GM can’t ‘bring back’ Apple CarPlay because it never left
General Motors introduced an updated in-car software experience for the upcoming Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra that includes a redesigned appearance for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The announcement prompted confusion about whether GM was reinstating phone mirroring — a capability it removed from many of its electric vehicles in 2023 — even though projection support never left its gas-powered lineup.
Why It Matters
The story matters because it clarifies GM's evolving approach to in-vehicle software integration at a time when automakers are balancing native platform features with third-party phone projection systems used by millions of drivers. How GM handles CarPlay and Android Auto affects user experience across its large base of gasoline and electric vehicles.
Key Facts
- Announcement: GM revealed a new software experience for upcoming Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks that features a new look for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
- EV phone projection policy: GM has not offered phone projection (CarPlay or Android Auto) in its electric vehicles since 2023.
- Affected EV models: No CarPlay/Android Auto in Chevy Equinox, Blazer, Bolt, Silverado EV; Cadillac Lyriq, Optiq, Vistiq, Escalade IQ; GMC Sierra and Hummer EVs.
- Software platform: GM builds its vehicle operating system on Android Automotive and includes Google Automotive Services in EVs.
- ICE vehicles: GM never disabled phone projection in its gas-powered (ICE) trucks and SUVs; those models continue to support CarPlay and Android Auto.
Last week’s software reveal for the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra included refreshed Apple CarPlay and Android Auto interfaces, which led some outlets and readers to interpret the move as GM reversing an earlier decision to remove phone mirroring. That interpretation overlooked an important distinction: GM removed CarPlay and Android Auto from a subset of its electric vehicles in 2023, but it never removed projection support from its internal-combustion (ICE) models.
GM’s electric models run a native system built on Android Automotive and, where shipped with Google services, include Google apps such as Maps and Gemini. For drivers who expect to plug in or mirror their phones, many GM EVs — including recent Chevy, Cadillac, GMC, and Hummer electric models — do not offer Phone Projection via CarPlay or Android Auto.
By contrast, GM’s gas-powered trucks and SUVs have continued to support phone projection. Tens of thousands of owners of those ICE models still use CarPlay and Android Auto without issue, and the new picture-in-picture features announced for the Silverado and Sierra are being added into that existing projection support.
Public confusion was amplified because of mixed messaging earlier this year. In October 2025, CEO Mary Barra defended the decision to omit CarPlay from EVs and suggested the policy might later extend to gasoline vehicles. GM subsequently clarified to media outlets that CarPlay and Android Auto would remain available in its gas-powered lineup “for the foreseeable future.” GM product manager Colin McCormick described the company’s stance as aiming to avoid forcing customers to choose between projection and the native system, and said the firm is working with Apple and Google to find customer-focused solutions.
The broader context is that many drivers prefer phone-mirroring systems for their familiarity and reliability relative to some native in-car software. GM’s recent UI changes appear intended to let projection and native systems coexist, while addressing internal concerns about duplicated functionality and user experience consistency across its vehicle portfolio.
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Original source: The Verge