CarPlay's bell icon means Siri is announcing messages, Engadget explains

Engadget reported that the feature can help drivers keep up with conversations without asking Siri or checking a phone after parking, but it can also interrupt music or podcasts and broadcast messages from noisy group chats in front of passengers. The publication said Apple does not appear to make the icon's meaning clear and does not provide a tutorial for it.

To change the setting, Engadget said users can open Settings > Notifications > Announce Notifications > CarPlay on an iPhone. When the general Announce Messages toggle is on, three additional options appear. Remember Previous Setting is the default, while users can also force CarPlay to announce or silence incoming messages.

Engadget also advised selecting which apps are allowed to make announcements under Settings > Notifications > Announce Notifications. It suggested limiting announcements to apps without group chats where possible and disabling them for apps whose notifications are not important while driving, such as shopping and food apps.

For broader control, Engadget recommended setting up a Driving Focus mode on iPhone through Settings > Focus. Users can add Driving Focus if it is not already available, then customize which calls and notifications are allowed from particular contacts while driving. The mode can also send automatic replies and, through an Intelligent Breakthrough & Silencing toggle, allow some notifications deemed important.

After configuring Driving Focus, Engadget said users can scroll down on the Driving Focus page and tap While Driving. There, the Activate With CarPlay toggle can switch the Focus on and off automatically when CarPlay is connected. Other options at the top of the page are designed for vehicles without CarPlay, according to the report.

Engadget said users may need to experiment to find the right combination of Focus settings and message announcements, but it advised receiving too few alerts rather than too many. It noted that few messages are more important than the task of driving.