Rivian Apple CarPlay: The 3 Real Ways to Add It (R1T, R1S, R2, R3)

I rig CarPlay-style setups in cars for a living, and Rivian owners ask me this constantly. I've done it in a friend's R1T and again in a rental R1S. The good news: the fix takes about five minutes, and nothing you buy has to touch the car's wiring. Below are the three routes, ranked by how most owners actually end up using them.

This page compares the routes so you can pick one. If you just want the yes/no on availability, read does Rivian have Apple CarPlay. If you've already picked the phone route and want the click-by-click steps, jump to the Rivian CarPlay setup guide.

The 30-second check: which Rivian do you have?

Here the answer is the same across the lineup, which makes this quick. Every current Rivian ships without Apple CarPlay — there's no hidden menu that turns it on and no update has added it.

• R1T & R1S (first-gen and the newer Gen 2 hardware) — no CarPlay.
• R2 (the smaller SUV) — no CarPlay planned.
• R3 and R3X — no CarPlay planned.

So the real question isn't whether your model has it — it's which of the three add-on methods below fits you. The rest of this guide sorts that out.

The everyday route

Put the CarPlay screen your Rivian skips on your iPhone instead

Car Play Connect's Mount Mode runs big-tap, glance-safe widgets — maps, music, calls, messages — on a mounted iPhone. No adapter, no wiring, works in any R1T, R1S, R2, or R3. Free to try.

Car Play Connect: Auto Sync

4.6·2,300+ ratings·Free to try

Download on theApp Store

Point your camera to install

Apple CarPlay by Rivian model (R1T, R1S, R2, R3)

Same verdict, model by model, plus what the built-in screen runs instead. Rivian uses its own software on every trim, so none of these projects CarPlay from your phone.

If a forum post claims a specific model year has it, check Apple's official CarPlay vehicle list — Rivian isn't on it. Tesla sits in the same boat, though it has at least said CarPlay is coming; I covered that difference in does Tesla have Apple CarPlay.

Method 1: Run CarPlay features on a mounted iPhone

This is what I set up nine times out of ten. You mount your iPhone next to the wheel and run a driving-friendly dashboard on it, so Apple Maps, messages, and music live one glance away while the Rivian screen keeps charging and native maps.

The free version: mount the phone, open Apple Maps or Waze so the big turn card fills the screen, and set Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock → Neverwhile it charges. It works, but you're juggling apps and the buttons stay phone-sized.

The app version: run Mount Mode in Car Play Connect. It puts big, glance-safe widgets — maps, now-playing, calls, messages, speed — on one dark screen sized for driving, the same layout logic CarPlay uses. For the full click-by-click placement, see the Rivian CarPlay setup guide; for which widgets are worth pinning, the widgets guide.

Best for: most owners — cheapest, fastest, no install. Skip it if:you want the real CarPlay UI on the car's own display, or you refuse to add a second screen to the cabin. It can't touch the Rivian's steering-wheel controls; it's a companion surface, not a takeover.

Method 2: Split the work with Rivian's native apps

Before you buy anything, know that Rivian's own screen already does most of what people open CarPlay for. Set it up right and your phone only has to cover the gaps — sometimes that's enough on its own.

• Apple Music is a native app on the Rivian screen (added in 2024). Sign in once and it streams with no phone tethered. Spotify, Tidal, and Audible are there too.
• Native navigationuses Google's map data with EV-aware routing and charging stops. Set home and work so one tap plans the trip.
• Voice is Alexa today, with a Google Gemini-based assistant rolling out, for hands-free media and climate.

What the native side still misses: Apple Maps, iMessage dictation, and CarPlay apps like Waze. Pair it with a mounted phone from Method 1 and the two screens split the work instead of fighting.

Best for:owners happy with Rivian's stack who only miss a couple of Apple apps. Skip it if:Apple Maps or iMessage is non-negotiable — those never run on the Rivian display, only on your phone.

Let the two screens split the work

Rivian keeps the map and charging; your phone handles everything Apple

Car Play Connect turns a mounted iPhone into a glance-safe dashboard for the parts Rivian's system skips — Apple Maps, dictation, messages, lyrics on screen. Five-minute setup, nothing wired into the cabin.

Car Play Connect: Auto Sync

Free to try

Download on theApp Store

Point your camera to install

Method 3: Add a standalone aftermarket CarPlay screen

Want the real CarPlay interface — Apple Maps, Messages, third-party apps, all on a proper display? A standalone aftermarket screen is the only route that delivers it. Units built for Rivian (the EV Play display is the best known, around $400) add their own screen running native CarPlay, independent of Rivian's locked display.

How it works:the unit is its own Android-based screen with CarPlay and Android Auto built in. It doesn't project onto the Rivian display — you're adding a third surface to the cabin, then mounting it and running power.

Best for: CarPlay purists who want the genuine interface and will trade cabin cleanliness for it. Skip it if:you like Rivian's minimalist dash, since placing a screen without spoiling it is genuinely hard. My field notes on standalone boxes are in the wireless CarPlay adapter guide.

The three methods side by side

The same three routes, lined up on what decides which one you live with day to day.

For most people, Method 1 plus Method 2 is the whole answer: native apps on the big screen, a mounted phone for the Apple bits. GM took the same gas-versus-EV path with its newer models — see which GM models kept Apple CarPlay— and if you're still car-shopping, which cars have Apple CarPlay lists the brands that ship it standard.

Frequently asked questions

Does Rivian have Apple CarPlay?

No. No Rivian — R1T, R1S, R2, R3, or the newer Gen 2 hardware — ships with Apple CarPlay, and Rivian hasn't announced plans to add it. The screen runs Rivian's own software instead. To get Apple Maps and messages on screen, you use a mounted iPhone or a standalone aftermarket CarPlay display.

Can you add Apple CarPlay to a Rivian?

Yes, in a limited way. You can't unlock CarPlay on the Rivian's own screen — the display is closed. You can either run a CarPlay-style dashboard on a mounted iPhone, or install a separate aftermarket screen (around $400) that runs genuine CarPlay on its own. A wireless adapter won't help, because there's no built-in CarPlay for it to connect to.

Does the Rivian R2 have Apple CarPlay?

No. The R2 launches without Apple CarPlay, matching the R1T, R1S, and R3. Rivian has given no sign it will add CarPlay to the R2, so treat a mounted iPhone or an aftermarket screen as the permanent workaround rather than waiting for an update that hasn't been promised.

Is there a wireless CarPlay adapter for Rivian?

No adapter works. Wireless boxes like Carlinkit or Ottocast only add wireless CarPlay to cars that already have wired CarPlay built in. A Rivian has none, and its screen is closed, so the adapter has nothing to connect to. Use a phone mount or a standalone aftermarket screen instead — those are the only routes that actually work.

Does Rivian have Android Auto?

No. Rivian skips Android Auto for the same reason it skips Apple CarPlay — it runs its own integrated software and keeps the screen closed to phone projection. Android users get the same workarounds: a mounted phone running Google Maps, or a standalone aftermarket screen that adds both CarPlay and Android Auto on its own display.

Will Rivian ever add Apple CarPlay?

Don't plan on it. As of 2026 Rivian has made no announcement, and its CEO keeps calling the decision to skip CarPlay deliberate. Treat a phone mount or an aftermarket screen as a permanent setup, not a stopgap. Check Apple's official CarPlay vehicle list any time a forum post claims otherwise.