CarPlay Quick-Ordering App Integration

Build a CarPlay-enabled ordering app that displays custom ordering options in a vehicle using Apple's CarPlay framework.

When to Use This Skill

• Building a food/drink ordering app with CarPlay support
• Integrating CPPointOfInterestTemplate, CPListTemplate, or CPTabBarTemplate
• Setting up CarPlay entitlements and provisioning profiles
• Implementing order status with Live Activities from a CarPlay context
• Handling map region changes and location-based search in CarPlay
• Managing push notifications for order status updates

Prerequisites

• iOS 17.2+ / iPadOS 17.2+ / Mac Catalyst 17.2+ / macOS 14.0+
• Xcode 15.4+
• CarPlay quick-ordering entitlement (request at https://developer.apple.com/contact/carplay)

Entitlement Setup

1. Log in to Apple Developer and create a provisioning profile with the CarPlay quick-ordering entitlement
2. Import the provisioning profile into Xcode
3. Create an Entitlements.plist (if not already present)
4. Add the CarPlay quick-ordering entitlement key as a Boolean
5. Ensure CODE_SIGN_ENTITLEMENTS in target build settings points to the Entitlements.plist

Architecture Overview

The app connects to CarPlay via CPTemplateApplicationSceneDelegate. The template hierarchy is:

CPInterfaceController (root controller)
 └── CPTabBarTemplate
      └── CPPointOfInterestTemplate (map with ordering locations)
           └── CPListTemplate (order details/menu items)

Key classes and their roles:

• CPInterfaceController — Manages the template stack and presentation
• CPTabBarTemplate — Top-level tab container
• CPPointOfInterestTemplate — Map view showing up to 12 POI locations
• CPListTemplate — Displays menu items and order options
• CPTextButton — Action buttons (Order, Directions, Call)
• CPAlertTemplate — Alert dialogs (e.g., location permission prompts)
• CPSessionConfiguration — Session configuration delegate

Connection Lifecycle

When CarPlay connects, implement CPTemplateApplicationSceneDelegate:

func interfaceControllerDidConnect(
    _ interfaceController: CPInterfaceController,
    scene: CPTemplateApplicationScene
) {
    carplayInterfaceController = interfaceController
    carplayScene = scene
    carplayInterfaceController?.delegate = self
    sessionConfiguration = CPSessionConfiguration(delegate: self)
    locationManager.delegate = self
    requestLocation()
    setupMap()
}

Set the root template as a CPTabBarTemplate containing a CPPointOfInterestTemplate:

func setupMap() {
    let poiTemplate = CPPointOfInterestTemplate(
        title: "Options",
        pointsOfInterest: [],
        selectedIndex: NSNotFound
    )
    poiTemplate.pointOfInterestDelegate = self
    poiTemplate.tabTitle = "Map"
    poiTemplate.tabImage = UIImage(systemName: "car")!

    let tabTemplate = CPTabBarTemplate(templates: [poiTemplate])
    carplayInterfaceController?.setRootTemplate(tabTemplate, animated: true) { done, error in
        self.search(for: "YourSearchTerm")
    }
}

Important: A maximum of 12 POI locations can appear on the CarPlay display.

Map Region Updates

Implement CPPointOfInterestTemplateDelegate to refresh results as the user pans the map:

extension TemplateManager: CPPointOfInterestTemplateDelegate {
    func pointOfInterestTemplate(
        _ aTemplate: CPPointOfInterestTemplate,
        didChangeMapRegion region: MKCoordinateRegion
    ) {
        boundingRegion = region
        search(for: "yourQuery")
    }
}

POI Action Buttons

Each point of interest supports a primary and secondary button. Use the primary for ordering, and the secondary for navigation or calling:

// Primary: Order button
let orderButton = CPTextButton(title: "Order", textStyle: .normal) { button in
    self.showOrderTemplate(place: place)
}
place.primaryButton = orderButton

// Secondary: Directions (via Maps) or Call
if let address = place.summary,
   let encoded = address.addingPercentEncoding(withAllowedCharacters: .alphanumerics),
   let lon = place.location.placemark.location?.coordinate.longitude,
   let lat = place.location.placemark.location?.coordinate.latitude,
   let url = URL(string: "maps://?q=\(encoded)&ll=\(lon),\(lat)") {
    place.secondaryButton = CPTextButton(title: "Directions", textStyle: .normal) { _ in
        self.carplayScene?.open(url, options: nil, completionHandler: nil)
    }
} else if let phone = place.subtitle,
          let url = URL(string: "tel://" + phone.replacingOccurrences(of: " ", with: "")) {
    place.secondaryButton = CPTextButton(title: "Call", textStyle: .normal) { _ in
        self.carplayScene?.open(url, options: nil, completionHandler: nil)
    }
}

Location Permission Handling

Handle authorization changes gracefully. If location is denied, present an alert and clear the root template:

func locationManagerDidChangeAuthorization(_ manager: CLLocationManager) {
    switch manager.authorizationStatus {
    case .denied, .restricted, .notDetermined:
        let alert = CPAlertTemplate(
            titleVariants: ["Please enable location services."],
            actions: [
                CPAlertAction(title: "Ok", style: .default) { [weak self] _ in
                    self?.carplayInterfaceController?.setRootTemplate(
                        CPTabBarTemplate(templates: []),
                        animated: false,
                        completion: nil
                    )
                }
            ]
        )
        // Dismiss any existing presented template first
        if carplayInterfaceController?.presentedTemplate != nil {
            dismissAlertAndPopToRootTemplate {
                self.carplayInterfaceController?.presentTemplate(alert, animated: false, completion: nil)
            }
        } else {
            carplayInterfaceController?.presentTemplate(alert, animated: false, completion: nil)
        }
    default:
        dismissAlertAndPopToRootTemplate {
            self.setupMap()
        }
    }
}

Order Status with Live Activities

After a user places an order, start a Live Activity to show status on the Lock Screen. Live Activities don't display in CarPlay but provide glanceable updates:

let attrs = OrderStatusAttributes(order: order)
let initialState = OrderStatusAttributes.ContentState(
    isPickedUp: false,
    isReady: false,
    isPreparing: false,
    isConfirmed: true
)

let activity = try Activity.request(
    attributes: attrs,
    content: .init(state: initialState, staleDate: Date(timeIntervalSinceNow: 60 * 30)),
    pushType: .token
)

Listening for Updates

Set up listeners for content updates, state changes, and push token updates. This is critical because quick-ordering apps spend time in the background — use push notifications for updates:

// Content updates
Task { @MainActor in
    for await change in activity.contentUpdates {
        try saveOrderState(state: change.state)
        WidgetCenter.shared.reloadAllTimelines()
    }
}

// Activity state (ended/dismissed)
Task { @MainActor in
    for await state in activity.activityStateUpdates {
        if state == .dismissed || state == .ended {
            await activity.end(nil, dismissalPolicy: .immediate)
        }
        WidgetCenter.shared.reloadAllTimelines()
    }
}

// Push token for remote updates
Task { @MainActor in
    for await pushToken in activity.pushTokenUpdates {
        let tokenString = pushToken.reduce("") { $0 + String(format: "%02x", $1) }
        try await sendPushToken(order: order, pushTokenString: tokenString)
    }
}

Push Notification JWT

For server-side push notifications to update Live Activities, create a JWT using P256 signing:

let privateKey = try P256.Signing.PrivateKey(pemRepresentation: pemString)
let header = try JSONEncoder().encode(header).urlSafeBase64EncodedString()
let payload = try JSONEncoder().encode(payload).urlSafeBase64EncodedString()
let toSign = Data((header + "." + payload).utf8)
let signature = try privateKey.signature(for: toSign)
let token = [header, payload, signature.rawRepresentation.urlSafeBase64EncodedString()]
    .joined(separator: ".")

Key Design Considerations

• 12 POI limit — CarPlay displays a maximum of 12 points of interest at once
• Background updates — Use push notifications, not foreground polling, since quick-ordering apps spend most time in background
• Location is essential — Handle all authorization states gracefully; the app depends on location for relevant results
• Live Activities — They don't render in CarPlay, but provide Lock Screen status updates
• Stale dates — Set reasonable stale dates on Live Activity content (e.g., 30 minutes for food orders)
• Token management — Cache and refresh JWTs; listen for push token changes on the activity

See Also

• CPPointOfInterestTemplate — Map with selectable POIs
• CPInformationTemplate — Info display for orders, parking, charging
• CPTextButton — Stylized action buttons
• Apple CarPlay Entitlement Request
• Sample Project Download