Apple Sports iOS Widget Fails to Work With CarPlay
▼ Summary
– Apple Sports now has an iOS widget for homescreens, but it does not work with iOS 26’s new CarPlay widgets feature.
– The widget displays upcoming fixtures or live scores for favorite teams and is ad-free with support for Live Activities on lockscreens and in CarPlay.
– The author expresses disappointment that the widget is not compatible with the new CarPlay widgets panel, which offers a less cluttered interface.
– Third-party apps like FotMob are available for CarPlay widgets but are limited to soccer, whereas Apple Sports covers multiple sports.
– Apple Sports has expanded its soccer coverage by adding new leagues and teams from various European countries.
The latest iOS 26 update has brought a wave of new features, including the highly anticipated CarPlay widgets panel, but Apple Sports users hoping to integrate live scores directly into their vehicle’s display will be disappointed. Despite the app now offering a functional iOS widget for the home screen, this feature remains incompatible with the new CarPlay widget interface.
This widget serves as a convenient way to track upcoming matches or view live scores for followed teams, all without intrusive advertisements. As one of the few free sports applications supporting Apple’s newest functionalities, it also includes Live Activities integration, allowing real-time updates on the lock screen and within the CarPlay Dashboard. Unfortunately, the Dashboard is the only CarPlay area where these live updates appear, the dedicated widgets panel does not currently support the Apple Sports widget.
Many had hoped Apple would extend widget compatibility to CarPlay, especially given the app’s broad coverage of sports like tennis, Formula 1, NFL, and global soccer leagues. The new widgets panel offers a clean, home screen-style layout that reduces clutter compared to the standard dashboard, making the omission particularly noticeable. While third-party alternatives like FotMob provide CarPlay widget support, their scope is often limited to specific sports, leaving multi-sport enthusiasts without a unified solution.
In addition to the new widget, Apple Sports has expanded its soccer coverage significantly. Recent additions include the Bundesliga 2, Ligue 2, Primeira Liga, Segunda División, and Serie B, alongside teams and leagues from Austria, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.
For those searching for sports applications that fully support both Live Activities and CarPlay widgets, recommendations are welcome in the comments. The introduction of iOS 26 has opened the door to a variety of new CarPlay integrations, and users are eager to discover which apps deliver the most seamless in-car experience.
(Source: The Verge)
