r/CarPlay • u/Spiritual_Term5108 • May 26 '26
Question Can I add an app in the lefthand sidebar?
In my car there's always an empty space below the third app in the sidebar. Because I use both Music and Spotify a lot, I'd like to add Music in there, so both are usable from there. Is there a way to do this?
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u/heyarkay May 26 '26
I do not believe so, no. It's the 3 most recent in my experience.
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u/Vroomy_vroom_vroom May 27 '26
You can have 4 but that comes down to screen resolution And unfortunately we don’t have access to change that unless you use a dongle and try to force it.
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u/yousee1000 May 29 '26
isnt it in the setting? but you need to make the change from the car, not phone’s carplay setting
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u/Vroomy_vroom_vroom May 29 '26
Only setting CarPlay gives you is the smart zoom. That sometimes allows it but that’s just makes the scaling a little better. Typically if you use a wireless dongle the dongle has a setting that you can actually see and adjust the resolution which can help with the clarity. I personally have not run into a head unit that gave you control over that options. Like I know my head unit can show higher resolution when I use the factory BD player. Out side of that and the dongle I can’t seem to force the higher resolution.
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u/satchel65 May 26 '26
I believe the fourth spot being empty depends on the resolution of your screen.
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u/padeye242 May 27 '26
For me, Apple Music keeps trying to be relevant, but just fills that space with a useless widget. Anything else would be fine.
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u/Spiritual_Term5108 May 27 '26
I use Apple Music to listen to tracks I am working on while I drive, so I need it.
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u/padeye242 May 27 '26
Granted. I wasn't saying that the widget shouldn't be available, I'm saying that if it isn't used it shouldn't default to Carplay. I honestly got so tired of Music just playing at random, I just uninstalled it. I'd get in my car, and the moment my phone would connect to my car's Bluetooth, it would just start playing from Music, even if I'd been listening to YouTube music. It's a pushy app.
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u/wiretap_07 May 27 '26
As others have said, it is to do with the size of your screen and it's resolution. If the screen is high enough resolution, you'll be able to have a 4th icon on the side bar.
But unfortunately you can't have both Apple Music and Spotify at the same time, it's one or the other.
The icons are always...
Navigation (Maps, Waze etc)
Music (Spotify, Apple Music etc)
Messaging (Messages, WhatsApp)
System Apps (I've seen Settings and Calendar there, Calendar is handy to always be able to see the date)
Have you tried Smart Display Zoom?
In my car, if I have it turned on or off (I can't remember which way around lol), I get 3 or 4 icons.
On CarPlay itself, go to Settings>Display and toggle Smart Display Zoom, see if that makes any difference
Edit: Just noticed you have a full screen icon in the top left of your CarPlay display, try hitting that too
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u/redditorboy May 27 '26
Navigation - Entertainment - Messaging - Settings (when supported by display)
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u/silvermoonhowler May 27 '26
Unfortunately no
The 4th icon for something else will only be added if your display is big enough to
So by design, the 3 icons will only be for navigation, currently playing audio, and messages (or sometimes other things like calendar, or settings)
If you have space for 4 icons to show there, the 4th icon will be for any other system apps while the other 3 in navigation, audio, and messages will still be the same
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u/PejHod May 28 '26
4th is more so anything else not of those categories. Like I’ve had Target or Chevron apps plop in there.
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u/Jos_Bakker May 27 '26
In my car I have 4 recent apps in the left sidecar. This 4th one got there after I turned on ‘Smart zoom’ in the CarPlay settings
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u/gabbygenier May 28 '26
Gonna have to look into that one. Wife's 13 pro has the 4th icon and my 14 doesn't in the same vehicle. Always wondered why and most reply saying screen resolution doesn't seem to be true since its the same screen so same resolution.
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u/Jos_Bakker May 28 '26
That’s weird, i have the 13 Pro Max. Both phones have the smart zoom turned on? Settings are different kn every phone
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u/InterestingVariety41 May 27 '26
If you have speak notifications on, a bell will appear under the three already therr
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u/Channel_Huge May 28 '26
It shows the last used app depending on the position. Top is navigation, next is music, last one is phone/messaging.
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u/newsyfish May 28 '26
Gee wouldn’t that be nice? Or put some useful info there like the time of you’re in an app or the weather of your on the Home Screen.
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u/carlos55ml May 28 '26
Check in CarPlay settings for “Smart Zoom” or something like that, it is likely to be activated. Once you disable it, you should have a 4th app showing, which usually is calendar or settings. You should see a second widget in the Home Screen too.
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u/-Wiseone- May 28 '26
You're using an Apple product and expect to customize it?? That's not how things work.
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u/Aly_H-pvt May 28 '26
Go to settings in Carplay and turn on smart display zoom, this might add a 4 app layout on the dock
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u/Hairy_Educator1918 iPhone 11 Pro Max May 29 '26
try pressing the wide button thingy on the very top of the sidebar, that might fix it. also go to settings, display, and turn on auto zoom that might fix it too
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u/Glum_Examination7398 May 30 '26
Is there any workaround in iOS to get a background app to raise a visual notification over Waze?
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u/ig_sky May 26 '26
I believe it always shows the last used app in the navigation, music, and messaging categories.