes.
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Create stations based on your favorite artist, songs or genres.
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Train Pandora with thumb or thumb down.
What we don’t like
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Low bitrate of 128Kbps for the free plan and 192Kbps for the paid plan.
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Frequent ads in the free plan.
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Strict pass policy.
If Spotify doesn’t satiate your musical thirst, Pandora also provides a giant song database and manages personalized radio stations that you create based on artist, song, or genre. It’s also dependent on ad revenue, with an additional monthly fee required to remove all commercials and unlock the ability to skip and play tunes as often as you like. The 30-day trial allows you to take a Pandora Plus subscription for a test drive before making a purchase decision.
Download Pandora Music
05
out of 10
Overcast weather
What we like
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Download or stream podcasts.
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Additional push notifications for new episodes.
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Custom, rearrangeable playlists.
What we don’t like
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There is no documentation on how to use the functions.
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The free app is supported by ads.
Overcast is the perfect experience for iOS podcast players, making it easy to download, subscribe, and listen to your favorites. With full CarPlay support and a powerful feature set, this app is a must-have for anyone interested in digesting podcasts on the go. Overcast Premium can be purchased for an annual fee that removes all ads.
Download Overcast
06
out of 10
NPR One
What we like
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Simple, attractive interface.
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Push notifications for new episodes of your favorite shows.
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Includes local news programs.
What we don’t like
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Ad supported.
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By default, the sound is silent.
National Public Radio shows the latest news from the US and around the world, as well as stories and shows covering a wide range of topics — from car conversation before weeks in politics . The NPR One app helps you create a customized stream of news and stories tailored to your specific interests, including interesting events from your area. The app and everything in it is ad-supported and free.
Download NPR One
