An infotainment system is the central touchscreen in a car that combines information and entertainment. It runs navigation, music, phone calls, the reversing camera and the car's settings. The name joins "information" and "entertainment".
The system is a small computer with its own screen, speakers, microphone and mobile connection. Its software looks and works like a phone's. The driver touches a map, picks a song or changes the air-conditioning temperature. Many systems also show a connected phone's apps on the car screen. Phone makers offer these systems, and they compete with the carmaker's own software for the dashboard.
Take, for example, a family leaving Ahmedabad for Vadodara. The driver connects her phone, and the phone's music app appears on the car screen. On the way, a call comes in. The music stops, the caller's name shows on the screen, and she answers with a button on the steering wheel. After the call, the music starts again.
The system can also help electric car drivers. It can show nearby chargers, using an EV charging app. Music and video can come from a streaming service over the car's mobile connection.
The reversing camera needs special care. When the driver shifts to reverse, the screen must show the camera picture almost at once. A delay of even a second can matter if a child is standing behind the car. So even though the system is not needed to drive, the camera part is tested carefully.
Infotainment software is large, and it changes often. It gets new maps, apps and bug fixes through over-the-air updates. It is built into the digital cockpit, beside the instrument cluster. It runs on one of the car's electronic control units. Unlike the cluster, it is not needed to read speed or warnings, so most of its rules are less strict.
Specialist suppliers write most infotainment software. A carmaker either buys the whole system or asks the supplier to build it to the carmaker's design.