The next generation of CarPlay is still unavailable, but Apple has improved the usability of the regular CarPlay in iOS 18.3 by adding a third row of icons.
iOS 18.4 is currently in beta. When released publicly in March and you install it on your iPhone, you’ll have three rows of icons on CarPlay if your vehicle has a big enough screen, as spotted by Jace-Craft Miller on Threads. This is a big deal and a welcome change from the two rows of apps in the previous CarPlay version.
Limited space for apps is among the biggest usability issues with CarPlay, but this tweak partially fixes it. However, the third row of app icons seems only visible when CarPlay is used in a vehicle equipped with a larger central display.
iOS 18.4 brings a third row of icons to CarPlay
Cars with smaller displays will continue to show two rows of apps on CarPlay. Many vehicles today have larger displays, and some have multiple screens.
If your car is equipped with a larger central display, CarPlay should show three rows of icons instead of two. The change reduces the need to swipe between multiple Home Screen pages to get to the app you need. It’s also a good idea to move the apps you frequently use to the first Home Screen page. The poster confirmed that CarPlay on their Ford F-150 Lightning shows another row of icons on iOS 18.4.
MacRumors has confirmed the third row of icons appears on Toyota’s Tundra, which can be equipped with an up-to 14-inch display. In its testing with a Honda Civic equipped with a 9-inch screen, however, CarPlay still showed two rows of four icons.
Apple has said it will release iOS 18.4 to the public in April, bringing improvements like support for non-English languages for Apple Intelligence, AI-based priority notifications on the Lock Screen, the ability to set the default translation app for everyone and the default navigation app only for EU iPhone owners, etc.