GM updates its trucks’ native software to coexist with CarPlay
General Motors is overhauling the software interface in its top-selling pickup trucks to cut down on distracting taps and swipes while driving, and is simultaneously softening its previous resistance to phone mirroring by adding picture-in-picture support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The redesigned system will debut on the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 later this year, and matters because it signals GM rethinking how it balances proprietary in-car software with the phone-projection features many drivers prefer, particularly in vehicles where CarPlay had previously been withheld.
The new interface spans more than 60 inches of combined screen space across the instrument cluster, central display and passenger screen, with larger buttons and tap zones intended to make controls easier to hit on rough roads. Key physical controls, such as those for heating and ventilation, remain in place, though some functions like airflow direction now open via on-screen flyout menus, and the oil dipstick becomes a purely digital reading. Other additions include a smartphone-style swipe-down notification panel for quick settings such as muting the microphone, animated transitions between screens so functions like the media player needn't be fully replaced, and simplified displays tailored to trailering and off-road driving.
- GM redesigns truck software to reduce distracting screen interactions.
- Adds CarPlay/Android Auto picture-in-picture, reversing prior mirroring hostility.
- Debuts on 2027 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks.