WhatsApp now has its own app on Apple CarPlay car screens

WhatsApp now has its own app on Apple CarPlay, the system that shows iPhone apps on a car's dashboard screen. Until now, drivers could only reach WhatsApp in the car by talking to Siri. After months of testing, the full app is officially available to users.

What it does

Drivers can read and send messages from the screen. They can also make and receive calls without voice commands, and browse their contacts. WhatsApp continues to use end-to-end encryption, which keeps conversations private, for all chats. The app has three tabs:

• Chats: recent conversations, especially ones with unread messages.
• Calls: recent calls, with a one-tap option to call back.
• Favorites: the people you contact most, synced with favorites saved on your iPhone.

What to do

Install the latest iOS version of WhatsApp on your iPhone. Once it is updated, the app appears automatically on the CarPlay dashboard after you connect the phone. The feature first showed up in internal testing in late March.

What is not stated

The material does not mention a price, a rollout schedule by country, or which cars are supported. It also does not say whether a similar app is coming to other car systems.