GM is pulling CarPlay and Android Auto from nearly every model it sells

General Motors is finishing the phaseout of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across nearly its entire lineup, leaving just one holdout: the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq. When that model enters production next month, it will be the last GM-made electric vehicle sold in North America that still supports both phone-mirroring systems, wired and wireless.

Why Cadillac’s Lyriq gets to keep phone mirroring

GM has spent the past few years pushing customers toward its own in-house infotainment software rather than relying on Apple’s and Google’s mirroring platforms. CEO Mary Barra confirmed last year that the company would extend the phaseout to its gas-powered vehicles after already stripping CarPlay and Android Auto from its EVs starting in 2023. Two of the most recent casualties were the Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck and the GMC Hummer EV, both of which lost the features earlier this year. Against that backdrop, preserving the Lyriq’s compatibility stands out. A Cadillac representative said the decision came down to customer feedback, and that the luxury EV’s competitive position in a segment where buyers expect phone mirroring played a role.

Gemini takes over GM’s dashboards

In place of CarPlay and Android Auto, GM is rolling out a new AI-driven infotainment system built around Google’s Gemini assistant, replacing the automaker’s older built-in Google operating system. GM said in an April press release that it wants to deliver “a custom-built AI assistant, fine-tuned with proprietary vehicle data” by the end of 2026. Barra has argued that switching between GM’s native system and third-party apps created a clunky experience for drivers, and that a unified, voice-driven platform would ultimately serve customers better. The new system is meant to handle tasks ranging from route planning and curated entertainment to hands-free texting, all without leaving GM’s own software environment.

The logic gets murkier outside the Lyriq

GM’s reasoning becomes harder to square once the Lyriq is factored in. If ditching third-party mirroring produces a better product, as Barra has suggested, it is not obvious why that same logic does not extend to Cadillac’s flagship EV. GM has not said whether the Lyriq’s exception reflects a genuine one-off concession to a demanding luxury buyer base or an early signal that the company could reconsider its approach more broadly for other models. For now, it remains the sole exception in an otherwise sweeping rollback.

Barra addressed the broader strategy directly in an interview on The Verge’s Decoder podcast, telling host Nilay Patel that customer feedback described the experience of toggling between GM’s own dashboard software and third-party mirroring apps as clunky and disjointed. That framing has become GM’s central justification for the switch: rather than positioning the move as a way to capture more vehicle data or open new subscription revenue, the company has cast it as a simplification that removes a jarring transition point for drivers. Critics of the industry-wide shift away from CarPlay and Android Auto have pushed back on that explanation, arguing that automakers have more to gain from controlling the software layer inside their own vehicles than they are willing to admit publicly.

What GM has offered instead

GM has made some concessions elsewhere to soften the transition. In December of last year, the company added Apple Music as a standard streaming option across its in-car software for 2025 and 2026 models, with product management vice president Tim Twerdahl describing it as part of an effort to expand built-in entertainment choices. The Gemini-powered system also brings Google Maps and other Google Play Store apps directly into GM’s dashboards, giving drivers some of the functionality they would otherwise lose without a full mirroring app. For owners of non-Lyriq GM EVs who still want CarPlay or Android Auto, a third-party accessory called the EV Play LT offers a workaround, providing wired and wireless phone mirroring for Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac EVs for a one-time cost of $199.99 with no subscription required.

What it means for the next car purchase

The shift matters most for shoppers who lean heavily on CarPlay or Android Auto for navigation, messaging and music, since GM’s native alternative will not offer the same interface they are used to on their phones. Buyers cross-shopping GM’s electric lineup will need to check model by model, since the Lyriq now sits apart from the rest of the brand’s EVs on this feature. The broader auto industry has been moving in a similar direction, with several manufacturers weighing native infotainment systems over third-party mirroring, a trend that critics have tied to potential subscription revenue and data collection while executives frame it as a push for tighter, more integrated software.

For now, the practical advice for anyone shopping GM’s electric lineup is straightforward: confirm the specific model’s infotainment compatibility before signing a purchase agreement, rather than assuming CarPlay or Android Auto support carries over from one GM EV to the next. That check matters more with GM than with most competitors, since the brand now has one clearly labeled exception sitting inside an otherwise uniform policy, and dealership staff may not always volunteer the distinction unprompted. Whether the Lyriq stays the lone holdout through its full model run, or whether GM eventually restores broader phone-mirroring support in response to customer pressure, is likely to become clearer as the 2027 model year progresses and sales data starts to reflect how much the feature actually influences buying decisions.

This article was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by an editor.

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