Default
Door staff@engadget.com (Filipe Espósito) - 27 Sep 2026
If you're outside the EU and Japan, there are still ways to use Google Maps in CarPlay more seamlessly. One is to place Google Maps on the first page of your CarPlay Home Screen: in your iPhone's Settings, go to General > CarPlay. Choose on your car and select Apps. Here, you can rearrange the order in which apps appear on your Home Screen — just drag Google Maps near the top and it'll be one of the first apps you see in your car.
If Google Maps isn't showing up on CarPlay at all, this is the first place to look. Of course, you'll need to download Google Maps to your iPhone from the App Store first (among the dozens of CarPlay apps available). Scroll to the bottom of this menu and tap the green Plus icon to add it if needed.
Adding Google Maps to your CarPlay dashboard is another method to reach it faster. Instead of looking for the app every time, you can add a widget for quicker access. Go back to CarPlay's settings on your iPhone, but this time, tap Widgets instead of Apps. There, find and add a Google Maps widget.
Some cars also offer a split-screen CarPlay dashboard, accessible by swiping right to the leftmost panel. This usually includes a mini-map. Start a route in Google Maps once, and it should take over that panel from then on.
If Google Maps isn't showing up on CarPlay at all, this is the first place to look. Of course, you'll need to download Google Maps to your iPhone from the App Store first (among the dozens of CarPlay apps available). Scroll to the bottom of this menu and tap the green Plus icon to add it if needed.
Adding Google Maps to your CarPlay dashboard is another method to reach it faster. Instead of looking for the app every time, you can add a widget for quicker access. Go back to CarPlay's settings on your iPhone, but this time, tap Widgets instead of Apps. There, find and add a Google Maps widget.
Some cars also offer a split-screen CarPlay dashboard, accessible by swiping right to the leftmost panel. This usually includes a mini-map. Start a route in Google Maps once, and it should take over that panel from then on.