If your car is equipped to display CarPlay, here are some suggestions to make it work better for you.
Modify the apps available and create Widgets.
Go to Settings>General>CarPlay and pick your vehicle. In the Customize section move apps up or down or delete. If you want to add them back, after they were deleted you’ll find that they were placed at the bottom of the list.
Widgets
Settings>General>CarPlay. Select vehicle, then customize, tap Widgets. Add Widgets to add ones. Best to limit them to perhaps three, and they will appear on the page to the left of your apps.
Appearance – change wallpaper and set dark mode to automatic. Set to “liquid glass” if you prefer that. This can be done in the settings as mentioned above.
Volume – sometimes we might miss the navigation voice because we are listening to music or the news. When the nav voice comes on, this is your chance to change it’s volume to catch the next instructions. You’ve only got a second or two to grab the volume knob so be quick.
Share arrival time – at the bottom of Apple Maps you’ll see a box at the bottom with your arrival time.Tap it to Share your ETA with a contact.
Where Did I Park? – Settings>Apps>Maps then scroll to bottom of list. Look for My Car and toggle on. When you park and are returning to your car, it can help you find it in a large parking lot.
Announce Messages – in CarPlay Settings app, tap Announce Messages to choose if messages are read aloud.
Driving Focus – helps you keep your mind on driving to reduce distractions. Settings>Focus then tap “+” and select Driving Focus. Chose the options you want such as who can still get through to you, etc.
Scrubbing through songs. Just drag the progress bar (that shows the time remaining) to hear something again or skip ahead. Works on Apple Music and Podcasts.
Playlists now allows you to select All Playlists or just Favorites
Maps respond to the “pinch to zoom” just like on your phone.