Microsoft Copilot now works in Apple CarPlay, making it the sixth major third-party AI chatbot on the platform as of 11th September, 2026. Google Gemini is now the last major chatbot app without CarPlay support.
The Big Picture
- Microsoft Copilot users can now start and continue voice conversations through Apple CarPlay while they drive.
- Microsoft built the CarPlay version for voice, so some features from the Copilot mobile app may not work in the car.
- Copilot joins ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Meta AI, and Claude, bringing the count of major third-party chatbots on CarPlay to six.
- Google Gemini is the last major AI chatbot app still missing from the CarPlay lineup.
- Apple’s iOS 27 arrives on 14th September, 2026 and adds a dedicated Siri AI app to CarPlay.
Copilot Brings Voice Chats to the Dashboard
Microsoft confirmed the feature in a Copilot CarPlay support guide. The company said drivers can “start and continue voice conversations safely while you drive.” The guide lists four uses: quick answers, meeting prep, catching up on emails and messages, and brainstorming by voice.
Microsoft lists four requirements to get started:
- A supported iPhone running iOS 26.4 or later
- The latest version of the Microsoft Copilot app
- A vehicle that supports Apple CarPlay
- Access to voice in Microsoft Copilot
Drivers can tap New voice chat on the CarPlay screen or say “Hey, Siri, ask Copilot.” According to 9to5Mac, the CarPlay feature appears to require a subscription and mirrors chat history from the iPhone app, including text-based threads. Microsoft’s guide does not say which Copilot plans include the required voice access.
Returning to a conversation takes one step. Drivers select Microsoft Copilot on the CarPlay screen, and the voice session begins on its own. If Copilot was the last app open in CarPlay, even that step is skipped.
THE CAR DASHBOARD IS GETTING CROWDED. Microsoft just shoved Copilot into Apple CarPlay, and the irony is thick enough to cut with a knife. While everyone is fighting for a slice of the dashboard, Google Gemini is still MIA, stuck outside looking in while its biggest rivals cozy… pic.twitter.com/5RshrWfZyC
— The Vector Brief (@vectorbrief) September 11, 2026
Six Chatbots In, Gemini Out
Apple opened CarPlay to voice-based conversational apps with iOS 26.4. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Perplexity, SpaceXAI’s Grok, Meta AI, and Anthropic’s Claude have all added support since then. Copilot, which Microsoft has already expanded with Anthropic’s Claude models, now takes the sixth slot.
Google has not added CarPlay support to its Gemini app. That leaves Gemini outside a lineup that now covers its main chatbot rivals. Google also runs its own car platform, Android Auto, which may give it less urgency to build for Apple’s dashboard.
Why It Matters?
Copilot on CarPlay speaks most directly to people who already use Microsoft’s assistant for work. Its listed uses, such as meeting prep and email catch-up, suit drivers who want to get through their day by voice. Microsoft said the experience is designed to “minimize distraction and help you stay focused on the road.“
What’s next is iOS 27, due Monday, which adds a dedicated Siri AI app to CarPlay while Siri AI itself stays in beta. That places Apple’s own assistant, first previewed in the new Siri app coverage for iOS 27, next to six third-party rivals and raises the pressure on Google to ship Gemini support. Drivers who want Copilot now should update the app, confirm their iPhone runs iOS 26.4 or later, and finish setup before they start driving, as Microsoft advises.
