CarPlay Not Working? Read 7 Possible Ways to Fix it
Apple Carplay is a great way to access all the features your iPhone provides when you are en route to experience hand-free usage of your phone while driving. Using the CarPlay feature, you can easily make calls, listen to music, and even send texts to your friends and family or when you need to do a small chore urgently.
At times, you may face the issue of Apple CarPlay not working or being unable to connect, leaving you to wonder why this error is happening. Another issue regarding Carplay may be the limit to your access after connection, due to which you may be unable to use specific applications.
Worry not! This troubleshooting guide will give you all the reasons why this error occurs and the 7 different solutions on how to fix Apple CarPlay not working, so read ahead to find out more.
Why is Apple CarPlay Not Working?
Apple CarPlay connects to your car either wirelessly, via a USB cable, or through the pairing of your iPhone to the car’s Bluetooth connectivity, depending on what kind of a car you have.
Analyzing the factors, we have listed down the possible reasons why Apple CarPlay is not working for you:
- Your iOS may not be up to date with the software updates provided by Apple, due to which you may be facing a connectivity problem.
- Your USB cable may have some faults which fail to connect your device to your car.
- Your iPhone may go undetected by your car.
- Incompatibility problems.
- The apps may face problems in integration.
- There might be issues with your BlueTooth connectivity.
How to Fix Apple CarPlay Not Working
Every car more or less comes with a varying system that may go unrecognized by your iPhone as it is limited to particular systems. Now you may be experiencing errors on the line such as connectivity problems, no sound from Carplay, or simply the apps failing to work, and we have compiled 7 different methods to fix the CarPlay not working issue.
Before going about with the fixes, you need to get some preliminary checking done, and if all fails, then you can proceed with the guide:
- Check for the compatibility of CarPlay with your vehicle.
- Check for the BlueTooth connectivity between the car and your phone.
- Check the region you live in is supported by Apple CarPlay or not as it is not available everywhere.
- Check for iPhone and vehicle’s infotainment system is turned on or not.
- Check whether your iOS is up to date or not.
- Unpair any other devices linked to your iPhone or vehicle.
- Check if your iPhone is compatible with CarPlay or not.
If you have checked for all the options listed above and still your Apple CarPlay is not working, then try the fixes given below, which will help you solve this problem:
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Check Your Connection
You can easily connect your CarPlay with your device by using a USB cable or through a wireless connection if it is offered by your vehicle.
If you have used a USB cable to connect, simply remove it and check if it has any damage to it or if any loose ends may give you a faulty connection. If your USB is giving you connectivity troubles, replace it with a new cable or connect it with another port.
Your device may be unable to detect your vehicle’s BlueTooth or Wi-Fi if your phone has them turned off. To enable these options to follow the steps listed down:
(For WiFi)
- Go to the settings option on your iPhone
- Scroll down and tap on the Wifi option.
- Locate the WiFi button and simply toggle it on to green if it is turned off.
- Connect your car to the phone.
(For BlueTooth)
- Go to settings.
- Locate the BlueTooth option.
- Toggle it on to the green color
- Connect your vehicle and device.
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Restart Your iPhone and Your Car’s Infotainment System
To get the car’s infotainment system started again, you need to check the vehicle’s user manual for the guide to do so. After you are done restarting the system on your vehicle, continue ahead to restart your iPhone’s infotainment system.
To do so, simply follow the steps listed down for the various models of iPhone and how to get their infotainment system restarted again:
- iPhone SE(1st gen) / iPhone 5: press+hold top button and power button to turn it off and the same button to turn it on.
- iPhone SE(2nd gen) / iPhone 6, 7, and 8: press+hold side button to power off and power on.
- iPhone X and above: press+hold volume and side buttons to turn it on and turn it on.
After you have ensured that both your device’s and vehicle’s infotainment system is turned on, try to reconnect Carplay to your vehicle via your iPhone.
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Make Sure Siri is Enabled
Siri is an essential component of the device which needs to be enabled for your CarPlay to work from your iPhone.
If you have the Siri interface disabled, then read through the given steps on how to turn it on:
- Go to the settings option.
- Scroll down and locate the option named Siri and Search.
- Enable all the three optioned which may be toggled off: Listen for “Hey Siri,” Press the side button for Siri, Allow Siri when locked.
- After you have enabled Siri, check if your vehicle can detect Siri or not by pressing the voice command button on your steering wheel.
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Check Whether CarPlay is Allowed While Locked
If your car play is restricted on your iPhone, then you will be unable to use it at all. You need to make sure that the Apple Carplay is allowed to be used when your vehicle is locked.
To do this, simply follow the steps mentioned to turn the feature of accessing CarPlay when your vehicle is locked on your device:
- Go to the settings option on your phone.
- Click on general and tap on the car play option.
- Select your car, which will be displayed via the name.
- Toggle the option named ‘allow car play to be used when locked” on.
- Check whether the problem of CarPlay, not working persists or not.
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Disable USB Restricted Mode
The USB restricted mode is a feature introduced by Apple for iOS which can safeguard the user data stored on your iPhone from hackers who use a USB cable or lightning ports to hack your password and data.
If the mode is turned on, the USB data connection is temporarily suspended due to which your CarPlay may not get connected to your car via a USB cable.
To disable this feature, the steps are listed down on how to do so:
- Go to the settings option on your device.
- Click on the Face ID and password option.
- Enter your password and navigate to the allow access when locked section.
- Next to the USB accessories option, toggle it on to disable the USB restrictions on your device.
- Check whether you can connect your CarPlay to your vehicle via a USB cable.
The only issue with this solution is that it may leave your device vulnerable to password hacking via USB connections, so follow it only at your own risk if the other solutions fail to work.
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Reset CarPlay from your device
You may want to try and reset your CarPlay from the beginning if you cannot connect it to your vehicle. It is a simple process that needs to be followed which is given you to bellow:
- Go to the settings option on your phone.
- Click on the general option.
- Go to screen time and navigate to the content privacy and restrictions option.
- Now select the option named forget the car.
- Using a USB port, plug your phone into your vehicle.
- If your car supports wireless connections, then navigate to car play via the general option.
- Click on the available car and select your car from the list.
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Reset All Settings.
This should be the last resort to the problem of Apple CarPlay not working on your vehicle as it will completely reset your device like a brand new phone.
All the settings will simply go to the default mode once you reset your iPhone, so if there is an underlying problem regarding CarPlay not working, it will be easily wiped out, and you may be ridden of the issue.
To do this, follow the steps given:
- Open the settings option on your phone.
- Click on general and to the reset option.
- Select on the reset all settings and follow the prompts to complete the process.
- Select on the reset network settings if you wish to solve any network connectivity error.
- Enter your ID and password and click on the confirm button to reset your device.
- After your device is reset, check whether your Apple CarPlay is working or not.
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Update Your iPhone.
The final solution to the Apple Carplay not working problem is to update your iPhone to the latest version of the software provided by Apple. Usually, your phone notifies you of any new update that has been introduced and automatically installs it if you are on wifi.
Sometimes this may not happen, and you need to update your phone manually. To do this, read through the steps listed down.
- Go to the settings option.
- Scroll down to find the option named Software update.
- Click on download and install if there is any pending update.
- After your device is updated, check whether the Apple CarPlay, not the working problem persists or not.
Conclusion
Apple CarPlay does make your driving hours less stressful with all the features that it provides, and it may get quite annoying if you are used to the hand-free experience given by the feature.
In this article, we discussed the 7 different methods to fix the problem of Apple CarPlay not working and hope that it has solved your worries and you are back at using it again!
FAQs
Why does Apply car play keep disconnecting?
The reason for it may be due to poor connection of your wifi or Bluetooth if you are using it wirelessly or the faults in the USB cable. You may want to check for any connectivity issues that may make your CarPlay disconnect now and then.
How do I keep CarPlay on?
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.
Where are the CarPlay settings?
The CarPlay settings are provided under the general settings of your iPhone, which is mentioned as a separate tab altogether under that section. You can easily locate this option and tweak your settings for CarPlay to enable or disable it.
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