USA Today for iPhone outs itself as a future CarPlay app

USA Today has revealed that it will soon be added to Apple’s list of supported third party apps with support for CarPlay. The mention slipped into the release notes of the USA Today’s latest iPhone app update mentioning that the app would no longer feature audio versions of articles as it prepares to add integration with CarPlay.

Audio versions of top articles have been temporarily removed while we prepare for a seamless integration with CarPlay.

Support for CarPlay is currently limited to apps officially whitelisted by Apple. Since the official announcement of Apple’s feature integrating iPhone apps with car infotainment systems earlier this year, MBL At Bat has been the only third party app to join the initial list of supported apps.

USA Today’s app support for CarPlay likely means the audio version of articles will return with the ability to be displayed on CarPlay-compatible systems when an iPhone with the app installed is connected.

While the USA Today iPhone app has not yet been added to Apple’s CarPlay app list on its website, the update could hit the App Store before CarPlay actually hits the market.

As we reported last week, both Volvo and Mercedes-Benz have told 9to5Mac that CarPlay will not be available in models offered by each company until 2015 with cars eventually supporting the feature from Volvo and Hyundai already on the market or becoming available this month.

When USA Today for iPhone does update with CarPlay support, the app will join Apple’s Podcasts app and Beats Music, iHeartRadio, MLB At Bat, Spotify, and Stitcher as supported apps in addition to the iOS Music, Maps, Phone, and Messages apps.