Apple CarPlay is how most Australians run navigation, calls, messages and music, and it keeps getting more capable. With iOS 26, CarPlay picked up a new Liquid Glass look, widgets and Live Activities on the dashboard, message Tapbacks, a compact incoming-call view that no longer hides your navigation, and video streaming on the screen while you're parked.
For LandCruiser 70 Series owners, the CarPlay story has always been complicated. Here's where it stands.
At a Glance
- 2007 to 2023 pre-facelift 70 Series: no factory CarPlay or Android Auto on any grade
- 2023 facelift onwards: 6.7-inch factory touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto only
- Wireless CarPlay has never been offered from the factory on a 70 Series
- Aftermarket headunits add wireless CarPlay to any 70 Series from 2008 onwards
- iOS 26 brings widgets, Tapbacks, a new design and parked video streaming to CarPlay
What you get from the factory
If your 76, 78 or 79 was built before the late-2023 facelift, the factory audio predates smartphone mirroring entirely. No CarPlay, no Android Auto, and for most of that production run not even a touchscreen.
The upgraded 70 Series that reached Australian showrooms in November 2023 finally added a 6.7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across all grades, plus steering wheel controls and hands-free pairing. The catch: it's wired only. Your phone has to be plugged in every time, and the 6.7-inch display is one of the smallest screens fitted to any new 4WD sold in Australia today.
Go wireless
Wireless CarPlay connects your iPhone the moment you start the vehicle. No cable, no fumbling, and the phone stays in your pocket or on a charging pad. Car makers from BMW to Ford have offered it for years, but Toyota hasn't brought it to the 70 Series, and the factory unit can't be upgraded to wireless.
That leaves the aftermarket, and it's a strong option. A modern aftermarket headunit gives your 70 Series a larger high-resolution screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto in one step, on anything from a 2009 workhorse to a current facelift. Units like the PVS 9-inch MK4 go further again, running Android Automotive OS natively on the headunit itself, so apps like Newtracs and Wiki Camps offroad mapping, Spotify and YouTube run directly on the screen with no phone connected at all, while wireless CarPlay stays available whenever you want your iPhone.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the PVS 9-inch MK4 headunit.
Where CarPlay is heading
Apple is pushing CarPlay deeper into the car. CarPlay Ultra, which launched in May 2025 in Aston Martin vehicles and is expanding to brands including Hyundai, Kia and Genesis, takes over the instrument cluster and climate controls with manufacturer-tuned themes. From iOS 26.4, CarPlay supports third-party AI assistants alongside Siri.
None of that next-generation integration is coming to the 70 Series factory system. If you want your LandCruiser's cabin tech to keep pace with your phone, an aftermarket screen is the practical path.
MORE: See what the 70 Series gained with the new powertrain and multimedia · Find out when 70 Series auto orders reopen for 2026
