GM Is Forgetting It Already Put Apple CarPlay in Almost Everything

GM’s new software experience in its Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks includes a fresh look for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That sounds like a U-turn — except GM never actually stopped offering phone projection in its most popular trucks and SUVs.

The confusion comes from how the announcement was covered. Yahoo Finance called it an “about-face” by the automaker. Apple Insider framed it as GM “cave[d]”. Even commenters on The Verge seemed unsure what was going on.

What GM Actually Removed

GM made a big deal about removing phone mirroring from its electric vehicles in 2023. The Chevy Equinox, Blazer, Bolt, and Silverado EVs. The Cadillac Lyriq, Optiq, Vistiq, and Escalade IQ. The GMC Sierra and Hummer SUV and Truck EVs — none of these have had CarPlay or Android Auto since.

All of those vehicles still run on top of Android Automotive, often called Google Automotive Services or GAS. But the phone projection that lets you wirelessly mirror your iPhone or Android is gone. You plug in your phone, and you get the system built into the car, not your apps.

The Trucks Never Lost It

The gas-powered trucks and SUVs were never affected. Tens of thousands of owners of GM-branded vehicles still project their phones’ displays on their vehicles’ infotainment screens without any issue. That is the key point: GM never stopped offering phone projection in its gas-powered lineup.

The new software experience adds picture-in-picture upgrades for CarPlay and Android Auto in the Silverado and Sierra. That is a sign of coexistence, not a reversal. GM is learning to live with phone mirroring, at least in its trucks.

Barra’s October 2025 Statement

The confusion may have been partly GM’s fault. In an October 2025 appearance on Decoder, GM CEO Mary Barra defended the company’s decision to prohibit CarPlay in its electric vehicles and suggested the policy might extend to its gasoline-powered lineup as well.

People freaked out. Truck and SUV owners were understandably upset about losing a capability they use every day. But a few days later, GM clarified to outlets that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto would remain available in its gas-powered vehicles “for the foreseeable future.” The Silverado/Sierra announcement would seem to fit into that same window.

“Our big position on this is that it shouldn’t be two competing systems.”

That quote comes from Colin McCormick, group product manager for Google built-in, projection, and profiles at GM. He spoke to the reporter about how GM’s position on phone projection has evolved.

Why GM’s Position Is Weak

GM’s position on CarPlay and Android Auto is unpopular. People really like mirroring their phones. It is clean, it is familiar, and it mostly works. Modern cars’ native software struggles with profile logins and messages. Owners of both Rivian and Tesla would give their firstborn child for the ability to mirror their phone.

CarPlay and Android Auto are not perfect. They have dependability problems and connectivity issues. But they are worlds better than most native operating systems in cars today. GM is not wrong that it can offer a better experience. But people get testy when you take away their choices.

Coexistence, Not a Reversal

GM is finding ways to coexist with CarPlay and Android Auto. It does not want to lose more customers over it, which is why the Silverado/Sierra solution includes picture-in-picture phone projection.

GM thinks this solves the “two competing systems” problem. McCormick said as much. But what it really does is get GM out of the corner it backed itself into over phone mirroring.

The announcement was framed as a reversal of a policy that never applied to those trucks. GM never stopped offering phone projection in its gas-powered lineup.

The key facts:

• GM removed CarPlay and Android Auto from its electric vehicles in 2023.
• The capability was never disabled in its gas-powered trucks and SUVs.
• GM CEO Mary Barra defended the removal in October 2025.
• GM clarified days later that gas vehicles would keep phone projection “for the foreseeable future.”
• The Silverado/Sierra announcement fits into that same window.
• The new software experience adds picture-in-picture upgrades for CarPlay and Android Auto.

The takeaway is simple: GM never took phone projection away from its trucks and SUVs. The announcement is a new look for a capability that has always been there, not a U-turn.

Source material: “GM can’t ‘bring back’ Apple CarPlay because it never left,” The Verge.

Android Auto · Apple CarPlay · EV · GM · infotainment · Mary Barra