Why Automakers Want You to Stop Using Your Phone in the Car

General Motors has drawn a line. Starting with its next wave of vehicles rolling out around 2028, the company will no longer support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in any new model, gas or electric. CEO Mary Barra made the stance clear in an October 2025 interview. “As we move forward with each new vehicle and major new vehicle launch, I think you’re going to see us consistent on that,” she told The Verge. The shift builds on an earlier decision limited to EVs. Now it covers the full lineup.

Other makers never embraced phone projection at all. Tesla and Rivian built their own interfaces from the start. A handful of traditional brands experiment with alternatives. The pattern grows clearer each year. Convenience for drivers clashes with control for companies. Data flows one way. Revenue follows another.

The original appeal felt obvious. Plug in a phone. Maps appear. Music plays. Messages read aloud. No extra learning curve. Google launched Android Auto in 2015. Adoption spread because it solved a genuine headache. Carmakers avoided the expense and complexity of building competitive software themselves. Buyers rewarded the simplicity. For a decade the arrangement held.

Cracks appeared. Early signs showed in BMW’s short-lived attempt to charge $80 a year for CarPlay. Toyota and Ford once pushed proprietary systems that never quite satisfied. Then Google introduced Android Automotive OS. The platform runs natively in the vehicle rather than mirroring a handset. Volvo, Polestar and others climbed aboard. The balance tilted. Phone projection started to look like a bridge to something more permanent. Or a crutch automakers no longer wanted to carry.

The Data Divide

At its core the move comes down to information. When drivers route a trip or pick a song through CarPlay or Android Auto, that usage data heads primarily to Apple or Google. Automakers see little of it. “They don’t know how you are using their infotainment system,” Andrew Hart, CEO of analyst firm SBD, explained to MotorTrend. “That starves car companies, and they lose intelligence that could help them improve their offerings.”

GM’s infotainment team pointed to a specific gap with electric vehicles. “With Android Auto or Apple CarPlay environments, the vehicle energy model or road segment data is sending energy usage and everything else associated with it to the phone, and it’s pretty difficult to off-board it from the phone,” a company manager told GM Authority in 2023, as referenced in the Engadget analysis. Without direct access, precise range prediction, charging suggestions and integration with hands-free driving features suffer. Or so the argument goes.

Rivian takes a harder stance. Its VP of software development, Wassym Bensaid, told MotorTrend that software sits at the center of the customer experience. Data makes that software better. “The fact that every single interaction in the vehicle is done through software, being able to collect that data allows us to continuously improve the performance.” Tesla follows the same logic. Its interface never relied on a phone. The car itself learns from every drive.

Privacy rules add another layer. GM once faced a $12.75 million fine in California and a five-year FTC restriction after sharing driver data with insurers without clear consent. The episode made executives wary of third-party data flows. Better to keep interactions inside the vehicle. Or at least inside a system the company directs.

Yet GM still partners with Google. Its future infotainment will run on Android Automotive and incorporate Gemini, the company’s conversational AI. The setup promises tighter hardware-software integration. Features like Dolby Atmos audio through Amazon Music become possible without phone limitations, GM claims. A native system can blend navigation, climate control, vehicle status and voice commands without forcing drivers to switch contexts. At least in theory.

Subscriptions and the Long Game

Money enters the picture too. Native systems open doors to recurring revenue. Connected services already generate billions for some brands. GM has spoken openly about subscription opportunities once drivers rely on built-in apps and cellular connections rather than their phones. Rivian charges $150 annually for its premium connectivity plan. Tesla does the same. Even brands that still offer Android Auto often tuck remote start, satellite radio or advanced navigation behind monthly fees after an initial trial.

The centralized computing architecture GM plans for 2028 will unify these experiences across its portfolio. One platform. Fewer bugs from constant phone OS updates. Less maintenance chasing compatibility. Mary Barra cited customer complaints about the current setup. Switching between the car’s menus and the projected phone interface felt “clunky” and occasionally distracting. A single coherent system should reduce that friction. Proponents say safety improves when drivers stay within one familiar environment.

Critics see a different story. They argue the change limits choice. iPhone owners lose easy access to Apple Maps, Music and familiar shortcuts. Longtime Android Auto users face a learning curve on interfaces that historically lagged behind phone projection. Early reaction to GM’s EV decision was harsh. Many buyers vowed to avoid the brand. Forums lit up with complaints. Some owners sought workarounds. The pushback has not slowed the company’s plans.

Industry watchers note the gamble. Hart at SBD described it as brave. Automakers give up an experience consumers already love. They bet their own software can match or exceed it. History offers mixed evidence. Traditional car companies have struggled with infotainment for years. Laggy touchscreens, confusing menus and abandoned updates litter the record. Tesla and Rivian succeeded partly because they approached the problem like technology firms. Legacy manufacturers must close that gap quickly.

Most 2026 models still ship with full support for both platforms. Volkswagen, Stellantis and others continue to use Android Automotive while keeping phone projection available. The complete exit remains limited for now. Yet the direction feels unmistakable. Data stays in house. Features tie to subscriptions. AI handles more conversations. The car becomes less a vessel for your phone and more a device in its own right.

Buyers hold the final say. If enough walk away from models without familiar projection, the strategy shifts. If native systems deliver reliable voice control, accurate routing and useful personalization, the trade-off may prove acceptable. For the moment GM leads the charge. Others study the results. The dashboard war has entered a new phase. Phones no longer get the last word.