How to Get an Apple CarPlay Entitlement

CarPlay apps must fit one Apple-defined category and be granted a CarPlay entitlement before you can build them. Here is how to apply.

Timothy Lindblom

Founder, Newly

May 2026|9 min read

CarPlay lets your app render on the in-car display using Apple’s CarPlay templates. Unlike most capabilities, you cannot even build a CarPlay app until Apple assigns you a CarPlay entitlement — and the entitlement you receive locks you to a single app category (audio, navigation, EV charging, parking, and so on) whose templates you are then allowed to use.

Apply through this form

Request a CarPlay app entitlement

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Key Takeaways

Your app must fit exactly one Apple-defined CarPlay category — you cannot mix templates.
Apple assigns the entitlement to your developer account; without it you cannot build or sign.
CarPlay apps require a custom native build — they cannot run in Expo Go.
Driver-safety and distraction concerns are central to whether you are approved.

CarPlay at a Glance

Form

Apple approval required

1 category

Per app

Days–weeks

Typical review time

Templates

UI is Apple-provided

What This Entitlement Is

CarPlay apps are built from Apple-provided templates rather than custom UI, so the in-car experience stays consistent and driver-safe. The CarPlay entitlement you request determines which template set you may use — for example com.apple.developer.carplay-audio for audio apps or com.apple.developer.carplay-maps for navigation. Apple grants the entitlement per category after reviewing that your app is a good, safe fit for in-car use.

Entitlement & config keys

com.apple.developer.carplay-audio (audio apps)
com.apple.developer.carplay-maps (navigation apps)
com.apple.developer.carplay-charging / -parking / -quick-ordering (other categories)
Framework: CarPlay (plus a CarPlay scene in Info.plist)

Who Needs It

Audio apps

Music, podcast, audiobook and radio apps that play through the car’s system.

Navigation apps

Turn-by-turn navigation, including instrument-cluster / dashboard support, using the maps templates.

EV charging, fueling & parking

Apps that help drivers find and pay for charging, fuel or parking from the car screen.

Quick food ordering & driving tasks

A small set of additional driver-focused categories Apple supports with dedicated templates.

How to Request the Entitlement

1
Pick your CarPlay category
Decide which single Apple category your app belongs to — the entitlement and template set follow from it, and you cannot span categories.
2
Open the CarPlay entitlement request
From the CarPlay developer page, follow "Request CarPlay app entitlement" while signed in to your developer account.
3
Describe the app and in-car use case
Provide the app name and bundle ID, the category you want, and why the app is useful and safe to use while driving.
4
Accept the CarPlay Entitlement Agreement
Agree to Apple’s CarPlay terms as part of the request.
5
Configure the build once granted
Apple assigns the entitlement to your account; enable it on your App ID, add the category entitlement key and the CarPlay scene to Info.plist, regenerate your profile, and build against the CarPlay framework.

What Apple Evaluates

That the app clearly fits one supported CarPlay category.
That the experience is appropriate and safe for use while driving.
That the app is substantively built, not just a placeholder.
That you are not trying to combine multiple categories or templates.

Timeline. Apple reviews CarPlay requests case-by-case with no published SLA — reports range from a few days to several weeks. On approval, the CarPlay entitlement is assigned to your developer account; you then enable it on your App ID, regenerate a provisioning profile, and can finally build the CarPlay target.

Common Reasons It Gets Rejected

No matching category

The app does not clearly fit one of Apple’s supported CarPlay categories, or tries to be several at once.

How to avoid it: Map your app to exactly one category before applying, and request that entitlement only.

Driver-distraction concerns

The proposed experience is not safe or appropriate for use behind the wheel.

How to avoid it: Design strictly within Apple’s templates and keep interactions minimal and glanceable.

App is not built yet

Apple is reluctant to grant CarPlay for an app that barely exists.

How to avoid it: Have a working, substantive iPhone app before requesting the CarPlay entitlement.

Adding It in Newly

Newly builds real native apps, so the capability goes into your app exactly the way it would in a hand-written project — you just describe it instead of editing config files.

1Tell Newly which CarPlay category you need, e.g. "add a CarPlay audio experience for my podcast app."
2Newly produces a custom native build with the CarPlay framework, the category entitlement key and the CarPlay scene wired into Info.plist.
3Request the CarPlay entitlement from Apple for your bundle ID and accept the CarPlay Entitlement Agreement.
4Once Apple assigns it, regenerate the provisioning profile, then rebuild and submit from the Deploy modal.

For the full deployment flow, see the permissions & entitlements guide in the Newly docs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my CarPlay app be in more than one category?

No. Apple assigns a single CarPlay category per app, and you may only use that category’s templates. Choose the category that matches your app’s primary in-car purpose.

Can I test CarPlay before Apple approves the entitlement?

Only in a limited way — the CarPlay Simulator can render templates, but you cannot produce a signed, distributable CarPlay build until Apple assigns the entitlement to your account.

Does CarPlay work in Expo Go?

No. CarPlay requires native code and a custom build (for example an EAS build with a config plugin). Expo Go cannot load the CarPlay framework or entitlement.

Do I design my own CarPlay UI?

No. CarPlay apps are built from Apple-provided templates so the experience stays consistent and driver-safe across apps. You populate templates with your content rather than drawing custom screens.

Ship a CarPlay app without fighting the native config

Describe the feature and Newly wires up the entitlement keys, Info.plist / manifest entries and native modules for you — then builds and submits to the App Store and Google Play. You still file the approval yourself, but the build is ready the moment it's granted.

Start Building Your App →

Sources & Further Reading

Official Apple documentation for the CarPlay capability. Always confirm the current requirements against these pages before you apply.