Tesla appears to be reversing one of its most long-standing positions. After years of insisting that its in-house infotainment system was more than enough, the company is reportedly preparing to bring Apple CarPlay to its vehicles — a move that many Tesla owners have been requesting for nearly a decade.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, Tesla has quietly begun internal tests of Apple CarPlay integration. This marks a dramatic shift for the EV giant, which has so far refused to adopt either of the two dominant smartphone-to-car platforms — Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While most modern vehicles, including several entry-level models, ship with these features as standard, Tesla has continued to rely solely on its proprietary interface.

Why CarPlay Matters — And Why Tesla Resisted It

Apple CarPlay mirrors key iPhone features on a car’s touchscreen, allowing drivers to access navigation, calls, messages, music, podcasts and more. For many car buyers, it has become indispensable. Yet Tesla stayed away from the platform, with Elon Musk publicly dismissing the need for such integrations. Musk has also criticized Apple on multiple occasions, particularly its App Store policies, and was unhappy when Apple hired several of his engineers during its now-cancelled electric car project.

Despite this resistance, customer demand has only grown. Tesla owners have repeatedly asked the company to support CarPlay, and some prospective buyers have cited its absence as a deal-breaker.

What’s Changing?

The environment around Tesla has shifted significantly. Apple cancelled its long-rumored electric vehicle project, Titan, in 2024, effectively removing the competitive tension that once existed between the two companies. Meanwhile, Tesla’s own sales have begun to soften, and Musk now relies on Apple for distribution of both X and his Grok AI services.

A McKinsey & Co. report from 2024 highlighted that nearly one-third of car buyers consider CarPlay or Android Auto non-negotiable. With its market position evolving and customer expectations rising, Tesla appears ready to adapt.

When Will Tesla Owners See CarPlay?

The timeline remains uncertain. The report notes that Tesla has discussed rolling out CarPlay in the coming months, though nothing has been finalized. The company is known to pause, delay, or even cancel features after extensive development, so an official release could still be some distance away.

Both Tesla and Apple have declined to comment on the development.

If launched, CarPlay is expected to appear within a dedicated window inside Tesla’s interface, similar to how other automakers handle the feature. It will not be granted access to car-specific controls such as Full Self-Driving (FSD). Tesla is reportedly working with the standard version of CarPlay rather than Apple’s newer, more advanced CarPlay Ultra interface.

Wireless pairing — now common in most newer vehicles — is likely to be supported as well.

What About Android Users?

Unfortunately for Android users, the report indicates that Tesla still has no plans to support Android Auto anytime soon.