- GM will drop Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from future combustion cars.
- CEO Mary Barra confirmed the change during an interview with The Verge.
- It previously removed both features from its electric models for native systems.
General Motors is doubling down on its in-house tech and doubling back from two big-name phone mirroring technologies. After banishing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from its electric lineup, GM has now confirmed it’s preparing to do the same for its combustion-engined cars, too.
More: GM Kills The Only Aftermarket Apple CarPlay And Android Auto Solution For EVs
Speaking on The Verge’s Decoder podcast, CEO Mary Barra said the company’s upcoming centralized computing platform, expected to roll out around 2028, will mark the end of smartphone projection across the board.
That means no more hooking up your Apple or Android device to take over the center screen. Instead, you’ll be living fully inside GM’s own infotainment ecosystem instead.
A Closed Loop or a Connected Vision?
The American automaker insists it’s not out to make life harder for drivers, just more connected. Executives argue that running everything through GM’s native software will make for a smoother, safer, and more integrated experience.
But it also means GM will be able to keep user data and really push tech subscription offers to boost its bottom line.
When GM announced it was junking Apple/Android from its EVs, the car community was skeptical, and phasing it from gas cars is going to be equally unpopular. For many buyers, CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t luxury add-ons; they’re essential tools that we expect to find on our new cars.
They’re not perfect, but we’ve spent the last decade happily streaming Spotify, reading messages, or checking maps via our phone’s familiar interface.
Take that familiarity away, and it’s possible a portion of shoppers may start looking at other brands that still let them use the tech they already love.
Gradual Change
To be clear, the phase-out won’t happen overnight. Current and near-future combustion models will continue to offer smartphone mirroring for some time. But as new vehicles adopt the next-gen software architecture, those features will quietly disappear. Here’s what GM told us in a statement about the switchover:
“We are not making any changes to existing vehicles. If your car supports Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, that will continue. Both will remain available in all GM gas-powered vehicles for the foreseeable future.
As we advance toward our centralized computing platform, we’ll gradually move to a better, more deeply integrated experience — a direction the broader industry is taking as vehicles become more software-defined. This will happen over time, not overnight. We value our collaboration with Apple and Google and remain focused on delivering experiences customers love.”
As we reported yesterday, the first model to adopt the new system will be the 2028 Cadillac Escalade IQ, marking the beginning of GM’s fully self-contained digital era.
