Carpool Karaoke? Here's How To Make Apple CarPlay Display Song Lyrics With iOS 26

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Apple added new features to CarPlay in iOS 26, with widgets being one of the biggest highlights. One app with a unique CarPlay widget is Dynamic Lyrics, which displays lyrics in real time on your lock screen, on the Dynamic Island, or as a widget on your iPhone. With iOS 26, it also displays them on your car's infotainment system via Apple CarPlay.

You just need to download and install the app on your phone and connect your Apple Music or Spotify account so that it will display the lyrics of the current track. If you're a Spotify user, there are two ways to authorize the app: Default and Custom. The former is much easier, just tap on it and you're good to go. However, you'll have to authorize it frequently, meaning it can get inconvenient. On the other hand, you can choose Custom authorization. Although this requires that you get a Client ID from Spotify (which takes about two minutes, with detailed instructions right on the app), you only have to do it once.

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After that, you can then head on to Settings > General CarPlay. From there, pick the car you want to add the lyrics to, tap on Widgets, then tap the Add Widget icon under Stack 1 or Stack 2 (depending on whether you want the lyrics to appear on the left or the right). With that done, connect your phone to your car's infotainment system via CarPlay and swipe to the right to see your widgets. If you don't immediately see the lyrics widget, swipe up or down to browse through the widgets you've added on either stack until you see the lyrics appear.

The Dynamic Lyrics widget on Apple CarPlay will help make your long drives more fun, especially if you have friends and family in the car. Of course, you should not be looking at lyrics when you're cruising down the freeway — you should leave the widget for your passengers when you're on the wheel. Nevertheless, there are other game-changing gadgets for your next road trip that will make long drives easier for the driver. These devices range from the Amazon Echo Auto, which will give you the Alexa voice assistant right in your car, to heated seat cushions for keeping warm during long winter drives.

As for your passengers, they can bring tech accessories to take the stress out of traveling after they've sung their hearts out during the first hour of your multi-hour drive. Gadgets like the Beats Studio Buds will allow passengers to listen or watch what they want without disturbing others, while those who are into gaming would love a handheld device like the Nintendo Switch OLED. These will help keep them occupied throughout much of the trip, allowing everyone to feel less stressed by the rigors of travel upon reaching your destination.