Basis of CarPlay framework — First Step — How to compile your first CarPlay App

3 min readJul 14, 2021

Playing with basis of CarPlay.framework and Template is the goal here without spend a lot of time of research in documentation and internet!

If you want to build your first CarPlay app with Templates you are in the right place !

Let’s go to start with the initial configuration to compile a first CarPlay app step by step !

Let’s dive directly inside Xcode !

Firstly, create a new Xcode Project iOS App using Storyboard, UIKit App Delegate and Swift.

This project must adopt scenes ! (page 24/49 of the official Apple Documentation).

CarPlay Entitlement

Your project need an entitlement to select the good feature of your application (page 8 and 9/49 of the official Apple Documentation).

Here we will use com.apple.developer.carplay-audio.

Step to create entitlement :

File > New > File > Property List > Next
Save As CarPlayTutorial.entitlements > Create
Update your Project > Build Settings > Code Signing Entitlements > CarPlayTutorial/CarPlayTutorial.entitlements
Set the entitlement com.apple.developer.carplay-audio > Boolean > YES

Carplay Audio Entitlement — CarPlay Audio Entitlement

Create Car Play Scene

File > New > File > Swift File > CarPlaySceneDelegate
import CarPlay
Implements UIResponder and CPTemplateApplicationSceneDelegate
Add a List Template

import CarPlay
class CarPlaySceneDelegate: UIResponder, CPTemplateApplicationSceneDelegate {
    var interfaceController: CPInterfaceController?
    func templateApplicationScene(_ templateApplicationScene: CPTemplateApplicationScene, didConnect interfaceController: CPInterfaceController) {
        self.interfaceController = interfaceController
        // Create a list
        let item = CPListItem(text: "title", detailText: "detail")
        item.accessoryType = .disclosureIndicator
        let section = CPListSection(items: [item])
        let listTemplate = CPListTemplate(title: "Section", sections: [section])
        // Set root
        self.interfaceController?.setRootTemplate(listTemplate, animated: true, completion: {_, _ in })
    }
    // CarPlay disconnected
    private func templateApplicationScene(_ templateApplicationScene: CPTemplateApplicationScene, didDisconnect interfaceController: CPInterfaceController) {
        self.interfaceController = nil
    }
}

Update Application Scene Manifest

Open Info.plist
Application Scene Manifest >Enable Multiple Windows > YES
Open Application Scene Manifest > Scene Configuration
Add External Display Session Role
Class Name > CPTemplateApplicationScene (name of the protocol implemented for CarPlay)
Delegate Class Name > $(PRODUCT_MODULE_NAME).CarPlaySceneDelegate (CarPlay’s scene delegate)
Configuration Name > CarPlay (unique string to identify the configuration)
Remove Storyboard Name

Update AppDelegate

Set the connectionSceneSession depending of iOS or CarPlay.

func application(_ application: UIApplication, configurationForConnecting connectingSceneSession: UISceneSession, options: UIScene.ConnectionOptions) -> UISceneConfiguration {        
    if (connectingSceneSession.role == UISceneSession.Role.carTemplateApplication) {
        let scene =  UISceneConfiguration(name: "CarPlay", sessionRole: connectingSceneSession.role)
        scene.delegateClass = CarPlaySceneDelegate.self
        return scene
    } else {
        return UISceneConfiguration(name: "Default Configuration", sessionRole: connectingSceneSession.role)
    }
}