Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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CarPlay used to be super basic — now we’ve got widgets, Live Activities, better Apple Music controls, and a ton of hidden settings. Here’s a beginner-friendly guide to the best CarPlay tips, tricks, customization, and must-know features so you can get the cleanest setup and the best experience.

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro / why CarPlay is way better now
0:29 CarPlay layout overview (apps + widgets)
0:57 Wired vs Wireless CarPlay + dongles
1:37 How to move CarPlay Apps
2:45 See gas prices
3:31 Customize CarPlay widgets
4:35 Apple Maps tips
6:01 Switching to Google Maps + Waze differences
7:07 Full screen CarPlay
8:25 Live Activities
9:03 Watch videos on CarPlay
9:53 Apple Music Features
12:22 iMessage
12:47 Siri Features
14:10 CarPlay customization
15:58 Appearance (always dark / auto)
16:22 Driving Focus mode + customize icon
17:27 Accessibility (color filters, text size, bold text)
18:09 Voice Control (hands-free “tap ___”)
18:57 Sound Recognition (sirens, horns, baby cry)
19:36 Stop CarPlay auto-play music
20:58 Auto “Parked Car” location in Apple Maps
21:26 Wrap up / next video