6 Apple CarPlay troubleshooting tips

Key Takeaways

• Start by checking your car’s USB port and cable.
• Make sure both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned on.
• If all else fails, restart your iPhone and the car.

For many iPhone owners, Apple CarPlay has almost gone from a novelty to a must-have feature. Selling a car without CarPlay in 2024 may be like selling a car without a radio — at least for cars that aren’t Tesla or Rivian, which have decent apps. Yes, most of us wish we could only afford the Rivian R1.

If you rely on CarPlay for music and navigation, a connection failure can cause a bit of a panic. Don’t worry — in most cases, it’s not that difficult to get CarPlay back online.

1 Try another USB cable or port

Hardware can be the cause

If you are using a wired CarPlay connection, it is possible that the USB port on your cage is blocked, faulty, or does not support data transfer. If your car has multiple USB ports, try switching to another one. Be sure to get any malfunctioning port cleaned or replaced. When it comes to cleaning, try a can of compressed air and/or something soft that won’t damage the internal contact points. Avoid any tools that may leave more residue, such as cotton swabs.

If changing ports doesn’t work or isn’t an option, the problem could be with the cable you’re using. Inspect it for damage. If there are any visible problems, you will want a new one.

If your cable is too frayed, stop using it immediately. It could cause a fire or shock hazard, and it’s probably on its last legs regardless.

2 Make sure both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned on

Don’t be a power scoundrel

There is a misconception that wireless CarPlay only uses Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It actually uses both, with Bluetooth establishing the handshake before Wi-Fi takes over most of the work.

To turn on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on your iPhone, swipe down on your battery indicator to turn on Control Centerand look for the appropriate icons. If it works, it will be blue. Next, run the Settings application and open the file Bluetooth again Wi-Fi menus.

However unlikely, there is a chance that Bluetooth or Wi-Fi is disabled on your car’s dashboard interface. You’ll have to check the menus yourself or refer to your car’s manual, as instructions can vary not only between brands but model to model.

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4 Restart your iPhone (and your car)

Mistakes happen

Bugs appear from time to time. Restarting your iPhone may clear any temporary problems with iOS, such as a corrupted cache or processes that fail to run.

Apple suggests restarting your car if you’re still having problems, and we do, if appropriate. An often surprising problem is that CarPlay blinks on certain roads, possibly due to wireless interference in the area. If that happens, there may be little choice but to drive a few miles, pull over, and hope to turn off your car (or at least the dash interface) and re-open the connection.

5 Update iOS

Killing bugs

CarPlay is baked into iOS instead of a separate app. That means if there are bugs fixed in CarPlay, they can only be solved with an iOS update. Make sure your iPhone is backed up, then go to Settings -> Software Update to test new releases. Don’t try this on the road unless you have to — the simple update process can take 15 minutes or more, especially if you’re trying to do it over 4G instead of Wi-Fi.

6 Check for dashboard firmware updates

Sometimes miracles happen

Car manufacturers release firmware updates from time to time, and it’s unlikely that one of them will fix your CarPlay problems. The bad news is that if your car doesn’t have built-in Internet connectivity, you may have to take it to a dealership for an upgrade. The good news is that the car’s firmware is rarely, if ever, to blame, so feel free to try other troubleshooting options first.

7 Reset CarPlay

A new beginning

This should be one of your last resorts, as it will set you back with no guarantee of success. If you’ve ruled out other options, however, navigate to Settings -> CarPlayselect your car, and press Forget this car.

You will need to set up CarPlay again as if it were new. That includes rearranging apps on your home screen, and/or choosing which ones are installed.