1. Check the iOS version
CarPlay widgets need iOS 26 or later. iOS 27 works the same way. An app that installs on an older iOS, as Car Play Widgets does on iOS 17, still cannot show widgets in CarPlay until the iPhone itself is on iOS 26.
Troubleshooting · iOS 26 and iOS 27
Widgets not showing up in CarPlay? Check these 7 things
Published · Updated · written by N5 Labs, maker of Car Play Widgets: Dashboard (version 1.5)
Short answer
If your widgets are not showing up in CarPlay, check four things first. The iPhone must be on iOS 26 or later. The widget must be added under Settings, General, CarPlay, your car, Widgets. Your vehicle's screen decides how many widget stacks appear, to the left of the CarPlay Dashboard. And widgets sit in stacks, so another widget may be on top. Two more causes come from Apple's developer pages: a widget its developer marked as not suited to the car, and a widget that needs data the iPhone protects while it is locked. If you are looking for Car Play Widgets: Dashboard, the app N5 Labs makes, look for Car Widgets in the list: that is the name the iPhone uses, and its widget is called Car Widget.
CarPlay widgets not showing: what you see and why
| What you see | Reason | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| No widgets in CarPlay at all | The iPhone is on iOS 18 or earlier. Widgets on the CarPlay screen arrived with iOS 26. | Check 1 |
| The app is not in the Add Widgets list | CarPlay offers an app's small widget only, and the iPhone may list the app under another name. Ours is listed as Car Widgets. | Checks 2 and 3 |
| The widget is in a separate group in CarPlay Settings | Its developer marked it as not suited to the car. Apple says such a widget is grouped as not optimized for CarPlay. | The section under this table |
| Added, but not on the screen | Stacks are to the left of the CarPlay Dashboard, their number depends on the vehicle's screen, and a stack shows one widget at a time. | Checks 4 and 5 |
| Does not work while the iPhone is locked | Apple says a widget that relies on data protected while the iPhone is locked likely will not work in CarPlay. | The section under this table |
| Shows an older design | A placed Car Widget shows the newest saved design. | Check 6 |
| Looks dimmed, or a tap does nothing | Apple's rule for a widget whose app has no CarPlay app, and for any widget in a vehicle without a touchscreen. | Check 7 |
Apple sources: Customize widgets in CarPlay, About iOS 26 Updates, Adding StandBy and CarPlay support to your widget and WWDC25: Turbocharge your app for CarPlay, read October 6, 2026. We cannot confirm individual car models.
Two causes that come from the widget's developer
Marked as not suited to the car. Apple lets a developer mark a widget as a poor fit for CarPlay. Apple's WWDC25 session says such a widget is grouped in CarPlay Settings with a note that it is not optimized for CarPlay, and that its interaction is disabled if you add it. Apple's developer page for CarPlay says the marking prevents the widget from being shown. The two pages differ, and we have not checked which one you see. Either way, look for a separate group on the Widgets screen.
Needs the iPhone unlocked. The same session says that a widget which relies on data protected while the iPhone is locked likely will not work in CarPlay, because most people use CarPlay with the iPhone locked. If a widget shows its content only after you unlock the iPhone, that is the likely reason, and only its developer can change it.
2. Add the widget for the car you are driving
While you are not driving, open Settings on the iPhone, tap General, tap CarPlay, tap your car, tap Widgets, then tap Add Widgets. The widget settings sit under each paired car, so check the entry for the car you are in.
3. Look for the right name
The iPhone lists Car Play Widgets: Dashboard as Car Widgets, and its widget is called Car Widget. If you search the list for Car Play Widgets you will not find it.
4. Check what your display allows
Apple says widget stacks are to the left of the CarPlay Dashboard, and that the number of stacks you see depends on your vehicle's CarPlay screen. Your car may show fewer stacks than the pictures you have seen online.
5. Check the stack order
A stack shows one widget at a time. Under Widgets you can drag widgets to reorder them. If a different widget keeps showing, try turning off Smart Rotate and Widget Suggestions in the same place.
6. Fix a widget that shows an old design
A placed Car Widget shows your newest saved design. Saving a design requires Pro. To pick another design on the Home Screen, touch and hold the widget, tap Edit Widget, and choose a design or Latest design.
7. Know what a dimmed widget means
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 a tap does nothing. On a vehicle without a touchscreen, widgets are inactive. Both are normal. Apple does not say whether such a widget looks dimmed all the time or only when you tap it.
If a change does not appear, disconnect and reconnect CarPlay, then look again while parked. The guide to adding widgets to CarPlay has the full setup steps.
What to send support
If the widget is still missing, contact N5 Labs and include the app version, iOS version, iPhone model, vehicle and head-unit model, whether CarPlay is wired or wireless, and which check failed. Remove personal information from screenshots.
Email Car Play Widgets supportWhat 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, 2026-10-06.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my widgets not showing up in CarPlay?
Check four things first: the iPhone is on iOS 26 or later, the widget was added under Settings, General, CarPlay, your car, Widgets, your vehicle's screen has room for the stack, and another widget is not sitting on top of it in the same stack. Widgets do not appear in CarPlay on iOS 18 or earlier.
Why can't I find Car Play Widgets in the CarPlay widget list?
Because the iPhone uses a shorter name. Car Play Widgets: Dashboard appears as Car Widgets on the Home Screen, in the Shortcuts app and in the CarPlay widget list, and its widget is called Car Widget.
Do CarPlay widgets work in every car?
No. They need a CarPlay display that shows widgets, and Apple says the number of widget stacks depends on the vehicle's screen. On vehicles without a touchscreen, widgets are inactive. We cannot confirm individual car models; your vehicle maker is the authority.
Why does my widget look dimmed in CarPlay?
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 has no effect. Apple does not say whether it looks dimmed all the time or only when tapped, and we have not checked that on a CarPlay screen.
Why is a widget listed as not optimized for CarPlay?
Because its developer marked it that way. Apple's WWDC25 session says a widget marked as not suited to the car is grouped in CarPlay Settings as not optimized for CarPlay, and that its interaction is disabled if you add it. Apple's developer page says the marking prevents the widget from being shown, so the two Apple pages do not agree on what you will see.
Does saving a widget require Car Play Widgets Pro?
Yes. Browsing and customizing are free, and saving a widget requires Pro, a weekly or yearly subscription with no free trial. The price is shown in the app before you buy.
Sources and disclosure
N5 Labs develops Car Play Widgets. Apple behavior on this page comes from Apple's iPhone User Guide, Customize widgets in CarPlay and Apple's developer documentation on CarPlay widgets, read on October 6, 2026. Also read: Apple Developer: CarPlay, WWDC25: Turbocharge your app for CarPlay and About iOS 26 Updates. App names and behavior come from version 1.5 of the app. We have not yet looked at our own widget on a CarPlay screen.
Sources checked on October 6, 2026.