Apple Carplay How to & Troubleshooting Guide

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Apple Carplay puts key iPhone apps that you want to use while driving on your car’s built-in display. With Carplay, you can listen to music, make phone calls, exchange text messages, get turn-by-turn directions, and more. Apple Carplay is available on select automobiles navigation systems and works with iPhone 5 or higher with iOS 7.1 or higher.

The following is a how-to and troubleshooting guide for users having difficulties with setup or are looking for DIY solutions and fixes to Carplay-related problems.

How to Connect Apple Carplay

To connect to Apple Carplay, follow the steps below:

  1. Start your car. Then make sure Siri is on.
  2. Connect your iPhone to your car:
  • If your car supports Carplay with a USB cable, plug your iPhone into the USB port in your car. The USB port might be labeled with a Carplay icon or a smartphone icon.
  • If your car uses wireless Carplay, press and holds the voice command button on your steering wheel. Make sure that your stereo is in wireless or Bluetooth mode. Then on your iPhone, go to Settings> General> Carplay, tap Available cars, and select your car. For more information, check your car manual.

By connecting your iPhone to the car via USB cable, the Carplay boot is automatic in most car models. If not, start the system manually by pressing on its icon in the on-board system menu.

To use Carplay, you can interact directly via the car’s touch display, use the rotary knob, and via voice commands by long-pressing the appropriate button on the steering wheel of the car and activating Siri. Alternatively, just like with iPhone, you can call Siri simply with the voice command.

How to Install Apple Carplay

To use Carplay, it must be installed as standard on your vehicle. Currently, there are over 200 Carplay-compatible car models, but Apple ensures that all major car manufacturers are integrating the system into their models. If your car does not support Carplay, you can consider installing an audio system compatible with Apple software.

In order to use Carplay, not only must you own a compatible car model or stereo system, but must also have a compatible iPhone. To be able to configure your iPhone with a car that supports Carplay, you must have an iPhone 5 or higher with iOS 7.1 or higher.

If your car supports Carplay, no installation is required. The software comes pre-installed in the car and the configuration with your iPhone is via USB cable or wireless connection (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), without having to install any additional application.

To configure Carplay, follow these steps:

  1. Start your car. Then make sure Siri is on.
  2. Connect your iPhone to your car:
  • If your car supports Carplay with a USB cable, plug your iPhone into the USB port in your car. The USB port might be labeled with a Carplay icon or a smartphone icon.
  • If your car uses wireless Carplay, press and holds the voice command button on your steering wheel. Make sure that your stereo is in wireless or Bluetooth mode. Then on your iPhone, go to Settings> General> Carplay, tap Available cars, and select your car. For more information, check your car manual.

Apple Carplay Not Connecting

First, make sure that your country or region supports Carplay and that your car supports Carplay. Contact the car manufacturer if you are unsure if your car supports Carplay.

Make sure that your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS. If your iPhone is updated to the latest iOS version, follow the troubleshooting steps below while checking Carplay after each step:

  1. Check your connection to your Carplay stereo:
  • If you have a wired connection, try connecting again with a different USB cable to a different USB port if you have one.
  • If you have a wireless connection, make sure that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled under Settings> Wi-Fi and Settings> Bluetooth.
  1. If Carplay does not activate automatically, look for the Carplay logo on your car’s display.
  2. Restart your iPhone and your car.
  3. Make sure that Siri is on.
  4. If your iPhone is not detected by Carplay, make sure that Carplay is not restricted. Go to Settings>Screen Time> Content & Privacy Restrictions, tap Allowed Apps, and make sure that Carplay is enabled.
  5. Go to Settings> General> Carplay, tap your car, then tap Forget This Car. Then set up Carplay again.
  6. Make sure that your Carplay stereo is using the latest firmware from the car manufacturer. Check your car manual for more information.

Apple Carplay How to Watch Videos

For safety purposes, Carplay is designed such that people don’t use their phones while they drive. That safety aspect also ensures that you can’t run video streaming apps like Netflix and YouTube. However, if you are parked up and are looking to watch some videos to kill some time, or your passengers want to play some videos, there is a way to make it work.

In order to play videos, you will need to have a car with OEM wired-Carplay screen installed from the factory. If your car has that, add iCarPlayDongle X and you are good to go. Besides the ability to turn your wired Carplay experience into a wireless one, the iCarPlayDongle X also enables mirroring via AirPlay or MirrorLink, enabling the streaming of video like Netflix and YouTube.

How to Turn Off Apple Carplay

The easiest way to ensure that Carplay never automatically starts is by completely disabling the application from your iPhone. To do this:

  1. Go to Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Next, select the “Screen Time” option.
  3. Scroll down and tap the “Content & Privacy Restrictions” menu. Toggle on “Content & Privacy Restrictions”.
  4. Then, select “Allowed Apps”.
  5. Finally, toggle “Carplay” off.

Alternatively, you can completely disable Carplay from your vehicle. Although every car is different, you can usually find the option to disable connected devices somewhere in the device’s settings. Check your car’s manual if you cannot find the option.

How to Connect and Use Wireless Apple Carplay

To connect and use wireless Apple Carplay, follow these instructions:

  1. On a car that supports wireless Carplay, do one of the following:
  • Press and hold the voice command button on your steering wheel.
  • Make sure your vehicle is in wireless or Bluetooth pairing mode.
  1. On your iPhone, go to Settings> General> Carplay> Available Cars.
  2. Choose your vehicle.
  3. On some vehicle models, Carplay Home appears automatically when you connect iPhone. If Carplay Home does not appear, select the Carplay logo on your vehicle’s display.

Some vehicles that support wireless Carplay allow you to pair simply by plugging iPhone into your car’s USB port using a Lightning to USB cable. If supported, after you start Carplay using USB, you are asked if you want to pair wireless Carplay for future use. If you agree, the next time you go for a drive, IPhone connects wirelessly to Carplay automatically.

You can use Siri and your car’s built-in controls to control Carplay.

Use Siri to Control Carplay

Carplay uses Siri voice control, so you can ask for what you want.

  1. Do one of the following until Siri beeps:
  • Press and hold the voice command button on the steering wheel.
  • Touch and hold the Carplay Dashboard or Carplay Home button on the touchscreen displaying Carplay.
  1. Ask Siri a question or to do something. Say something like:
  • “What’s the weather for today?”
  • “Play more songs like this one”
  • “Call John”
  • “Text John I’m in traffic and I’ll be 15 minutes late to the meeting”.
  • “Read my text messages”.

Instead of waiting for Siri to notice that you have stopped talking, you can press and continue to hold the voice command button on the steering wheel while you speak, then release it when you finish. Also, Siri makes suggestions in Carpay for what you might want to do next.

Use your vehicle’s built-in controls to control Carplay

Carplay works with your vehicle’s built-in controls- for example, a touchscreen, a rotary knob, or a touchpad.

  • Open an app: Tap the app on the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob to select the app, then press the knob.
  • Switch between Carplay Dashboard and Carplay Home: Carplay Dashboard displays several items you likely want to view or control, such as audio playback, driving directions and suggestions from Siri. Carplay Home shows all your Carplay apps organized into pages. Tap on the touchscreen or turn the rotary knob and then press the knob to switch between Carplay Dashboard and Carplay Home.
  • Return to your vehicle’s Home Screen: Select the icon with your vehicle’s logo if it appears on Carplay Home or, if available, the physical; Home button on your radio.
  • Return to a recently used app: Tap its icon on the edge of the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob to the icon, then press the knob.
  • View additional apps: If you have more than 8 apps, some may appear on another page of Carplay Home. To view them, swipe left on the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob.
  • Control audio playback: Use the audio playback controls on Carplay Dashboard. Or from Carplay Home, select Now Playing to view and control the current audio app.
  • Scroll quickly through a list: Tap the letters in the list on the right side of the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob.

Why is Carplay Not on My iPhone?

If Carplay is not on your iPhone, it could be because of several reasons:

  1. Make sure that your country or region supports Carplay, and that your car supports Carplay.
  2. Carplay works with iPhone 5 or higher with iOS 7.1 or higher.
  3. Make sure that your iPhone has the latest version of iOS.
  4. If your iPhone is not detected by Carplay, make sure that Carplay isn’t restricted. Go to Settings> Screen Time> Content & Privacy Restrictions, tap Allowed Apps, and make sure that Carplay is enabled.
  5. Siri has to be enabled in order to use Carplay.

Does Carplay Work Over Bluetooth?

For cars that support wireless Carplay, you can use Bluetooth to set up the connection. The connection needs in-vehicle Wi-Fi, as Bluetooth alone is not robust enough. Bluetooth enables phones or streaming music, but it ultimately supports relatively little data.

If your car supports wireless Carplay, press and holds the voice command button on your steering wheel. Make sure that your stereo is in wireless or Bluetooth mode. Then on your iPhone, go to Settings> General> Carplay, tap Available cars, and select your car. Check your car manual for more information.

Why Does Apple Carplay Keep Disconnecting?

There could be several reasons why your Carplay keeps disconnecting:

  • If you have a case on your iPhone, try removing the case to see if you still experience the same behavior.
  • Rename your iPhone in Settings> General> About> Name and attempt to reconnect again.
  • Make sure you using Apple Certified cables to connect your iPhone to your stereo.
  • Try resetting your car stereo and network settings:
  1. Go to Settings> General >Carplay> (stereo name) and forget the stereo and forget the iPhone from your stereo settings. Check your stereo user guide for instructions.
  2. Then reset your Network settings. Go to Settings> General> Reset> Reset Network Settings. This also resets Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and APN and VPN that you have used before.
  3. After you have reset Network Settings, connect your iPhone to your car stereo again.

How Do You Reset Carplay?

Resetting Carplay can help resolve some issues that it may be having. To do that, go to Settings> General> Carplay, tap your car, then tap Forget This Car. This resets the connection between your iPhone and Carplay, and you will need to set up Carplay again.

You can also reset all of your settings on the phone. To do that, go to Settings> General> Reset.

Network-related errors may also be behind Carplay connection issues. Performing a network reset will erase your phone’s current network configurations and may help fix the problem. To perform network settings reset:

  1. From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Tap on Reset.
  4. Select the option to “Reset network settings”.
  5. Enter your device passcode, when asked to proceed.
  6. Then tap the option to confirm network settings reset.

When the reset is finished, your phone will restart automatically and then load the default network options. You will need to re-enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections on the phone to be able to use them again. Don’t forget to pair your iPhone and your Car Bluetooth afterwards.

Common Apple Carplay Issues and How to Fix It

  1. Carplay not working

If Apple Carplay is not working, it may be due to the following reasons:

  • Problems with an iOS update.
  • Integration issues between apps.
  • iPhone not detected.
  • Incompatibility issues.

To fix, follow these troubleshooting instructions:

  • Make sure Carplay is enabled on your iPhone. A variety of settings could be interfering with the Carplay connection.
  • Check to make sure Siri is enabled. Siri needs to be enabled for Carplay to work.
  • Make sure Carplay is enabled when locked. If Carplay is not enabled when locked, it can’t activate if your phone screen is turned off. To rectify this, go to Settings> General> Carplay and tap your car from the list of available connections. Then toggle on “Allow Carplay While Locked”.
  • If not connected wirelessly, check your USB cables. Make sure USB wires are not frayed or broken. Make sure you are using original iPhone USB cable. Make sure you are connected to the correct port.
  • If your car supports a wireless connection to Carplay, check your iPhone to make sure you are not in Airplane Mode. Make sure that Bluetooth is on, and the iPhone is connected to the car.
  • Restart your iPhone.
  • Make sure your iPhone is fully updated.
  • Forget and reestablish your Carplay connection.

  1. Carplay doesn’t read messages

To troubleshoot Carplay that won’t read messages, first test other devices with your car to see if they work as expected, or test your iPhone in a different car. This is to help identify whether it is your device or your vehicle that is causing the issue.

If the behavior is isolated to your phone, try disabling and then reconfigure Carplay. If this is limited to your car, try checking for firmware updates that may be required or contact your car manufacturer to investigate possible solutions.

  1. Bluetooth connection issues

If you are having issues connecting with Carplay, remove the Bluetooth connection between your iPhone and vehicle. Restart your iPhone and try to use Carplay again.

Also, try to get rid of any connections to another vehicle. Check your Bluetooth settings to see if there are any old connections still hanging around. Go to Settings> General> Carplay to see if you have any other Carplay connections with another vehicle. Try deleting these to see if the problem resolves.

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If the problem persists, try to delete your current vehicle’s connection and set it up again.

  1. Carplay shows a black screen

Users, particularly those using iPhone X series have experienced this issue. The touch functionality works and you can hear the audio but the display stays black.

To fix this, turn off the car and do a hard restart on the phone.

  1. Night mode for maps won’t activate

By default, the maps app uses dark mode at night. But sometimes it just won’t activate. To fix this:

  • Try starting navigation to somewhere. Once the app kicks into navigation, dark mode starts. If you cancel the navigation, dark mode should stick.
  • Adjust your vehicle’s dimmer. Most vehicles have a knob or dial that will adjust the interior lighting at night. Sometimes, in these vehicles, dark mode will activate once you dim the interior a bit.

  1. Carplay not working after iOS update

After updating the new iOS, you may find that Carplay just not working. To fix this, try the following tips:

  • Restart or force-restart your iPhone. Press and hold down the Power button> Drag slide to power off. If it doesn’t work, you can hard reset your iPhone to try fixing the issue.
  • Make sure the cable is compatible.
  • Check your restrictions. If you have turned on Restriction for your Carplay, then you can’t use it. Go to Settings> General> Restrictions> Enter your passcode> Find Carplay and turn it off.
  • Check if you have turned on Siri.
  • Update to the latest iOS. The iPhone requires the lastest iOS  update in order to sync properly, so make sure that you have the latest iOS version installed.
  • Reset all settings on your iPhone. Go to Settings> General> Reset and then tap “Reset all Settings”.