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Engadget Outlines Ways to Improve Apple CarPlay as iOS 27 Adds Features

Engadget reports Apple CarPlay users can customize app layout, widgets, Siri, Driving Focus and connections to make the in-car system safer and more useful.

AI News Feed · 2026-09-23 09:20

The most direct change is layout. Engadget says drivers must rearrange icons on the iPhone, not the car display. Users open Settings on iPhone, tap General, select CarPlay, choose their vehicle and enter the Apps menu. There they see compatible apps; dragging them up or down puts important ones on the CarPlay screen. The car display size determines how many apps fit on the first page. The red minus removes apps, and the green plus adds them.

Starting with iOS 26, CarPlay widgets can organize the infotainment system further. Engadget says widgets bring quick views from the iPhone Home screen, including weather, calendar and clock, to the car display. They are edited by tapping Widgets in the same menu used to select Apps. With Smart Rotate enabled, CarPlay intelligently swaps widgets throughout the day. Widget Suggestions shows available widgets even if the user has not added them.

Display settings offer another layer of control. Engadget says CarPlay brightness should shift with dash controls, but users can toggle light and dark mode to suit conditions or time of day. Go to Settings > Appearance on the CarPlay screen, then select Automatic to let brightness adjust automatically. Apple's CarPlay visual accessibility guide can also help. To customize the look, open Settings inside CarPlay and tap Wallpaper, choose an option and hit Set. Icon colors can be changed under Settings > Customize icons in CarPlay, with Default, Dark and Clear options.

Siri is built into CarPlay. Engadget says saying Hey Siri or pressing the voice button on the steering wheel allows users to send messages, start navigation, change the playlist and take other actions. On a compatible iPhone, the revamped Siri AI in iOS 27 is also more useful in the car. Users can stop Siri from interrupting by tinkering with various settings. The Voice Commands accessibility feature provides more CarPlay controls with voice: go to Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control in CarPlay. Once enabled, it continually listens for commands such as opening apps, swiping left or right, or touching a certain element on the screen. A full list of commands is on Apple's Voice Control CarPlay support page.

Driving Focus is another productivity feature. Engadget says it helps reduce distractions from notifications while not affecting essential driving apps. To enable it, go to Settings on the vehicle's CarPlay display, select Driving Focus and choose Activate with CarPlay. For best results, customize Driving Focus notification settings on the phone by going to Settings > Focus > Driving. Under People, select contacts whose messages should be allowed through or silenced. Users can also allow repeated calls from people who are otherwise suppressed and create auto-replies. The While Driving tab can turn on this Focus automatically whenever the user connects to CarPlay, if that was not already done on the iPhone.

Beyond settings and app changes, Engadget says elite CarPlay users rely on both wireless and wired connections depending on the situation. A wireless connection is convenient, but it does not charge the phone unless the car has a wireless charging pad. On extended road trips, plugging in the phone is the right choice to keep the battery topped up. Other small tricks make CarPlay smoother. In the Messages app on the iPhone, tap and hold a frequent conversation and choose Pin to keep it at the top, which also pins it in the Messages app for CarPlay. The Shortcuts app can also be used to build CarPlay automations.

Editor's Summary Engadget's guide shows that CarPlay improvements center on customization and reducing distraction, from rearranging apps and adding widgets to using Siri, Voice Control and Driving Focus. It also points to connection choices and message pinning as small changes that can make the system more useful. The tips arrive as iOS 27 brings new CarPlay updates, according to Engadget.