4 CarPlay settings I modify to instantly make it higher

Reflecting a bit, I feel Apple downplays the significance of CarPlay approach an excessive amount of. The tech did get affordable consideration at WWDC 2025, together with the launch of CarPlay Ultra, nevertheless it performs an out-sized function within the lives of iPhone homeowners. Many people depend on it not only for music and podcasts after we’re driving, however to get the place we have to safely and on-time. That may be true even while you’re aware of an space — just lately, building lowered a significant freeway to 1 lane in my metropolis at an hour when there was nonetheless loads of visitors. The primary time I bumped into this, a 20-minute journey all of a sudden 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 affordable time.

If want be, CarPlay is usually effective 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 must change, each in your iPhone and your automobile’s dashboard. The tweaks beneath are those I think about important as of iOS 26. Your personal preferences might fluctuate, though I encourage you to at the least think about these concepts.

Deleting and rearranging dwelling display screen apps

Effectivity issues on the highway

That is my most necessary change. For simplicity’s sake, CarPlay defaults to loading each appropriate iPhone app while 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 further dwelling display screen pages.

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

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

Use the crimson 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 all the time 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 while you reconnect your iPhone, any modifications 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 maintain every little thing discernible in vivid 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 while you’re gazing a navigation app.

Personally, although, I discover the Default icons boring to take a look at, and infrequently choose Darkish mode’s distinction at any time of day. If you wish to observe go well with, 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 precise 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 may look like a trivial factor, however with iOS 26, it may go a good 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 plenty of the interface clear, bringing out the colour of your wallpaper, notably in case you 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 be capable of discover ones that match the colours of the iPhone 17 lineup, or in case you’re fortunate, the inside of your cabin. Go to Settings > Wallpaper while 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 in all probability as a result of the corporate is fearful about legibility, decision, and general visible attraction — that picture of your companion or pet might sound good in your iPhone, nevertheless it might change into an outright mess on a 10-inch panorama show. If that is going to alter in iOS 27 (or another future launch), Apple will want a system to routinely crop and scale photographs added to CarPlay, at a minimal. Some form of monotone filter possibility may assist with extra chaotic photographs.

The more cash you’ve, 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 enable 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 after they’re miles away from their storage might be an actual time saver. On most sprint shows, you may entry any widgets you’ve configured by swiping to the left of your private home display screen.

To get began, you will must go to Settings > Normal > CarPlay > [your car] > Widgets in your iPhone. When you add a number of widgets, you may rearrange their order, and/or activate Sensible Rotate to let your iPhone select what to prioritize based mostly on the time of day. Regardless, you may swipe up or down in your in-car widget stack(s) to alter what you are taking a look at.

That leads me to an necessary word, which is that on greater shows, you will see a number of widget stacks directly. This makes the expertise inherently higher in dearer autos. I am effective 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 must know if I will be coping with rain, snow, or freezing temperatures regularly, however checking my Apple Watch’s energy can in all probability wait till I’ve arrived at my vacation spot.

One other word is that whereas a shocking variety of third-party widgets can be found, many of those are in all probability going to be ineffective while you’re driving. Nobody actually must know who’s dwell on Twitch after they’re cruising down the freeway, for instance.