iOS 26 brings widgets to CarPlay — here's how to customize your dashboard

1. Make sure you've updated to iOS 26

Open Settings, General and Software Update on your iPhone to check if iOS 26 is installed. CarPlay widgets require iOS 26, so you'll need to update if you're running an earlier version.

Download and install iOS 26 if the update is available. The update may take 20-30 minutes depending on your connection speed.

2. Go to Settings

Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap General, then select CarPlay from the menu.

3. Enable CarPlay widgets

Next, tap your vehicle's name from the list of available CarPlay systems. If you haven't connected your car before, you'll need to pair it first.

Tap Widgets in your vehicle's settings, then ensure Show Widgets is enabled by toggling the switch on.

4. Add widgets to CarPlay

From the Widgets menu, tap Add Widgets to see all available options. This includes both Apple-made widgets and third-party widgets from apps installed on your iPhone.

Select the widgets you want by tapping them. They'll be added to your CarPlay widget stacks immediately and appear the next time you connect to your car.

Choose widgets that make sense while driving, like Weather for forecasts, Calendar for appointments, or Home for controlling garage doors and smart home devices. There's also a ChatGPT widget that allows you to activate Voice Mode.

5. Access widgets in your car

Swipe right on your CarPlay screen until you reach the widgets section. This appears as a separate screen to the right of your main CarPlay interface. iOS 26 organizes widgets into columns called stacks, with up to five widgets per stack.

Swipe up and down through widget stacks to see different widgets. The number of stacks depends on your screen size. Larger infotainment screens display more widget stacks side-by-side than smaller screens.

6. Rearranging or removing your widgets

To rearrange or remove widgets, open Settings, General, CarPlay on your iPhone, select your vehicle, then tap Widgets. Then drag the horizontal lines next to any widget to reorder them, or tap the red minus button to remove it.