How Apple CarPlay’s Dark Mode Is Supposed to Work with Any iPhone

More recently, there are reports of inconsistency when switching from the light to the dark mode in CarPlay, with some users claiming that the update to the latest iOS version doesn’t make any difference.

While iOS 13.2 indeed shipped with CarPlay bugs, everything was corrected with the release of iOS 13.3.1, so devices where the latest iOS 13.3.3 is already installed shouldn’t experience any problem whatsoever.

And yet, some say that CarPlay doesn’t automatically switch from the light mode to the dark mode and the other way around, while others claim the night visual style fails to activate only for specific apps, like Apple Maps.

The confusion appears to be caused by the CarPlay settings, which only allows users to choose from automatic and dark mode, with no option for a light mode.

Technically, when you start the engine, Apple CarPlay defaults to the light mode, and the style that’s then used is controlled by your headlights or the ambient light sensor in the car. This only happens if CarPlay is set to automatic mode – if you use dark, this is the setting that is activated by default from the very beginning.

So basically, if the headlights are on, CarPlay should use the dark mode as well. If you’re only using the DRL (so headlights are off), then CarPlay should stick with the light mode. On the other hand, if your car’s headlights are set to automatic (if available), CarPlay might continue using the light mode even when the headlights are turned on, such as when entering a tunnel.

What’s important to know is that the dark mode in CarPlay has no connection to the night mode on your iPhone. So it doesn’t even matter if you’re using the day or the night mode on the smartphone because the CarPlay visual settings would still be adjusted according to the status of your headlights.

Truth be told, the switch from one mode to another still needs further polishing, as there are cases when you just have to disconnect the iPhone and reconnect it to the car to force CarPlay to detect the appropriate setting.

As a summary, here’s a TLDR of how CarPlay is supposed to work:

• CarPlay set to automatic > Dark mode activated by headlights/ambient light sensor (headlights off = light mode; lights on = dark mode)
• CarPlay set to dark > Dark mode activated by default regardless of headlights/ambient light sensor status