Short answer. Since iOS 26.4, ChatGPT and other AI chatbots run in CarPlay as voice chats: good to talk to, but when ZDNET tested ChatGPT and Perplexity, neither played music, made a call or sent a message, and ChatGPT couldn't plan a route because it can't see your location. Viavo understands plain speech in 28 languages and does those things: it opens the route in your navigator, plays your music, calls and prepares your messages.
Which chatbots are in CarPlay
Apple opened CarPlay to voice chat apps in iOS 26.4. ChatGPT arrived at the end of March 2026, then Perplexity, Grok, Meta AI, Claude and Microsoft Copilot. Google has started bringing Gemini to CarPlay in November 2026, and in October it began rolling out Gemini in Google Maps on CarPlay, first in the US.
They are good company on a long drive: ask about anything, think out loud, learn something. OpenAI's own words about ChatGPT in CarPlay: it "can't access maps, vehicle data, live location, or control other apps."
What they couldn't do in a real test
ZDNET tried ChatGPT and Perplexity as CarPlay assistants (May 2026). ChatGPT couldn't give directions or find places nearby, because it doesn't know where you are. Perplexity could open a route in Apple Maps and work with the calendar and reminders. Neither played music, and neither made calls or sent messages.
So the obvious advice is "use the chatbot to talk and Siri to drive". That works if Siri understands you. As of November 2026 Siri doesn't speak Polish, Czech, Romanian, Greek, Hungarian, Croatian, Serbian or Ukrainian, and the new Siri AI isn't available on iPhone in the EU.
What Viavo does
Tap one button on the car screen and say it the way you'd say it to a person, in your language. Viavo does it and answers out loud.
| ChatGPT in CarPlay | Viavo | |
|---|---|---|
| Talk in plain speech, ask anything | Yes | Yes, with a web search when it needs fresh facts |
| Route in Apple Maps, Google Maps or Waze, with a stop on the way | No | Yes: "Take me home with a stop for petrol" |
| Places on the way with ratings and opening hours | No | Yes: "A good restaurant on the way, in about an hour" |
| Travel time with traffic | No | Yes: "Will I get to work by nine?" |
| Music in Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer | No | Yes: an artist, an album, a playlist or a mood |
| Live radio by name or frequency | No | Yes, in Apple Music, Simple Radio, TuneIn or iHeartRadio |
| Call a contact | No | Yes |
| WhatsApp or SMS | No | The message opens ready on your phone; you tap Send |
| Telegram and Slack: what's new, read, reply | No | Yes |
| Reminders, calendar, alarms | No | Yes |
| Remembers what you tell it | Its own memory | Yes, and forgets when you ask |
| A native voice in Polish, Czech, Romanian, Greek, Hungarian, Croatian, Serbian, Ukrainian | — | Yes, 28 languages in all |
What Viavo doesn't do: the steering-wheel button and "Hey Siri" stay with Siri, so Viavo starts with one tap on the car screen. A WhatsApp or SMS message waits for your tap on the phone. YouTube videos start on the phone, not on the car screen.
How to try it
- Install Viavo from the App Store. Try it for free: a new account starts with free credits or a free week of Viavo Plus, on the monthly or the yearly plan (one free week per person).
- Connect your iPhone to CarPlay and tap Viavo on the car screen.
- Say what you need: "Take me home", "Play something for the road", "What's new in my chats?"
Questions
Can ChatGPT in CarPlay start navigation?
No. OpenAI says it can't access maps or your location or control other apps. Viavo opens the route in the navigator you use.
Can ChatGPT in CarPlay send a WhatsApp message or play Spotify?
No. Viavo prepares the WhatsApp or SMS message and opens it on your phone for one tap, and plays music in the app you use.
Does Viavo replace Siri?
Not entirely. The steering-wheel button and "Hey Siri" stay with Siri. Viavo is one tap on the car screen, and after that you talk normally.
Is Viavo free?
You can try it for free: a new account starts with free credits or a free week of Viavo Plus (one free week per person). After that, Viavo Plus is a monthly or yearly subscription.
Which languages?
28, each with a native voice, including eight that Siri doesn't speak: Polish, Czech, Romanian, Greek, Hungarian, Croatian, Serbian and Ukrainian.
Last checked: 2 November 2026. Sources: Apple, OpenAI, Google, ZDNET.