CarPlay in iOS 18.1 gets three minor Apple Intelligence improvements

iOS 18.1 released this week First Apple Intelligence features For iPhone as well as iPad and Mac. But if you’re a CarPlay user, you may have noticed that Apple Intelligence also offers a few nice changes on the road. Here are three minor iOS 18.1 improvements to CarPlay.

Siri’s shiny new design

Siri in iOS 18.1 has a brand new look. Apple’s digital assistant is no longer a globe floating under your iPhone screen. Instead, it is a sparkling, sparkling presence that surrounds the entire screen.

The same Siri design extends to the assistant when using CarPlay.

When you go for a drive with Apple Intelligence enabled on your iPhone, you’ll see the new glow of your CarPlay screen surround you when you activate Siri.

It’s a small touch, but a nice one for consistency across devices.

New voice for Siri

Siri doesn’t just have a new look in iOS 18.1. It also sounds noticeably different.

This is because Apple Intelligence brings many changes to the way Siri speaks.

Apple’s iOS 18.1 release notes explain it this way:

Voice improvements make Siri’s voice more natural, expressive and clear

Right off the bat, I noticed that Siri’s voice was different. His updated speech also meant that some street names were pronounced differently than before.

More versatile notification management

Apple Intelligence comes with a new notification feature that can improve your Driving Focus mode or any Focus you use in the car.

Reduce Interruptions is a new iOS 18.1 Focus that only sends you notifications that seem truly urgent, thanks to the AI’s understanding of language. Everyone else is silenced.

The great thing is that you can apply the same AI smarts to any other Focus modes you have, including Drive.

When editing Focus mode by visiting Settings ⇾ Focus, you’ll find a new toggle: Smart Dash and Squelch.

This toggle allows Apple Intelligence to manage what’s important, just as if you were using the dedicated Disruption Mitigation Focus. This makes it a great addition in the context of using CarPlay.

What do you think of the iOS 18.1 changes to CarPlay? Let us know in the comments.

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