Clock & date
Keep the time in view with a photo background and a clock layout you like.
- Make it yours
- Background, clock style and accent color
Clock styles: Classic, Top Date, Bottom Bar, Center, Outline or Poster.
See the full iPhone editor
CarPlay widgets app · iOS 26 & iOS 27
Custom CarPlay widgets.
Your style.
Car Play Widgets is an iPhone app by N5 Labs for your car, photos, dates and personal designs. Add widgets to a compatible CarPlay dashboard, and use Apple Shortcuts for a custom connection sound. Design widgets free, save them with Pro, then add them in iPhone Settings. CarPlay widgets need iOS 26 or later.[2]
Scan to installon iPhone
Free to browse and customize · saving needs Pro[1] · iOS 17+ to install
Explore Car Play Widgets
CarPlay widget gallery.
Browse iPhone app captures, see what you can customize and open the matching setup guide. CarPlay layouts vary by display.
Browse and customize free. Saving a widget requires Pro. CarPlay widgets need iOS 26 or later and a display that supports widgets.
Countdowns
Count down to a birthday, a trip or another date that matters to you.
- Make it yours
- Target date, countdown name, emoji and card style
Countdown styles: Photo, Minimal, Sunset, Poster, Cartoon, Flip or Bookmark; day counters: Days and Big Days.
See the full iPhone editor
Car artwork & plates
Start with car artwork and make it personal with your own decorative plate text.
- Make it yours
- Car artwork and decorative plate text
See the full iPhone editor
Your photos
Give a meaningful date a personal backdrop using a photo you choose.
- Make it yours
- Your photo, target date and photo countdown layout
See the full iPhone editor
Personal text
Write your own greeting, affirmation or a short line you want to keep close.
- Make it yours
- Your wording, colors and text-card design
See the full iPhone editor
Country flags
Browse or search the country collection and choose a flag for your setup.
- Make it yours
- Country flag
See the full iPhone editor
Vehicle designs
Choose vehicle artwork or begin with a photo of your own car in the iPhone editor.
- Make it yours
- Vehicle image, photo and layout
See the full iPhone editor
Moon phase
A moon-phase design for a quieter addition to your widget collection.
- Make it yours
- Choose the moon-phase design in the app
Try a widget pairing.
Choose one of the two preview slots, then pick a design. This illustration lets you try a pairing before making your widgets in the app.
Make a car widget ↗Slot 1 selected. Vehicle in slot 1; Date in slot 2.
Sounds · Apple Shortcuts
A sound for your next connection.
Choose a sound in Car Play Widgets, then use Apple Shortcuts to play it when CarPlay connects or disconnects. Set it up and test it while parked.
14 catalog sounds are free to use. Other catalog sounds and saving your own audio require Pro. Saving widgets also requires Pro. These sound options are verified for version 1.5.
The app supplies the sound action. It does not replace your car’s built-in startup sound.
Car Play Widgets at a glance.
App facts · llms.txt ↗- App
- Car Play Widgets: Dashboard
- Made by
- N5 Labs (independent)
- Price
- Free to design · Pro to save (weekly or yearly)
- Installs on
- iOS 17.0 or later
- Widgets on CarPlay need
- iOS 26 or later + a display that supports widgets
- Public version
- 1.5 · App Store checked October 11, 2026
- Widgets
- Vehicle, photos, clocks, dates, countdowns, text, flags and decorative styles
- Personal photos
- Use your own photos inside a widget
- Sounds
- Connect, disconnect or arrive home with Apple Shortcuts; library or your file
- Does not
- Read live car data, change CarPlay wallpaper, play video or sync lyrics in 1.5
How to add widgets to CarPlay.
Full setup guide ↗Create in Car Play Widgets
Add from iPhone Settings
- Settings
- General
- CarPlay
- Your car
- Widgets
- Add Widgets
- Car Widgets
Preview, then check in your car
Check your CarPlay widget settings.
CarPlay support alone does not confirm widget support. We don’t yet have verified model-by-model results. Check your iPhone and display before saving a design with Pro.
- Use an iPhone with iOS 26 or later and connect to CarPlay while parked.
- On the iPhone, open Settings → General → CarPlay → your car. Look for Widgets, then Add Widgets.
- If Widgets is missing, check your iPhone software and your vehicle manufacturer’s display requirements.
What you can — and can’t — change.
| On your dashboard | Car Play Widgets |
|---|---|
| Clock, date and countdown widgets | Yes, on a supported display |
| Your photos and personal text | Yes, inside widgets |
| Connection and disconnection sounds | Yes, with Apple Shortcuts |
| Country flags and decorative car artwork | Yes, choose a style in the app |
| Live vehicle data or location tracking | No |
| Your photo as CarPlay wallpaper | No — use Apple’s wallpaper choices |
| Change CarPlay’s layout or play video | No |
| Synchronized lyrics or karaoke in 1.5 | No — text cards show words you type |
CarPlay guides.
The details, without the guessworkWidgets
Comparisons
On the App Store.
Read App Store reviews ↗4.2 / 5
US App Store average
12
Ratings in the US storefront
October 11, 2026
Ratings can change
A few things to know.
Is carplayscreen.com run by Apple?
No. carplayscreen.com is an independent site made by N5 Labs. It is not affiliated with Apple Inc.
Who makes Car Play Widgets: Dashboard?
N5 Labs, an independent iOS studio. Its App Store ID is 6785215625, and the iPhone lists it as Car Widgets. It is a different app from HiCar and from myCar.
Can I use my own photo as the CarPlay wallpaper?
Apple's guide says to choose one of the available wallpaper options. It has no step for adding a photo. A photo goes in a widget instead.
Which iOS version do CarPlay widgets need?
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.
Is Car Play Widgets free?
It is free to download, and browsing and customizing designs are free. Saving a widget requires Pro, a weekly or yearly subscription with no free trial. On October 5, 2026 the weekly plan was $4.99 in the US. The app shows the current weekly and yearly prices before you buy.
Does Car Play Widgets read live car data?
No. It does not read vehicle data, so it cannot show live speed, fuel, mileage or range, and it does not ask for location access.
Does Car Play Widgets show song lyrics on CarPlay?
Car Play Widgets 1.5 has no synchronized lyrics. Its text cards show words you type yourself.
How do startup sounds work?
Choose or import a sound in the app, then create an Apple Shortcuts automation for connecting to CarPlay, disconnecting or arriving home. The app does not replace your car’s built-in startup sound.
Can I use my own photos?
Yes. Use your own photo inside a widget and personalize its design in the iPhone app. This does not change the CarPlay wallpaper or let the app control your dashboard layout.
Why is the app called Car Widgets on my iPhone?
Car Widgets is its shorter iPhone display name. The App Store listing is Car Play Widgets: Dashboard by N5 Labs.
Sources and disclosure
carplayscreen.com is published by N5 Labs, the developer of Car Play Widgets: Dashboard. Apple's behavior on this page comes from the Apple pages below. App facts come from the App Store listing and from the app. Apple pages read on October 7, 2026:
- Apple iPhone User Guide: Customize widgets in CarPlay
- Apple iPhone User Guide: Change settings in CarPlay
- Apple iPhone User Guide: Rearrange the icons on CarPlay Home
- Apple iPhone User Guide: View Live Activities in CarPlay
- Apple iPhone User Guide: What's new in iOS 26
- Apple Shortcuts User Guide: Travel triggers
- Apple Developer: Adding StandBy and CarPlay support to your widget
- Apple Developer: CarPlay
- Apple Support: About iOS 26 Updates
- Apple iPhone User Guide: Play videos with CarPlay (iOS 27)
Pictures captioned Illustration are made with an image generator. They do not show a real car or a real CarPlay screen. In some, the screen shows captures of the preview inside our iPhone app, placed on the picture. In others, the image generator copied widgets from captures of our app. A real CarPlay screen shows widgets differently, and we have not yet looked at ours on one.
How we check facts: Editorial policy and methodology. Who we are: About carplayscreen.com. Terms used on this site: CarPlay glossary.
Your dashboard.
Your style.
Try the designs before you pay. Browsing and customizing are free. Saving a widget requires Pro, a weekly or yearly subscription with no free trial.
Get Car Play Widgets ↗Car Play Widgets: Dashboard by N5 Labs · iOS 17+ to install- Free: you can browse and customize every design. Saving a widget requires Pro, a weekly or yearly subscription with no free trial. Back to text
- 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. Back to text