Download all 18 wallpapers Apple included in CarPlay with iOS 27

While CarPlay was mentioned only once during the WWDC26 keynote, it includes several improvements and, as always, a new set of wallpapers. You can download them below. CarPlay in iOS 27 features a surprisingly extensive wallpaper gallery As we covered here, CarPlay in iOS 27 includes the new Siri AI, introduces support for video apps, adds refreshed app icons, brings UX improvements to media control, and more. As [...]

Gift guide: Last-minute HomeKit recommendations

Crafting a smart home ecosystem can be tricky. There are a lot of product categories, and it can be hard to know which ones to prioritize. Here are some of my go-to smart home recommendations for outfitting a smart home — and they all make great gifts this holiday season. Lutron Caséta There’s no better option for smart lighting solutions than the Lutron Caséta system. Lutron’s smart lighting [...]

Roomba expands Matter support, adding HomeKit compatibility to multiple vacuums

The latest firmware update expands Matter compatibility to multiple Roomba models. Here are the details. More Roomba models are now HomeKit compatible Users on Reddit report that the latest Roomba firmware update expands compatibility with the Matter smart home protocol, which in practice also enables HomeKit compatibility via Apple’s Home app on iOS 18.4 or later. With the update, iRobot’s official list of Matter-compatible devices includes: Roomba® Plus [...]

Robot vacuums in HomeKit: Here are the supported models

When Apple released iOS 18.4 to everyone earlier this year, it came with a big upgrade to the Home app. Users can now add robot vacuums to HomeKit for the first time thanks to the Matter smart home standard. Here are the robot vacuums compatible with HomeKit… What can you do with a robot vacuum in HomeKit? Once you add a compatible robot vacuum to the Home app, [...]

Aqara Smart Lock U400 launches with Apple Wallet support for fully automatic unlocking

The Aqara Smart Lock U400 has been launched today at CES with support for the Home key feature in Apple Wallet. This means your door can automatically unlock as you approach it from the outside, with no user action required. It uses ultra-wideband technology to detect someone carrying an iPhone or wearing an Apple Watch registered with the lock … The company says this is a major step [...]

WhatsApp’s improved CarPlay experience is now available to all iPhone users

Following just a few days of beta testing, WhatsApp has now released its improved CarPlay experience to all iPhone users. Here are the details. CarPlay momentum continues A few days ago, WABetaInfo noticed that WhatsApp had started to test an improved CarPlay experience. For years, WhatsApp’s CarPlay integration was limited to a basic voice interface that let users compose messages or place calls. With the update, which was [...]

Eve debuts a minimalist Matter smart thermostat at CES 2026

As part of CES 2026 this week, Eve has launched the Eve Thermostat, a new Matter-enabled smart thermostat with a minimalist design. With Matter and Thread connectivity, you can control it via the Eve app or with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. Eve describes the design: Eve touts that everything is done on your device and there are no user accounts, subscriptions, or other cloud services. The [...]

Apple Sports now works with CarPlay, here’s how to set up

Good news for sports fans: Apple has updated its Sports app for iPhone, adding new support for CarPlay alongside more F1 race-tracking features. Apple Sports on CarPlay now goes beyond Live Activities Apple Sports version 3.10 includes the first persistent Apple CarPlay features. While there’s no dedicated app, Apple Sports now includes multiple widgets that work with CarPlay. Apple’s Sports app supports two small widgets in the car: [...]

Apple’s CarPlay feature now supports multiple AI chatbot apps from iPhone

Starting with iOS 26.4, Apple supports using AI chatbot apps on the iPhone through CarPlay. ChatGPT was the first AI app to arrive shortly after iOS 26.4’s release. Now a second AI chatbot has added support: Perplexity. Perplexity requires voice mode for CarPlay Similar to ChatGPT for CarPlay, Perplexity’s CarPlay app is designed about voice chat. Unlike ChatGPT, however, Perplexity generally requires a Pro subscription ($20/month) for doing [...]

CarPlay just got even better with three exciting recent app updates

CarPlay has improved a lot lately, and following two major new app debuts a few weeks ago, there have been three more exciting app updates very recently. Here’s what’s new. #1: Apple Sports widgets Apple Sports was updated this week with a great addition for CarPlay users: widgets are now supported. Even though there’s not yet an official CarPlay app for Apple Sports, you can now use widgets [...]