While some car manufacturers are turning their back on CarPlay, Ford is still committed to Apple's in-car software, and won't be shifting away anytime soon.

Apple CarPlay is a sensitive topic for car makers, with some adopting it while others steer clear. In the case of major producer Ford, CarPlay will be a big part of the driving experience for the moment.

Speaking at the 2025 Barclays Global Auto and Mobility Tech Conference, Ford CFO Sherry House voiced her company's support for CarPlay. Ford Authority reports the CFO said it was important to give consumers choice and access to technology, which will be a key feature of Ford's future plans.

Namechecking CarPlay, House said "We think that it is a product that our customers really enjoy, so we're going to continue to allow them to have access to that."

While Ford does support CarPlay and Android Auto in its vehicles, Apple's system is generally the preferred option. In August 2024, a J.D. Power survey found that the default infotainment system in cars scored 805 points out of 1,000 for consumer satisfaction, while CarPlay scored 840 points, and Android Auto managed 832.

Ford's support is not quite for all of CarPlay, though, as it is still on the fence about CarPlay Ultra. In September, CEO Jim Farley said the company will stick to the standard CarPlay, but wasn't keen on the initial execution of CarPlay Ultra.

A vote of confidence

Ford's backing of CarPlay goes against the general anti-CarPlay stories of other manufacturers late in 2025.

In September, BMW's UI chief debunked a "CarPlay myth" by insisting that BMW drivers prefer using its home-grown in-car system. However, they also admitted that drivers still connected with CarPlay for undetailed "dedicated use cases."

By October, GM took a tougher tone with CarPlay, deciding to remove it and Android Auto from all future vehicles, expanding a previous 2023 policy on the topic. The process should eventually free GM's car catalog from Apple and Google's dashboard software by 2028.

Oddly, GM executives at the time compared the decision to a "Jobsian" moment, specifically Steve Jobs cutting the floppy drive from the Mac lineup.

Not all car makers are going against CarPlay. In November, there were reports that Tesla was working on supporting CarPlay, following years of consumer demand to add it.