iOS 26 CarPlay Wallpapers: Download All 12 in 4K Right Here

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Apple’s keeping the tradition alive with iOS 26, and yep, that includes a fresh lineup of CarPlay wallpapers. If you’ve already jumped on the iOS 26 Developer Beta 4, you’ve probably spotted them. If not, don’t stress about updating just yet. I’ve rounded up all 12 CarPlay wallpapers from iOS 26 so you can grab them in full 4K quality right here.

Table of Contents

Download iOS 26 CarPlay Wallpapers in 4K
How to Set the New CarPlay Wallpapers
Other CarPlay Stuff That Dropped in iOS 26
iOS 26 Launch Timeline

Download iOS 26 CarPlay Wallpapers in 4K

These new designs are clearly riffing on the iOS 26 wallpaper. You’ll notice Apple’s going all in on that “Liquid Glass” look this year. It’s got this smooth, semi-transparent feel with reflective elements that actually look pretty slick on a car screen.

There are six main colors—blue, brown, gray, green, purple, and red. And each one comes in both a light and dark version, so that gives you a full dozen options to play with. Scroll through, pick your favorites, and download straight from the links.

Blue CarPlay Wallpaper: Dark/Light

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Download Dark

Download Light

Honestly, these are some of the nicest-looking CarPlay wallpapers I’ve seen. They make the interface feel more in sync with the iPhone without being distracting. And if you’re like me and drive at night a lot, those dark mode versions really help with visibility.

Note Apple did pull a few older wallpapers from iOS 18 to make room for this new batch. So if you had a favorite from that set, it might’ve disappeared unless you saved it already.

How to Set the New CarPlay Wallpapers

To use these new wallpapers, your iPhone needs to be on iOS 26, and your car has to support CarPlay. Here’s how I set it up in my own car:

Plug your iPhone into your car’s CarPlay system via USB or connect wirelessly if your vehicle supports it.
On your car system, open the Settings app and tap Wallpaper.
Browse the new options (six colors, each with light and dark variants) and tap the wallpaper you like.
The CarPlay interface will show a preview instantly with your chosen wallpaper. Tap Set to save it.

Other CarPlay Stuff That Dropped in iOS 26

The wallpapers are cool, but they’re just a small piece of what iOS 26 brings to CarPlay. Here are a few other things I’ve been messing around with:

AirPlay Video Streaming: For the first time ever, you can actually stream videos to your car’s screen using AirPlay, as long as the vehicle supports it. It only works while parked, which makes sense, but still a solid upgrade.
Live Activities and Widgets: These are finally showing up in CarPlay. I’ve had Uber ride updates and my flight info appear right on the Dashboard. Plus, new widgets for stuff like calendar and HomeKit make it way easier to keep an eye on things.
Smart Display Zoom: This one’s mostly for larger CarPlay displays. You get an extra row of app icons, which sounds small but genuinely makes a difference in cars with bigger screens.
Compact Call Alerts: Incoming calls now just show up as a little pill-shaped alert instead of taking over the whole screen. About time.
Messages App Tweaks: You can now react to messages with Tapbacks and even pin conversations, all without touching your iPhone.

There’s also something called CarPlay Ultra that’s just starting to roll out in high-end cars like Aston Martins. I haven’t seen it in action yet, but it’s supposed to integrate even more deeply with car systems and display stuff across multiple screens. Definitely curious to try that once it becomes more common.

All in all, iOS 26 makes CarPlay feel a bit more modern. The new wallpapers help with that visual polish, but the rest of the updates actually add functionality. And if you care about design like I do, the Liquid Glass aesthetic makes everything feel just a little more iPhone-y.

iOS 26 Launch Timeline

The iOS 26 public beta is already out, and the final release should drop this September when Apple unveils the iPhone 17. If you’re on the public beta or developer beta, you can try out these wallpapers right now. Otherwise, just hang tight until the official release rolls around.

Tried the new wallpapers? Got a favorite color? Drop your thoughts in the comments. I’m stuck between green and purple, honestly.

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