CarPlay display does not dim in dark conditions

I have a 2026 Aion V car which uses the CarPlay function. It’s super useful and they work really well together. The only issue I have noticed is the brightness of the screen when CarPlay is functioning. I have turned the brightness of the actual screen down (and can’t go lower) but even with this, CarPlay is very very bright when it’s dark. It is quite distracting. If you were using maps on their own on the phone, it would dim in the evening as most screens do these days but CarPlay doesn’t seem to do that. Is there a setting somewhere that I have missed? I have looked on the CarPlay settings on my phone but there is no option for that?

Posted on Nov 4, 2026 1:09 PM

1 reply

tillu_code

Level 4 (2,112 points)

Nov 4, 2026 8:02 PM in response to Becky916

CarPlay brightness is mostly the car, not the iPhone. That's why Maps on the phone dims at night and CarPlay stays bright. On the iPhone go to Settings > General > CarPlay, tap the Aion V, and set Appearance to Always Dark. That helps a lot after sunset. Then turn the headlights on and check the car's own display settings for a night brightness, or a separate slider for CarPlay. Some cars only dim their menus, not the CarPlay picture. If it's still too bright, Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Reduce White Point, and drag the slider down. That one does affect the CarPlay screen.