How to Rearrange CarPlay Apps on iPhone 11

Rearranging CarPlay apps on your iPhone 11 lets you put the apps you use most—like Maps, Music, or Podcasts—right where you can see and tap them easily while driving. You can reorder apps on the CarPlay home screen, and you can also add or remove apps from the CarPlay interface entirely. All changes are made from your iPhone’s Settings app, not from the car’s screen, and they sync automatically the next time you connect.

What You’ll Need

• An iPhone 11 running iOS 13 or later (the steps are the same for iOS 14–17).
• A car that supports CarPlay (wired or wireless).
• Your car’s infotainment system turned on and connected to the iPhone (optional—you can rearrange without connecting, but you’ll see the changes after you connect).

Step-by-Step

1. Unlock your iPhone 11 and go to the Settings app (the gray gear icon).
2. Scroll down and tap General.
3. Tap CarPlay. You’ll see a list of cars that have been connected to your iPhone. If you’ve never connected, the list will be empty—connect your iPhone to the car via USB or wirelessly first, then come back.
4. Tap the name of your car (e.g., “Honda Accord” or “My Car”). This opens the CarPlay settings for that specific vehicle.
5. You’ll see two sections: Suggested Apps and More Apps. The apps in the “Suggested Apps” section are the ones that appear on your CarPlay home screen. The “More Apps” section contains apps that are installed on your iPhone but not currently shown in CarPlay.
6. To rearrange the order of the apps on the CarPlay home screen, look at the “Suggested Apps” section. Tap and hold the hamburger icon (three horizontal lines) on the right side of any app row, then drag it up or down to the position you want. Release to drop it.
7. To add an app to CarPlay, find it in the “More Apps” section and tap the green plus (+) icon next to it. The app moves to the “Suggested Apps” section and will appear on the CarPlay screen.
8. To remove an app from CarPlay, tap the red minus (–) icon next to an app in the “Suggested Apps” section, then tap Remove (or the trash icon) that appears. The app moves to “More Apps” and will no longer show on the CarPlay home screen.
9. After making changes, disconnect and reconnect your iPhone to the car (or restart the car’s infotainment system) to see the new arrangement. The changes sync automatically, but some car systems need a refresh.

Common Mistakes

• Rearranging on the car screen: Some cars let you move icons on the touchscreen, but that only works for that session and may not persist. Always use the iPhone Settings to make permanent changes.
• Dragging the app icon instead of the hamburger icon: On iPhone, you must drag the three-line handle, not the app icon itself. If you tap and hold the icon, it may just jiggle or do nothing.
• Forgetting to save: There’s no save button—changes are saved automatically, but if you force-quit Settings before disconnecting, the changes might not sync. Just close Settings normally.
• Expecting changes to apply to all cars: CarPlay settings are per-car. If you rearrange for your Honda, it won’t affect the layout in your Ford. You must repeat the steps for each car.
• Removing an app you still want: If you tap the red minus and then confirm, the app is hidden from CarPlay. To get it back, you need to add it again from “More Apps.”

Tips

• Put your most-used apps in the first row: The first few apps are easiest to reach while driving. For example, put Maps first, then Music, then Phone.
• Use the “Suggested Apps” section as your home screen: Only apps in this section appear on the CarPlay home screen. Keep it to 8–10 apps to avoid clutter.
• Remove apps you never use in the car: This reduces distraction and makes the screen cleaner.
• If your car supports wireless CarPlay, changes sync faster: With wireless, the iPhone and car stay in sync, so changes often appear immediately on the next start.
• Check if your car has a custom CarPlay layout option: Some car manufacturers allow you to customize the CarPlay screen from the car’s own settings menu, but the iPhone method is the universal one.

Troubleshooting

• Changes don’t appear on the car screen: Disconnect the USB cable (or turn off Bluetooth/Wi-Fi for wireless) and reconnect. If that doesn’t work, restart your iPhone (press and hold the side button and either volume button until the power off slider appears, then slide to power off, then turn it back on). Also restart the car’s infotainment system if possible.
• CarPlay doesn’t show in Settings: Make sure your iPhone is connected to the car and the car is in park (some cars disable CarPlay while driving). If it still doesn’t appear, try a different USB cable or port, or check if your car supports CarPlay at all.
• Apps are missing from the “More Apps” list: Only apps that support CarPlay appear in that list. If an app doesn’t show, it likely doesn’t have CarPlay support. Check the App Store description for “CarPlay” compatibility.
• Dragging doesn’t work: Make sure you’re using the hamburger icon, not the app icon. If it still doesn’t respond, try restarting the Settings app (swipe up from the bottom and pause, then swipe the Settings app away) and try again.
• Changes revert after a while: This can happen if you have multiple iPhones connected to the same car, or if the car’s system resets. Re-arrange as needed, and consider disabling CarPlay for other phones in the car’s settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I rearrange CarPlay apps directly on the car’s touchscreen?

Some car systems allow you to touch and hold an app icon on the CarPlay screen to enter “jiggle mode” and move it, but this is not universal and changes may not persist. The reliable method is to use the iPhone’s Settings app.

Why can’t I remove certain apps from CarPlay?

Apple’s built-in apps like Phone, Music, and Maps may not be removable from CarPlay—they are always available. You can remove third-party apps, but the core Apple apps will always appear.

Will rearranging CarPlay apps on my iPhone affect the apps on my phone’s home screen?

No. CarPlay layout is separate from your iPhone’s home screen layout. Changing one does not affect the other.

Do I need to be connected to the car to rearrange CarPlay apps?

No, you can rearrange in Settings without the car connected. The changes will apply the next time you connect, as long as the same car is selected in Settings.

How do I add a new app to CarPlay?

Install the app on your iPhone, then go to Settings > General > CarPlay, select your car, and tap the plus icon next to the app in the “More Apps” section. It will appear on the CarPlay home screen.

Why do my CarPlay apps appear in a different order than I set?

This can happen if the car’s system has its own sorting logic, or if the car was reset. Also, if you have multiple iPhones connected, the last one to connect may override the layout. Re-set the order and ensure only your iPhone is connected.

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