4 CarPlay settings I modify to instantly make it higher

Reflecting a bit, I believe Apple downplays the significance of CarPlay method an excessive amount of. The tech did get cheap consideration at WWDC 2025, together with the launch of CarPlay Ultra, however it performs an out-sized position within the lives of iPhone homeowners. Many people depend on it not only for music and podcasts once we’re driving, however to get the place we have to safely and on-time. That may be true even if you’re aware of an space — not too long ago, building diminished a significant freeway to 1 lane in my metropolis at an hour when there was nonetheless loads of site visitors. The primary time I bumped into this, a 20-minute journey immediately ballooned to about an hour. Popping open Apple Maps throughout a subsequent drive allowed me to take a posh detour and make it dwelling in cheap time.

If want be, CarPlay is usually fantastic to make use of instantly after you set it up. However if you need one of the best expertise, there are a variety of settings you need to change, each in your iPhone and your automobile’s dashboard. The tweaks beneath are those I take into account important as of iOS 26. Your personal preferences might range, though I encourage you to no less than take into account these concepts.

Deleting and rearranging dwelling display screen apps

Effectivity issues on the highway

That is my most vital change. For simplicity’s sake, CarPlay defaults to loading each suitable iPhone app if you set it up on your automobile. The issue with that is that almost all sprint shows cannot match greater than eight or 10 icons, and every little thing else will get shoved into extra dwelling display screen pages.

There’s additionally no prioritization past pre-installed apps, so if you happen to use Google Maps or Waze as a substitute of Apple Maps, you might need to swipe to a second or third dwelling display screen each time you wish to navigate someplace. That is annoying sufficient if you’re parked, and a dangerous distraction if you’re on the highway.

Earlier than you get behind the wheel once more, clear up CarPlay by going to Settings > Basic > CarPlay > [your car] > Apps in your iPhone. Drag the triple-line icons on the correct to rearrange their precedence. As a rule, the apps you utilize most frequently ought to occupy the highest eight spots. That method, they’re going to at all times be on the primary dwelling display screen web page.

Use the pink icons to take away as many pointless apps as attainable. Don’t fret — you are not uninstalling these out of your iPhone, simply CarPlay. You’ll be able to at all times add them again later by returning to the underside of the Apps web page and tapping on the suitable inexperienced icons. You may have to do that whereas your automobile is off too, however if you reconnect your iPhone, any adjustments will sync routinely.

Selecting Darkish and/or Clear look choices

Mild might have its benefits, typically

For a lot of customers, one of the best look settings — present in CarPlay’s in-vehicle Settings > Customise Icons menu — would be the Default icon set, and Auto for switching between Mild and Darkish themes. This could hold every little thing discernible in vibrant daylight, however then flip the theme over to Darkish as soon as the solar goes down. That is much less straining on the eyes, particularly if you’re gazing a navigation app.

Personally, although, I discover the Default icons boring to have a look at, and infrequently favor Darkish mode’s distinction at any time of day. If you wish to comply with swimsuit, simply faucet each Darkish choices.

New to iOS 26 is the flexibility to decide on Clear icons. These are visually slicker than the darkish ones, for my part, however they are not for everybody — there’s even much less distinction than the default, so some drivers might discover themselves searching too lengthy for the correct icon. Your selection of wallpaper might have an effect right here (see beneath). As I write this, I am experimenting with clear icons and the Auto theme mode to check if these is perhaps higher than all-dark, on a regular basis.

Selecting wallpaper

Full your customization

Wallpaper would possibly seem to be a trivial factor, however with iOS 26, it will possibly go a great distance in the direction of making your automobile really feel like your personal. That is as a result of the replace’s Liquid Glass aesthetic turns numerous the interface clear, bringing out the colour of your wallpaper, notably if you happen to pair it with clear icons (see above).

In my case, I am utilizing a gold-tinged wallpaper that matches the “desert titanium” of my iPhone 16 Pro. You also needs to have the ability to discover ones that match the colours of the iPhone 17 lineup, or if you happen to’re fortunate, the inside of your cabin. Go to Settings > Wallpaper if you’re within the driver’s seat.

Whereas I am right here, I ought to gripe that Apple nonetheless has but to permit customized wallpapers in CarPlay. That is most likely as a result of the corporate is apprehensive about legibility, decision, and total visible enchantment — that photograph of your companion or pet may appear good in your iPhone, however it may grow to be an outright mess on a 10-inch panorama show. If that is going to vary in iOS 27 (or another future launch), Apple will want a system to routinely crop and scale photos added to CarPlay, at a minimal. Some kind of monotone filter possibility would possibly assist with extra chaotic photos.

The extra money you have got, the extra helpful it’s

One of many side-benefits of Apple’s work on CarPlay Extremely is that a few of its extra superior widgets have slid into the usual UI. These permit issues like checking the climate, viewing your upcoming calendar appointments, or accessing smart home controls with out having to cease first. I think about that for some individuals, the flexibility to lock a door or flip off lights once they’re miles away from their storage shall be an actual time saver. On most sprint shows, you possibly can entry any widgets you have got configured by swiping to the left of your own home display screen.

To get began, you will need to go to Settings > Basic > CarPlay > [your car] > Widgets in your iPhone. Should you add a number of widgets, you possibly can rearrange their order, and/or activate Good Rotate to let your iPhone select what to prioritize primarily based on the time of day. Regardless, you possibly can swipe up or down in your in-car widget stack(s) to vary what you are .

That leads me to an vital notice, which is that on greater shows, you will see a number of widget stacks without delay. This makes the expertise inherently higher in costlier automobiles. I am fantastic with that in my very own automobile — the one widgets I’ve added are Climate, Batteries, and Calendar, and the one one I care about more often than not is the primary one. I have to know if I will be coping with rain, snow, or freezing temperatures frequently, however checking my Apple Watch’s energy can most likely wait till I’ve arrived at my vacation spot.

One other notice is that whereas a shocking variety of third-party widgets can be found, many of those are most likely going to be ineffective if you’re driving. Nobody actually must know who’s stay on Twitch once they’re cruising down the freeway, for instance.