How to add widgets to CarPlay on iOS 26 and iOS 27
Updated October 5, 2026 · steps checked against Apple's iPhone User Guide · written by N5 Labs, maker of Car Play Widgets: Dashboard
To add widgets to CarPlay, open Settings on your iPhone while you are not driving, tap General, tap CarPlay, tap your car, tap Widgets, then tap Add Widgets. This works on iOS 26 and iOS 27. CarPlay shows small iPhone widgets in stacks on its dashboard, and the number of stacks depends on your vehicle's screen. Any installed app that offers a small widget can appear in the list, including apps with no CarPlay app of their own. For a custom widget, such as a picture of your own car, a clock or a countdown, design it in a widget app first. This guide uses Car Play Widgets: Dashboard, which the iPhone lists as Car Widgets.
Add a widget to CarPlay, step by step
- 1
Update the iPhone
Use iOS 26 or later. iOS 27 works the same way. Earlier versions of iOS do not show widgets in CarPlay.
- 2
Open the CarPlay widget settings
While you are not driving, open the Settings app on the iPhone. Tap General, tap CarPlay, then tap your car.
- 3
Add the widget
Tap Widgets, then tap Add Widgets, and follow the onscreen instructions to pick a widget. The number of widget stacks you see depends on your vehicle's CarPlay screen.
- 4
Arrange the stack
Back under Widgets, drag a widget to move it, or remove one you do not want. You can also turn Smart Rotate and Widget Suggestions on or off here.
- 5
Check it in the car
Connect the iPhone to CarPlay and look at the dashboard while parked.
These are Apple's steps from the iPhone User Guide. CarPlay widgets require iOS 26 or later. Set them up while parked, never while driving.
Add a custom car, photo, clock or countdown widget
- Install Car Play Widgets: Dashboard from the App Store. On the iPhone it is listed as Car Widgets.
- Design a widget in the app. Pick your car from the library of 1,470 cars across 121 brands or start from your own photo, or build a clock, date, countdown or text card.
- Save the design. Browsing and customizing are free; saving requires Pro.
- In the CarPlay widget settings from the steps above, choose Car Widgets and add its widget, which is called Car Widget.
- The widget shows your newest saved design. On the Home Screen you can touch and hold the widget, tap Edit Widget, and pick a different design.
What a CarPlay widget can and cannot do
| Capability | Small CarPlay widget | Full CarPlay app |
|---|---|---|
| What appears | A glanceable small widget in a stack | An app screen built from Apple's templates |
| Who can offer one | Any app with a small widget | Only app categories Apple allows |
| Tapping it | Does nothing if the app has no CarPlay app; iOS dims the widget | Opens the app's CarPlay screen |
| No touchscreen | Widgets and their buttons are inactive | Operated with the vehicle's built-in controls |
| Changes CarPlay's layout | No | No |
| Car Play Widgets | Offers one small widget, Car Widget | Has no CarPlay app |
Other ways to customize the CarPlay dashboard
Apple documents several settings for changing how CarPlay looks. Widgets are the one that can show your own content, such as a photo or a car picture.
| Setting | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Widgets | iPhone: Settings, General, CarPlay, your car, Widgets | iOS 26 or later |
| Wallpaper | CarPlay: Settings, Wallpaper | Choose one of the options CarPlay offers |
| App icon order | iPhone: Settings, General, CarPlay, your car, Customize | Drag to reorder, or remove icons |
| Appearance | CarPlay: Settings, Appearance | Dark or automatic |
| Live Activities | iPhone: Settings, Apps, the app, Live Activities | Per app, on iOS 26 or later |
Play a sound when CarPlay connects
Sounds are separate from widgets. An Apple Shortcuts automation with the CarPlay trigger runs an action that plays the sound. Car Play Widgets adds the actions CarPlay Connected Sound, CarPlay Disconnected Sound and Home Sound. Follow the connect sound guide for the steps on iOS 26 and iOS 27.
What Car Play Widgets costs and what it cannot do
- Free: you can browse and customize every design. Saving a widget requires Pro, a weekly or yearly subscription with no free trial.
- It has no CarPlay app of its own and does not change or reskin the CarPlay interface. Its widgets are standard small iPhone widgets.
- It reads no vehicle data, so it cannot show speed, fuel, mileage or range, and it does not ask for location access.
- CarPlay widgets need iOS 26 or later, which includes iOS 27, and a CarPlay display that shows widgets. The app itself installs on iOS 17 or later.
- Car Play Widgets 1.5 has no synchronized lyrics. Its text cards show words you type yourself.
Checked against Car Play Widgets: Dashboard version 1.5 on the US App Store, 2026-10-05.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add widgets to CarPlay in iOS 26?
On the iPhone, open Settings while you are not driving, tap General, tap CarPlay, tap your car, tap Widgets, then tap Add Widgets. Pick a widget and it appears in a stack on the CarPlay dashboard. The steps are the same on iOS 27.
Do CarPlay widgets work on iOS 27?
Yes. Apple's iPhone User Guide lists the same steps for iOS 26 and iOS 27. CarPlay widgets need iOS 26 or later and a CarPlay display that shows widgets; how many stacks you get depends on the vehicle's screen.
How can I customize my CarPlay dashboard?
Apple's settings let you change the widgets, the wallpaper, the order of app icons, dark or automatic appearance, and which apps may show Live Activities. Widgets are the setting that can show your own content, such as a photo, a car picture, a clock or a countdown. No app can change CarPlay's layout itself; a widget app only supplies widgets for Apple's widget stacks.
How do I put a picture of my own car on my CarPlay screen?
Use a photo or car widget. In Car Play Widgets: Dashboard, pick your car from the library of 1,470 cars or start from your own photo, save the design with Pro, then add the Car Widget under Settings, General, CarPlay, your car, Widgets. The picture then shows in a widget stack on the CarPlay dashboard.
Why is the app missing from the CarPlay widget list?
Look for Car Widgets. That is the name the iPhone uses for Car Play Widgets: Dashboard, and its widget is called Car Widget. Also confirm the iPhone runs iOS 26 or later and that you opened the Widgets settings for the car you are using. The troubleshooting guide lists the other causes.
Can a CarPlay widget open its app or control CarPlay?
No. A widget is not a CarPlay app. Apple's developer documentation says that when an app has no CarPlay app, people cannot open it from its widget and the system dims the widget to show that a tap does nothing. On vehicles without a touchscreen, widgets are inactive.
Is Car Play Widgets free?
It is free to download, and browsing and customizing are free. Saving a widget requires Pro, a weekly or yearly subscription with no free trial. The price is shown in the app before you buy.
Build your CarPlay widget
Car Play Widgets: Dashboard is free to download. Saving a widget requires Pro.
Sources and disclosure
N5 Labs develops Car Play Widgets, and this guide uses it for the custom widget steps. Apple's behavior is sourced below and was read on October 5, 2026. App facts come from the App Store listing for version 1.5 and from the app itself.
- Apple iPhone User Guide: Customize widgets in CarPlay (iOS 26) and the iOS 27 version: the Settings path, stacks, Smart Rotate and Widget Suggestions.
- Apple Developer: Adding StandBy and CarPlay support to your widget: which widgets appear, tap behavior and vehicles without touch input.
- Apple iPhone User Guide: Change settings in CarPlay, Rearrange the icons on CarPlay Home and View Live Activities in CarPlay: wallpaper, appearance, icon order and Live Activities.
- Apple Developer: CarPlay: which app categories can have a full CarPlay app.
- Car Play Widgets: Dashboard on the App Store: version, requirements and limits. The app's TikTok profile is @carplay.io.