How to Add Apps to CarPlay: 4 Ways to Do It on iPhone

I set this up on two cars this month. One was an iPhone 15 Pro on wireless CarPlay in a 2023 Kia Sportage. The other was an iPhone 12 wired into a 2018 Honda Civic. The Customize screen behaved the same on both. Two apps I wanted — a parking app and a notes app — never showed, because neither supports CarPlay. Below are four ways to add the ones that do, plus a fix for the ones that fight you.

The 30-second test: can this app go on CarPlay?

Before you dig through menus, check that the app supports CarPlay at all. Most “I can't add my app” cases come down to this one thing.

• Open the app's App Store page. Scroll to the screenshots and the Information section. CarPlay-ready apps usually show a car-screen shot or name CarPlay outright.
• Think in categories.Navigation, audio, calls, messaging, EV charging and parking can run on CarPlay. Games, banking and social feeds can't.
• Already installed it?Connect, then scan the CarPlay grid. If the icon isn't there and isn't hidden, the app doesn't support CarPlay — no setting adds it.

Apple keeps a plain overview of what the platform does on its official CarPlay page. New here? Our guide to what Apple CarPlay is covers the basics first.

Two ways to add, one screen

Add battery, weather, and music tiles to CarPlay too.

Apple's Customize screen adds apps. It can't add a battery tile, synced lyrics, or a startup sound. Car Play Connect brings those to the CarPlay screen — set them up once and they show every drive.

Car Play Connect: Auto Sync

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Download on theApp Store

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Method 1: Add a CarPlay app from the Customize screen

This is the core move, and it lives on your iPhone — not the car screen. Use it when an app is installed and CarPlay-ready but sitting in the hidden list.

1. On your iPhone, open Settings → General → CarPlay and tap your car.
2. Tap Customize — it sits just below the app grid.
3. Tap the green + next to any app in the lower list to add it to the CarPlay Home Screen.
4. Reconnect CarPlay — unplug and replug, or drop the wireless link and reconnect — to see the change.

Apple documents this same screen in its Use CarPlay support guide. If an app isn't in the Customize list at all, it doesn't support CarPlay, and no + will appear for it.

Method 2: Install a new CarPlay app from the App Store

Want an app you don't have yet? CarPlay apps come from the same App Store as everything else. They just have to declare CarPlay support.

1. Open the App Store and search by category — “navigation,” “podcasts,” “EV charging.”
2. On the app's page, scroll to the screenshots and the Informationsection. A car-screen shot or a CarPlay mention means it's ready.
3. Install it, then open it once on your phone so it registers with iOS.
4. Reconnect CarPlay. The icon lands on the Home Screen — add it with Method 1 if it starts out hidden.

Not sure which to grab? Our best CarPlay apps roundup ranks the ones worth keeping, and our CarPlay apps overview explains which categories work.

Method 3: Reorder so your key apps land on the first page

Adding an app is half the job. If it lands on page three of the grid, you'll still fumble for it. Put the apps you use most where your thumb lands.

1. Open Settings → General → CarPlay → your car → Customize.
2. Press and hold the drag handle to the right of an app.
3. Move Maps and your main audio app to the top two slots.
4. Reconnect CarPlay to lock in the new order.

Reordering can't add an app that was never built for CarPlay. It only sorts the ones already in your list.

Fill the five widget slots

Put battery, weather, and music tiles on CarPlay.

iOS 26 opened five widget slots on the CarPlay screen. Car Play Connect ships tiles for the ones Apple left out — a two-second glance at the dash instead of picking up the phone.

Car Play Connect: Auto Sync

Free to try

Download on theApp Store

Point your camera to install

Method 4: Add widgets, lyrics, and a startup sound with Car Play Connect

Apple's Customize screen only handles apps— Maps, music, messaging. It doesn't touch the parts of the CarPlay screen that aren't apps: the iOS 26 widget pane, synced lyrics, or the connection sound. That's the gap Car Play Connect fills.

1. Install Car Play Connect from the App Store and open it once so its widgets register with iOS.
2. Open Settings → General → CarPlay → your car → Customize → Widgets.
3. Drag its tiles — battery, weather, music, photos — into the five widget slots iOS 26 opened.
4. For synced lyrics or a custom startup sound, follow the in-app setup, then reconnect CarPlay.

One honest limit:it's an add-on for widgets, lyrics and sounds. It doesn't replace Maps or your music app, and it can't force a non-CarPlay app onto the screen. What it adds is the CarPlay surface Apple leaves empty.

Fix 1: You added an app but it still won't appear

You tapped the +, but the icon never shows in the car. Work these in order — the first two clear most cases.

1. Open the app once on your iPhone and accept any permissions. Some apps only register with CarPlay after their first launch.
2. Recheck Settings → General → CarPlay → your car → Customize and confirm the app moved to the top grid, not the hidden list.
3. Check Screen Time: Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → Allowed Apps, and make sure neither the app nor CarPlay is switched off.
4. Update the app and iOS — CarPlay support sometimes arrives in an update.
5. Restart: disconnect CarPlay, restart the iPhone, then reconnect.

Still nothing? The app genuinely doesn't support CarPlay. A developer has to build it in; you can't add it from the phone. If a widget tile won't load rather than an app icon, our CarPlay widgets not loading fixes walk the reconnect steps that wake a frozen tile.

What you can add to CarPlay — and what you can't

Not sure which route fits your goal? This is the honest split — what each method covers, and where it stops.

Setting CarPlay up for the first time? Follow our how to set up Apple CarPlay walkthrough first, then come back to add and arrange your apps.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add apps to CarPlay?

Open Settings → General → CarPlay on your iPhone, tap your car, then tap Customize. Tap the green + next to any app to add it to the CarPlay Home Screen, and drag the handle to reorder. Reconnect CarPlay to see the change. Only apps that already support CarPlay appear in this list.

Why can't I add an app to CarPlay?

Most often, the app simply doesn't support CarPlay — developers have to build it in, and you can't add it yourself. If it should work, open the app once on your phone, confirm it isn't hidden under Settings → General → CarPlay → Customize, check Screen Time isn't blocking it, then update the app and reconnect.

Can you add any app to CarPlay?

No. Only apps built with CarPlay support can appear, and Apple limits them to driving-safe categories like navigation, audio, messaging and EV charging. You can't force a game, a bank app, or a social feed onto the car screen. For widgets, lyrics or a startup sound, an add-on like Car Play Connect covers the parts that aren't apps.

How do I get more apps on CarPlay?

Browse the App Store and install apps that list CarPlay support — check the screenshots or the Information section on each page for a car-screen shot. Open the app once so it registers, then reconnect CarPlay and add it via Settings → General → CarPlay → Customize. Navigation, audio and EV charging have the most choices.

How do I rearrange apps on the CarPlay screen?

Open Settings → General → CarPlay → your car → Customize on your iPhone. Press and hold the drag handle beside an app, then move it up or down. Put Maps and your main audio app in the top slots so they sit on the first page. Reconnect CarPlay to save the layout — you can't reorder from the car screen itself.

Do I add CarPlay apps on the phone or the car screen?

You add and arrange CarPlay apps from your iPhone, not the car. The car screen only shows the result. Every change happens in Settings → General → CarPlay → your car → Customize, then takes effect the next time you connect.