How to Add Widgets to CarPlay in iOS 26 - Step by step guide

Car compatibility: Some older CarPlay units may show fewer widgets.
Third-party widgets: Not all apps are fully optimized yet.
Safety: Widgets are glance-only — interaction is limited while driving.

Apple’s iOS 26 introduces a brand-new way to use widgets in CarPlay.
Now you can add widgets from your favorite apps directly to your car’s dashboard, stack them, and even let CarPlay suggest the most useful ones while you drive. Here’s a step-by-step guide.

What’s new in iOS 26 for CarPlay widgets

Widgets from any app on your iPhone, not just CarPlay-specific ones.
Support for widget stacks (up to 5 widgets in one stack).
Smart Rotate and Widget Suggestions to surface what you need.
Number of stacks depends on your car’s display size and resolution.

Step-by-step: How to add widgets

Update your iPhone to iOS 26.
Connect to CarPlay in your vehicle.
On your iPhone, go to Settings → General → CarPlay.
Select your vehicle under My Vehicles.
Tap Widgets.
Tap Add Widgets and choose from the available list (Weather, Calendar, Music, third-party apps, etc.).
Optionally, create widget stacks (up to 5 per stack).
Reorder or remove widgets by dragging or swiping in the list.
Enable Smart Rotate or Widget Suggestions if you want automatic recommendations.
Check the result directly on your CarPlay screen.