Apple’s latest beta release, iOS 26.2, brings a small change that many CarPlay users have quietly hoped for. It’s the kind of tweak that might seem minor at first glance, but once you use it, you realize it makes the whole setup feel a bit more practical. The update adds a setting that lets drivers disable pinned conversations in the Messages app on the CarPlay display. It’s a direct response to the ongoing feedback that mirroring the iPhone’s layout made the interface feel a little too busy.
Key Takeaways
- What’s New: There’s now a simple toggle in iOS 26.2 that allows you to turn off pinned conversations specifically for CarPlay’s Messages app.
- The Problem It Solves: CarPlay used to automatically show the same pinned chats you had on your iPhone, which sometimes meant group threads or work contacts filling the top of the screen instead of the messages you actually needed while driving.
- Where to Find It: The new control lives inside the Settings app on the CarPlay screen itself rather than on your iPhone.
- The Result: Turning the feature off gives you a clean, chronological list of messages, making it easier to notice anything new at a glance.
A New Option for Drivers
When Apple rolled out pinned conversations in CarPlay back with iOS 26, the system simply copied whatever was pinned on your iPhone. For some people, that worked fine, but for many others it introduced a bit of friction. I think a lot of iPhone users pin multiple chats for work or long running group threads, and those make sense on a phone. But once you’re behind the wheel, those same pins can feel strangely out of place.
Some drivers found that new messages from family or close contacts were pushed further down the list, which meant extra scrolling at a time when keeping your attention on the road is the priority. It’s a small inconvenience, perhaps, but one that builds up over time and makes the experience feel less intuitive than it should.
The new iOS 26.2 beta, available to both developers and public testers, finally gives a straightforward fix.
How to Disable Pinned Messages in CarPlay
The option doesn’t appear on the iPhone, which might be a little surprising at first. Instead, it’s built right into the CarPlay interface.
Connect your iPhone to your car to launch CarPlay.
Open the Settings app from the CarPlay home screen.
Look for the new toggle labelled Pinned Conversations.
Switch the toggle off, and the change takes effect immediately.
As soon as you turn it off, the pinned section at the top of Messages disappears. The interface shifts back to a simple, chronological list of conversations, which in a way feels more natural for driving. You can see what’s new without digging around, and there’s something reassuring about that simplicity.
This update is one of several refinements Apple has been making after the bigger design and feature changes that arrived with iOS 26. The ability to separate what you pin on your phone from what appears in your car adds a little more flexibility and perhaps a bit more peace of mind while navigating the road.
The iOS 26.2 beta includes a few other subtle updates too, such as a refreshed look for the level tool in the Measure app and new sorting options in the Games app. Apple is expected to release the final version of iOS 26.2, including the new CarPlay option, to all iPhone users in the coming weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: How do I turn off pinned messages in Apple CarPlay?
A: Once you update to iOS 26.2, connect your phone to your car. Go to the Settings app on your CarPlay screen, not your phone. Find the new “Pinned Conversations” toggle and turn it off.
Q2: Why are my group chats showing up as pinned in my car?
A: Before the iOS 26.2 update, CarPlay automatically mirrored the pinned conversations from your iPhone’s Messages app. If you pinned a group chat on your phone, it would also appear as pinned in your car.
Q3: Can I have different pinned messages on CarPlay than on my iPhone?
A: No, not at this time. The new iOS 26.2 setting is an “all or nothing” choice. You can either show the same pinned messages as your iPhone or show no pinned messages at all on CarPlay. You cannot set a separate list of pins just for your car.
Q4: What else is new in the iOS 26.2 update?
A: Besides the new CarPlay toggle, the iOS 26.2 beta also includes a redesigned level tool in the Measure app and new filters for sorting games in the Games app by size or category.
Q5: When will I get the iOS 26.2 update?
A: The update is currently in beta, meaning it is available for developers and public beta testers. A final, stable version of iOS 26.2 is expected to be released for all compatible iPhones soon.
