How to add widgets to CarPlay on iOS 26 and iOS 27
Published · Updated · steps checked against Apple's iPhone User Guide · written by N5 Labs, maker of Car Play Widgets: Dashboard
Short answer
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 to the left of 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. For that part this guide uses Car Play Widgets: Dashboard, which N5 Labs, the publisher of this site, makes. The iPhone lists it 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 while parked. Apple puts the widget stacks to the left of the CarPlay Dashboard, so look there.
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.
Where CarPlay widgets appear, on iOS 26 and iOS 27
Widget stacks sit to the left of the CarPlay Dashboard. Apple says so in its iOS 26 update notes and on its developer page for CarPlay. Widgets on the CarPlay screen arrived with iOS 26. The Settings path is the same in Apple's guide for iOS 26 and for iOS 27.
Apple released iOS 26 on September 15, 2025 and iOS 27 on September 14, 2026. On October 6, 2026 the newest version on Apple's list was iOS 27.0.1, released September 28, 2026. Apple lists both for iPhone 11 and later. Source: Apple's list of software releases, read October 6, 2026. The iOS 27.0.1 line goes out of date with each iOS update.
Which widgets can be added to CarPlay
- Any app's small widget. Apple's developer page says that if an app includes a small widget, it appears in CarPlay with no changes required. The app does not need a CarPlay app. Apple Developer: CarPlay
- Apple publishes no list. No Apple page we read lists the widgets on offer, and none gives a number of widgets or slots. Apple's guide says only that the number of widget stacks depends on your vehicle's CarPlay screen. The Add Widgets screen on your own iPhone is the list. Customize widgets in CarPlay
- A developer can mark a widget as not suited to the car. Apple's pages describe the result in two ways. Its WWDC25 session says such a widget is grouped in CarPlay Settings as not optimized for CarPlay and that its interaction is disabled if you add it. Its developer page says the marking prevents the widget from being shown. We have not checked which one you see. WWDC25: Turbocharge your app for CarPlay
- A widget may need the iPhone unlocked. The same session says a widget that relies on data protected while the iPhone is locked likely will not work in CarPlay, because most people use CarPlay with the iPhone locked. WWDC25 session, at the widgets chapter
CarPlay widgets and iPhone Home Screen widgets: what differs
They are the same widgets: Apple says a small widget appears in CarPlay with no changes required. What changes is where you choose one and how the system shows it.
- The same widget. Apple's WWDC25 session says a small widget can be added to the iPhone Home Screen, the Lock Screen, StandBy and CarPlay. WWDC25: Turbocharge your app for CarPlay
- Chosen in a different place. For the Home Screen, you touch and hold the Home Screen background, then add a widget from the gallery. For CarPlay, you use the Settings app on the iPhone: General, CarPlay, your car, Widgets, Add Widgets. Add, edit, and remove widgets on iPhone
- One size. On the Home Screen you swipe through the size and style options a widget offers. CarPlay takes the small size only. Adding StandBy and CarPlay support to your widget
- Shown without its background. Apple says widgets in CarPlay appear similar to widgets in StandBy and asks developers to make the background removable. Its WWDC25 session says CarPlay removes the background when the developer has allowed that, and that the margins are set for the car display.
- A tap does less. Apple's guide says you can tap widgets on the Home Screen to perform tasks. In CarPlay, a tap opens the app only when the app has a CarPlay app and the vehicle has a touchscreen. Without a CarPlay app, Apple says the system dims the widget to show that a tap has no effect. Without a touchscreen, widgets and their buttons are inactive.
Everything in this section is from the Apple pages linked in it, read October 6, 2026. We have not compared the two on a car screen ourselves.
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 a library of about 1,100 car models 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, 2026-10-06.
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 to the left of 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, the app N5 Labs makes, pick your car from a library of about 1,100 car models or start from your own photo, save the design with Pro, then add the Car Widget under Settings, General, CarPlay, your car, Widgets. Apple shows widgets in stacks to the left of the CarPlay Dashboard.
Which widgets can be added to CarPlay?
Any app's small widget. Apple's developer page says a small widget appears in CarPlay with no changes required, and the app does not need a CarPlay app. Apple publishes no list of widgets and gives no number of widgets or slots: the number of stacks depends on the vehicle's CarPlay screen.
Are CarPlay widgets the same as iPhone Home Screen widgets?
They are the same small widgets, shown in a different place. You pick Home Screen widgets on the Home Screen and CarPlay widgets in Settings, under General, CarPlay, your car, Widgets. CarPlay takes only the small size, can show a widget without its background, and limits what a tap does.
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, but 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 6, 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 Support: About iOS 26 Updates and Apple software releases: where widget stacks sit, and the iOS release dates.
- Apple Developer, WWDC25: Turbocharge your app for CarPlay and Apple iPhone User Guide: Add, edit, and remove widgets on iPhone: widgets marked as not suited to the car, locked-iPhone data, backgrounds, and widgets on the Home Screen.
- 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.
Sources checked on October 6, 2026.