What Apple’s Car Play Means for Custom App Development

Every few years, a new type of technology comes along that completely changes the way we think about custom app development. First it was the advent of the smartphone, which moved software away from being “Swiss army knife” solutions that packed in as much functionality as possible, towards smaller programs that did one thing exceptionally well. Next came wearable technology, which aimed to compliment the normal functions of a smartphone and usher in a new era of productivity.

Apple’s Car Play, though it has existed since 2014, is about to permeate the culture in a significant way as the first cars that take full advantage of this option are rolling off the assembly lines around the world as we speak. It is positioned by the tech giant to be the next big shift in app development for a number of different reasons.

What is Apple Car Play?

At its core, Apple Car Play is a technology standard that lets a car stereo, head unit or other controller in a vehicle act as a controller for a user’s iPhone. This goes above and beyond just connecting a smartphone to a car radio to play back your favorite songs without burning a CD or turning on the radio – in essence, the functionality of the iPhone extends to the car itself, providing access to information, entertainment and even full applications while a person is behind the wheel of a car. It’s an advancement that means big things for the auto industry as a whole, particularly when it comes to letting a person enjoy all that their iPhone has to offer while still creating a safe driving environment for pedestrians and drivers alike.

What Car Play Means for Custom App Development

As with any new advancement, success in terms of Apple Car Play and similar functionality all comes down to context. When writing custom apps designed for this format, you need to keep in mind the activities that the users will be engaged in at any given moment. The same was true for wearable tech – apps written for something like an Apple Watch don’t require the same amount of user input that native iPhone apps do because the hardware itself is being used in an entirely different context.

Think about what users actually want from Car Play functionality. If they get an important work e-mail, they shouldn’t have to physically do anything or perform any actions in order to view and respond to it. If physical user input were required, they would just take out their smartphones – this not only creates a dangerous situation as you’re down dealing with a distracted driver, but it also negates the point behind Car Play in the first place.

Instead, an e-mail app should automatically notify them on screen that a new message has been received and allow them to read it either instantly or via some type of voice command. A further voice command would then allow them to respond and send the message, all without interacting with their stereo or phone in any way.

The major mistake that custom app developers make when working with new technology involves taking a piece of software that was designed for one platform and literally porting it to the new one without any consideration about what makes the technology unique. Car Play is no different – when it comes to custom software, the companies that will find the most success will be the ones who are able to take existing functionality and not recreate it, but compliment it in the new environment. This not only makes for stronger software, but it also improves the life of the end user, which is the most important benefit of all.

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