CarTube iOS 18: Working Alternative to use YouTube App on CarPlay (April 2025)
CarTube is a TrollStore app that lets you run YouTube on your car's CarPlay interface, so you can watch your favorite videos while driving. However, it’s only fully compatible with TrollStore devices running iOS 14 to 15.4.1. On iOS 16 to 17.0, functionality is limited, allowing you to access YouTube only by manually sending a vidoe URL.
Released in 2023 by Avangelista, CarTube offers a full-featured YouTube experience, letting you browse, search, and watch videos directly in your car. It works on iOS 14 to 15.4.1, but on newer firmware up to iOS 17.0, it’s restricted to the URL-sharing method. You need to copy an URL from YouTube app and send it via CarTube.
For a reliable alternative that doesn’t require TrollStore and supports all iOS versions from 16 to 18.4, try TDS CarPlay. This iPhone mirroring app casts the YouTube app to your CarPlay display. The catch? You can only interact with it from your iPhone, not directly on the CarPlay interface.
This article will guide you through the steps to play YouTube videos on CarPlay using TDS CarPlay, the only working alternative to CarTube. TDS CarPlay is a free app, so feel free to give it a try today!
CarTube Alternative: YouTube for CarPlay on iOS 18
CarTube iOS 18 won’t see an release. As of April 2025, the developer archived the repository and set it to read-only, effectively discontinuing the project. Despite earlier claims of updating the app for iOS 16 and 17.0, no further development is happening. Today, TDS CarPlay is the only way to access YouTube on CarPlay on iOS 18.
In 2025, TDS CarPlay launched as a groundbreaking iOS app, enabling users to mirror their iPhone screen to the CarPlay interface without needing a jailbreak. By leveraging iOS’s built-in screen recording feature, it bypasses Apple’s restrictions, allowing seamless streaming of YouTube videos.
Info: Running the official YouTube app on CarPlay is not possible. However, workarounds exist allowing you to watch YouTube on CarPlay. Still, it's not natively supported for safety and legal reasons.
Since TDS CarPlay uses the iPhone’s broadcasting feature to stream video to the TDS CarPlay Client, you can’t interact with the interface directly. It’s a video feed, not a native CarPlay app. Still, it works smoothly, letting you watch your iPhone screen on CarPlay, including all apps.
TDS CarPlay is the CarTube Alternative and this is how to use it:
Step 1. Install TDS CarPlay on your iPhone:
- Download TDS CarPlay for iOS 16 – iOS 18.4 and install it on your iPhone.
- Restart your device and Open the TDS CarPlay App from the Home Screen.
Step 2. Start Screen Recording:
- Press and hold the Screen Recording button in Control Center.
- Select TDS CarPlay Stream from the menu.
- Tap to Start Broadcasting to CarPlay Client.
Step 3. Open the YouTube App on your iPhone.
- Lanch the YouTube App on your iPhone and start playing a video.
Step 4. Open the TDS CarPlay Client:
- On your CarPlay display open TDS CarPlay App to view the YouTube video.
Tip: To fix TDS CarPlay broadcasting not working on the CarPlay interface, kill the app on your iPhone from App Switcher while broadcasting is active. You can also switch between different releases because new versions may have bugs that previous ones did not have.
Conclusion
TDS CarPlay is as a game-changer for iOS users seeking to enjoy YouTube on their CarPlay interface, especially with CarTube’s discontinuation in April 2025. Unlike CarTube, which was limited to TrollStore devices and iOS 14 to 17.0 with restricted functionality on newer systems, TDS CarPlay offers compatibility with iOS 16 to 18.4.
By leveraging iPhone screen mirroring, it bypasses Apple’s restrictions without requiring a jailbreak, delivering a seamless way to stream YouTube and other apps directly to your car’s display. While it lacks direct touch interaction on the CarPlay interface, its ease of use and broad compatibility make it the go-to alternative for in-car entertainment.For those transitioning from CarTube, TDS CarPlay fills the gap left by the archived project.
CarTube’s full-featured YouTube experience was a fan favorite, but its reliance on older iOS versions and TrollStore made it unsustainable as Apple’s ecosystem evolved. TDS CarPlay, being a free app available via TestFlight, lowers the barrier to entry and keeps all devices up to date without sacrificing functionality.
Its reliance on iPhone-based controls may feel like a trade-off, but the ability to mirror any app—not just YouTube—adds unmatched flexibility for drivers wanting more from their CarPlay system.
To get the most out of TDS CarPlay, here are a few tips. Practice navigating the iPhone interface before driving to minimize distractions, as you’ll control everything from your phone. If you encounter issues like broadcasting failures, try restarting the app or switching to an earlier TDS CarPlay version.
Lastly, keep your iPhone’s screen recording settings optimized by disabling unnecessary notifications to avoid clutter on the CarPlay display. TDS CarPlay is the best CarTube iOS 18 Alternative that you can find in 2025.
