One of the reasons people love iPhones is because they have many built-in accessibility features, assistive apps, and adaptive apps.
You’ll find great features on iPhones such as CarPlay, Safari, and Siri. One frequently asked question by iPhone users is whether you can use Safari via CarPlay.
You cannot use Safari via CarPlay as the two are not compatible. Because of this, Safari won’t launch on your car’s head unit when you connect your iPhone with CarPlay. However, you can still find out basic information as you drive by using Siri, or using a CarPlay app.
This article talks about CarPlay, Safari, and Siri, some of the most popular built-in features of iPhones.
It discusses whether you can use CarPlay Safari, why this might not be possible, and how you could use Siri instead to find out basic information as you drive.
Why It’s Not Possible To Use Safari via CarPlay
It’s not possible to use Safari via CarPlay because CarPlay doesn’t support Safari.
One of the probable reasons CarPlay doesn’t support Safari is that one can get the temptation to watch movies and videos (like Netflix or YouTube) via CarPlay Safari while driving.
Watching movies and videos while cruising can be distracting and unsafe.
Is it possible to use CarPlay Safari Via a Jailbroken device?
Technically, it’s possible to use Safari and CarPlay via a jailbroken iPhone; however, this is not recommended for the vast majority of users.
For a start, it can be difficult to do and is not yet possible with the latest version of the IOS and CarPlay update.
Additionally, jailbreaking your iPhone will void your warranty and also could leave you vulnerable to nefarious hackers.
Alternatives for Safari CarPlay Use
While it isn’t possible to use CarPlay and Safari together, you should be able to access the vast majority of your in-car needs via either a CarPlay app or Siri.
See my breakdown below:
1. Use Siri
Although you cannot use Safari through CarPlay, you can still find out basic information from Safari using Siri as you drive.
Safari is the default browser for iPhones and other Apple devices. So, as long as you have activated Siri on your iPhone, you can command Siri to search for basic information from Safari.
Some of the essential information you can command Siri to search for from Safari as you drive includes:
- The weather (Or use a Carplay Weather App)
- Directions
- The temperature
- Latest news
- Catch up on sports
- Distance to a place
- The time a business opens or closes
- Traffic updates
See our article on the complete list of CarPlay Siri commands you can use to maximize this.
2. Use a one of CarPlays may Apps
There are hundreds of different CarPlay apps you can choose from which allow you to do a range of different features.
Below are some of the different types of Apps, available, some of which we have dedicated articles on.
NOTE: CarPlay apps, except for navigation ones only use Audio. This is to stop driver distraction with the aim to keep you with your eyes on the road. This is one of the reasons why CarPlay is so safe.
- Navigation Apps
- Google Maps
- Apple Maps
- Waze
- Tom Tom Go
- Music Apps
- Youtube Music
- Spotify
- Amazon Music
- Deezer
- BBC Sounds
- Tidal
- And more
- Messaging Apps
- Podcast Apps
- EV Charging Apps
And many more!
3. Stop the Car
While it may sound like a silly suggestion, if either of the previous options didn’t solve what you wanted Safari for then, you probably need to do it on your iPhone.
Pull over in a safe place, pull out your phone, and type away on Safari.
How To Enable Siri on Your iPhone
Although Siri is a built-in personal assistant, you have to enable her so that she can access the built-in applications on your iPhone.
For instance, if you want to receive essential information from Safari as you drive, you must enable Siri.
Here’s how to enable Siri on your iPhone.
Go to Settings on your iPhone’s home screen.
- Tap ‘Siri & Search’.
- Click the switch that appears at the bottom; it turns green.
- Tap ‘Continue’ when the iPhone prompts you.
- Say some phrases into your iPhone when it prompts you; the commands help Siri register and react to your voice.
- Click ‘done’; you’ve successfully enabled ‘Hey Siri.’
- Test if Siri is working with Safari by saying something like, ‘Hey Siri, what time does the grocery store open?’
Final Thoughts
When driving, you may need basic information such as where the nearest gas station is.
If you have an iPhone, you can get this basic information from Safari via Siri.
As long as you’ve enabled Siri on your iPhone, she can get you the basic information from Safari.
Although you can’t use CarPlay Safari, you can still get the essential information you need as you drive through Siri. All you have to do is command Siri to look something up for you on the web!
