CarPlay apps do not have a separate update system inside your car. When you use Spotify, Google Maps, WhatsApp, a podcast app, or another compatible third-party app in CarPlay, the app running on your iPhone is the app you update.
That distinction makes this much simpler than it first appears. Update downloaded apps through the iPhone App Store, update Apple’s built-in apps by keeping iOS current, and use the CarPlay settings on your iPhone when you want to add, remove, or rearrange compatible apps on the car display.
The Short Answer
To manually update an app you use with CarPlay:
- Open the App Store on your iPhone.
- Tap your account/photo at the top.
- Open App Updates if shown.
- Tap Update beside the app you use with CarPlay, or tap Update All.
- Reconnect the iPhone to CarPlay after the update.
Apple says App Store apps update automatically by default, so you may not see an Update button when the newest version is already installed.
There is no separate Update Apps button on the CarPlay dashboard.
CarPlay Apps, Built-In Apple Apps, and Car Software Are Different
Several different things can be described as a “CarPlay update,” so it helps to separate them.
| What you want to update | Where it is updated |
|---|---|
| Spotify, Google Maps, WhatsApp, Waze, or another downloaded app | App Store on the iPhone |
| Apple’s built-in iPhone apps | Through iOS updates |
| iPhone’s CarPlay features | Through iOS updates |
| Vehicle infotainment/head-unit software | Through the vehicle or stereo manufacturer |
| App order on the CarPlay Home screen | Settings > General > CarPlay > your car > Customize |
Updating Google Maps, for example, does not update the vehicle’s infotainment firmware. Updating iOS does not necessarily update software supplied by the car manufacturer.
Keeping those layers separate prevents a lot of unnecessary troubleshooting.
How to Update a CarPlay-Compatible App Manually
Apple’s current iPhone instructions place manual app updates in the App Store account area.
Open the App Store, tap your account button or photo, then open the available app updates.
You can update only the app you care about or choose Update All.
After the update completes, connect to CarPlay again and open the app from the car display.
For a third-party app, this is the actual answer to “How do I update my CarPlay app?” The CarPlay icon is essentially giving you access to the compatible iPhone app while driving. It is not a second copy that requires a separate update.
Turn On Automatic App Updates
For most people, automatic updates are easier.
On current iOS versions, go to:
Settings > Apps > App Store
Turn on App Updates.
Apps downloaded from the App Store are automatically updated by default, according to Apple’s current documentation.
Automatic updating does not guarantee that every update installs immediately. The iPhone manages when background updates occur, so manually checking the App Store is still useful when you know an important navigation, audio, or messaging app has released a fix.
How Apple’s Built-In CarPlay Apps Get Updated
Apps installed as part of iOS are different from third-party App Store downloads.
Apple states that apps installed by default on the iPhone are updated when you update iOS.
To check:
Settings > General > Software Update
Install an appropriate available iOS update after backing up important data.
An iOS update can also change CarPlay itself, including supported features and interface behavior. That is why updating only Spotify or Google Maps is not the same as updating the CarPlay system on your iPhone.
Apple’s current iOS 26 documentation, for example, includes CarPlay features such as customizable widgets on supported configurations.
How to Add an App to CarPlay
Installing an app on the iPhone does not guarantee it will appear in CarPlay.
The developer must support CarPlay for the relevant app category. Apple says compatible third-party apps downloaded to the iPhone can appear automatically on CarPlay Home.
To manage available apps while you are not driving, open:
Settings > General > CarPlay > [your vehicle] > Customize
Apps that can be added appear under the available/more-apps area. Tap the add control beside an app to return it to CarPlay.
If an app never appears in the CarPlay customization list, first verify that the app actually supports CarPlay. Do not keep reconnecting the iPhone expecting every installed app to become available on the dashboard.
How to Remove or Rearrange CarPlay Apps
Use the same menu:
Settings > General > CarPlay > [your vehicle] > Customize
From there, you can:
- drag apps to change their order;
- remove apps that Apple allows to be removed;
- add previously removed compatible apps back.
The new order appears the next time the iPhone connects to CarPlay.
This changes the CarPlay Home layout. It does not uninstall the app from your iPhone.
Some built-in CarPlay icons cannot be removed, so the absence of a delete control beside an app is not necessarily an error.
Updated App Still Looks Old in CarPlay
First confirm that the update actually installed on the iPhone.
Open the App Store account area and look at recently updated apps. Then open the app directly on the iPhone and confirm it launches normally.
Reconnect CarPlay.
When the iPhone app has clearly updated but its CarPlay interface looks unchanged, that does not automatically mean the update failed. Developers can update the iPhone portion of an app without making a visible change to its CarPlay interface.
Release notes that mention CarPlay are more meaningful than expecting every app update to redesign what appears on the car screen.
Updated App Is Missing From CarPlay
When an app used to appear but disappears after an update, check the CarPlay customization list first:
Settings > General > CarPlay > [your vehicle] > Customize
Look for the app under the available apps and add it back if possible.
If it is not listed:
- confirm the app is still installed on the iPhone;
- open it once on the iPhone;
- check for another app update;
- restart the iPhone;
- reconnect to CarPlay.
Also verify that the developer still supports CarPlay. App capabilities can change between versions.
When only one third-party app is affected while Maps, Phone, Music, and other CarPlay apps work normally, troubleshoot that app before resetting the entire CarPlay connection.
App Won’t Update in the App Store
This is an App Store problem, not initially a CarPlay problem.
Apple’s current troubleshooting for apps that will not download or update includes manually attempting the update, resolving Apple Account/payment issues when present, prioritizing a stuck download, and restarting the iPhone.
Start by opening the App Store and trying the update manually.
If the update remains stuck:
- confirm the iPhone has a working internet connection;
- look for an App Store message requiring action;
- restart the iPhone;
- check whether the app requires a newer iOS version.
Do not delete your entire CarPlay vehicle configuration merely because Spotify or another app is stuck downloading from the App Store.
App Updated but Now Crashes in CarPlay
Test the same app directly on the iPhone.
It also crashes on the iPhone:
The app itself is the stronger suspect. Restart the phone, check for a newer app update, and contact the developer when necessary.
It works on the iPhone but crashes only in CarPlay:
Reconnect CarPlay and test another CarPlay-compatible app. If every other app works, the problem remains isolated enough that I would avoid resetting unrelated iPhone settings.
Apple recommends contacting the app developer when the problem involves a third-party CarPlay app.
Update iOS When Several CarPlay Apps Misbehave
One broken third-party app usually does not justify an iOS update solely as troubleshooting.
Several CarPlay apps failing at once is different.
Check:
Settings > General > Software Update
This is especially relevant when:
- multiple CarPlay apps no longer launch;
- CarPlay behavior changed after an iOS update;
- an app’s current version requires newer iOS;
- CarPlay itself is unstable rather than one app.
After updating iOS, reconnect the phone and test CarPlay before changing other settings.
If the entire CarPlay connection is failing rather than individual apps, see Bluetooth Connected but CarPlay Not Working for connection-specific troubleshooting.
Do You Need to Update the Car’s Software?
Sometimes, but not to install a routine Spotify or Google Maps update.
Your vehicle or aftermarket head unit has its own firmware. Car manufacturers and stereo manufacturers control those updates, not the iPhone App Store.
Vehicle firmware deserves attention when:
- CarPlay itself has compatibility problems;
- several iPhones behave incorrectly with the same head unit;
- the manufacturer has released a CarPlay-related firmware fix;
- a new iOS version exposes an issue with older infotainment software.
Check the vehicle manufacturer’s documentation for the exact model and model year.
Do not install firmware intended for a similar-looking stereo or another vehicle trim.
Updating Wireless and Wired CarPlay Apps Works the Same Way
There is no separate app-update procedure for wireless CarPlay.
Whether the iPhone connects over USB or wireless CarPlay, third-party app updates still come from the App Store on the iPhone.
The connection method matters when diagnosing connection failures, latency, or disconnects. It does not change where Spotify, Waze, Google Maps, or other third-party apps are updated.
CarPlay Widgets Are Not the Same as App Icons
On current iOS 26, Apple also supports CarPlay widgets in compatible setups.
When your iPhone and vehicle support them, manage widgets while you are not driving under:
Settings > General > CarPlay > [your vehicle] > Widgets
You can add, remove, or rearrange available widgets there.
That is separate from the Customize screen used to arrange CarPlay Home app icons.
This distinction matters because a user looking for an app’s widget may incorrectly assume the app itself is missing from CarPlay.
Should You Delete and Reinstall an App Just to Update It?
Usually, no.
Use the App Store’s normal Update function first.
Deleting an app can remove locally stored information depending on how that app handles data. It also creates unnecessary setup work.
Reinstallation makes more sense when:
- the newest version is installed but the app itself is corrupted;
- it crashes on both iPhone and CarPlay;
- the developer specifically recommends reinstalling;
- normal app-update troubleshooting has failed.
For an app that works perfectly on the iPhone but has one CarPlay-specific problem, I would investigate that specific compatibility issue first.
A Simple Way to Keep CarPlay Apps Current
I would use this routine rather than treating CarPlay as a separate app platform:
- Leave App Updates enabled under the iPhone’s App Store settings.
- Manually check the App Store before a long trip when you rely heavily on navigation or audio apps.
- Keep iOS reasonably current so built-in apps and CarPlay features receive Apple’s updates.
- Use Settings > General > CarPlay > your car > Customize to manage which compatible apps appear.
- Treat vehicle firmware as a separate update system.
- When only one app fails, troubleshoot that app before resetting CarPlay.
Apple’s current documentation confirms that downloaded apps update through the App Store and that compatible third-party apps on the iPhone appear in CarPlay. For the official update procedure, see Apple’s instructions for manually updating iPhone apps. Apple’s CarPlay app guidance explains how compatible third-party apps are made available in CarPlay.
The key point is straightforward: CarPlay does not maintain a separate set of app versions inside the vehicle. Keep the apps on your iPhone updated, keep iOS current for Apple’s built-in software and CarPlay features, and use the CarPlay customization settings when you simply want to change what appears on the dashboard.
