Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Google Meet rolls out on Apple CarPlay and leaves Android Auto drivers behind

Apple CarPlay gets the meeting room upgrade. Android Auto is still stuck in traffic.

Add as a preferred source on Google
Google Meet App in CarPlay
Google

Google Meet is now available on Apple CarPlay. If you spend a lot of time commuting, this Google Meet feature will make it easier to join meetings on the go, as you can now join meetings directly from your car’s dashboard without picking up your phone.

How does it work?

It’s pretty straightforward. Connect your iPhone to a CarPlay-compatible vehicle via Bluetooth or a USB cable, open the Meet app on your CarPlay display, and you’re in. Your upcoming meetings are displayed right on the screen, and you can join one with a single tap.

Since you’re driving, Meet keeps things simple and safe. Your camera is turned off, and you won’t see any video from other participants. You’ll hear everything through your car speakers, and your microphone stays active, so you can participate in the conversation.

Recommended Videos

If you join a large meeting, your mic might be muted by default, but you can unmute it right from the car display. This is a nice feature as you don’t want to disturb a meeting with road noise. 

What can you do from the car?

The in-car controls are minimal by design, which is a good thing. You can mute and unmute your microphone and leave the meeting when you’re done. Features like Chat, Polls, Hand Raise, and Q&A are not available while you’re on the road. If you need any of those, park the car first and switch to your phone.

If you disconnect your phone from CarPlay during a call, the audio automatically transfers back to your phone or earbuds without dropping you from the meeting. The feature started rolling out gradually on March 23, 2026, and is available to all Google Workspace users, Workspace Individual subscribers, and personal Google account holders.

Why Google treats its own services as second-tier citizens

You might have noticed that this feature is rolling out for CarPlay users, but there’s no mention of Android Auto. Google says that Android Auto users can expect this feature soon. As if it were not enough that third-party developers like ChatGPT support CarPlay and not Android Auto, Google’s own apps are doing the same.

This is not the first time Google has released a feature first for iOS devices, with its own Android and Auto platform lagging behind. It’s frustrating to see Google treating its own services as second-tier citizens. It’s a slap in the face of Android users who have invested in Google’s platform.

Rachit Agarwal
Rachit is a seasoned tech journalist with over ten years of experience covering the consumer technology landscape.
Tesla’s hidden door problem might end up fixing every car in America
This could permanently change how emergency exits are designed in American passenger vehicles.
Tesla Model Y Long Wheelbase Featured

Tesla's electronic door handles have been a safety talking point for years, mostly on Reddit threads and EV forums where people debate whether sleek design is worth the tradeoff when a car is on fire and power is out. 

Now the US government has formally weighed in (via The Washington Post). The outcome, I’d say, is bigger than most people think.

Read more
Ford’s UEV platform will feature Apple Maps built in
The integration will run through Apple's new MapKit for Automotive SDK and skip CarPlay's phone-mirroring approach.
Car, Transportation, Vehicle

Ford's upcoming budget electric vehicle won't force you to choose between a built-in map and one borrowed from your phone. Apple announced today that Ford's Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform will ship with Apple Maps running natively on the car's screens. The feature will arrive in 2027 through Apple's new MapKit for Automotive SDK, a toolkit that lets automakers build Apple Maps straight into their dashboards.

An infotainment system that doesn't need your phone plugged in

Read more
WhatsApp’s new in-car experience is built around hands-free control
CarPlay and Android Auto users can now hear and reply to messages, view call history, and reach favorite contacts without touching their phone.
WhatsApp new CarPlay experience featured

Meta is overhauling how WhatsApp works in the car, giving CarPlay and Android Auto users a lot more to do than just sending texts and making calls. The company announced the change in a newsroom post today, alongside several other updates rolling out to the messaging app.

WhatsApp finally works hands-free in the car

Read more