Imagine driving a cutting-edge vehicle equipped with the latest technology, only to find you can't use your most familiar smartphone integration features—Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. What was once seen as a savior for in-car entertainment now faces rejection by automakers. A quiet battle over data control and user experience is unfolding in the automotive industry.
When Apple CarPlay and Android Auto emerged over a decade ago, they quickly won consumer favor—largely because automakers' native infotainment systems offered such poor experiences. These smartphone integrations provided familiar interfaces, used existing data plans without requiring additional subscriptions, and updated seamlessly with new apps and features. Most automakers embraced them eagerly, including former holdouts like Toyota. But recently, a shift has begun.
EV-focused companies like Tesla and Rivian excluded CarPlay and Android Auto from their dashboards from the start. General Motors (GM) is now following suit in its latest EVs, planning to phase out these platforms in favor of its own infotainment software. The reason is simple: data. When you input navigation destinations or select music through CarPlay or Android Auto, the collected data flows primarily to tech giants rather than automakers.
"They don't know how you're using their infotainment system," explains Andrew Hart, CEO of analytics firm SBD. "This leaves automakers without crucial intelligence to improve their products." With the introduction of next-generation Apple CarPlay (sometimes called CarPlay Ultra), this threat may grow. Both Apple and Google collect valuable data from captive automotive audiences, partly to monetize it. GM now wants to capture this data—not to monetize it like tech companies (though automakers have tried and largely failed at this), but to enhance products and retain customers.
While GM is abandoning Android Auto, it's not abandoning Google. The automaker is collaborating with the tech giant—as are Volvo and others—by adopting Google's Android Automotive OS. This system integrates Google apps like Maps, allows account synchronization across devices, and includes Google Play for app downloads.
When asked about dropping CarPlay and Android Auto, a GM spokesperson explained via email: "We bet early on advancing our own infotainment system because we knew we could eventually deliver capabilities beyond phone projection." Examples include Dolby Atmos on Amazon Music and intelligent EV route planning that considers charge status, range, and charger availability—features unavailable through phone projection. GM's system also integrates its Super Cruise hands-free driving with Google Maps to show compatible routes.
Hart sees eliminating CarPlay and Android Auto as a trade-off between customer appeal and control. "To provide familiar, beloved experiences, automakers must surrender data and ecosystem control to Apple and Google," he notes. "This is a bold move against consumer feedback, but they're no longer willing to compromise between attractive experiences and data control."
GM appears to be betting that CarPlay/Android Auto aren't as indispensable as consumer surveys suggest—and that it can build equivalent or superior experiences. "Tesla and Rivian have succeeded without CarPlay," Hart observes, "but they remain exceptions."
Rivian deliberately developed all software in-house to leverage data for enhancing owner experiences. "From day one, we chose to build all electronics internally, then create the end-to-end software stack powering them," says Wassym Bensaid, Rivian's VP of Software Development. This applies to everything from infotainment to vehicle dynamics and driver assistance. "Software is core to our customer experience, and data is core to making software work well," he adds.
Unlike some automakers, Rivian never prioritized data monetization. "Our focus was creating a data architecture to improve vehicles and their software," Bensaid states. Hart notes other automakers are following suit, shifting from monetizing vehicle data to enhancing owner experiences.
"Six or seven years ago, there was hype around data monetization," Hart recalls. "Many automakers formed teams focused on selling data—approaching insurers or retailers with 'treasure troves' of driver information." But backlash erupted when GM's OnStar Smart Driver program (marketed as a driving coach) was found sharing data with insurers without consent, sometimes raising premiums. GM discontinued the program, and the FTC later barred the company from sharing sensitive driver data with reporting agencies for five years.
So far, the pure monetary value of collected data hasn't met expectations—mainly because most automakers lack tech companies' data-monetization capabilities. While insurance applications showed promise, GM's experience tempered expectations, and parsing/utilizing collected data proved challenging. Consequently, data-mining strategies have largely been shelved.
"They're not prioritizing it or expecting data to become a cash cow," Hart says. "The focus has shifted to using internal data to improve processes, efficiency, warranties, and customer service—areas with more direct, quantifiable returns."
While automotive remains a small part of Apple and Google's businesses, it's still strategically important despite challenges with automakers and the CarPlay/Android Auto retreat. "Apple prefers being hands-off—'Here's an SDK, follow these instructions,'" Hart explains. "This isn't how automakers typically work with partners."
This may explain why next-gen CarPlay (first announced three years ago) only recently debuted in Aston Martins. Apple stated that Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis have also committed to adopting it, noting that automotive complexity and long development cycles caused delays.
Though Apple abandoned its Titan car project, Hart doubts the company will exit automotive entirely. "It's too important—their customers spend too much time in cars to walk away as CarPlay adoption declines." Meanwhile, Google maintains automotive presence through Waymo and Android Automotive OS, partnering with BMW, Ford, Honda, Nissan, and Volvo.
As data-access rules between tech giants and automakers evolve (some sharing currently occurs), GM has begun setting hard boundaries—recently prohibiting dealers from installing third-party CarPlay upgrades in its EVs, citing potential safety impacts.
However these battles resolve, one truth remains: Every vehicle owner should remain mindful of what data they provide—and how it's used—when operating their cars, both now and in the future.
