CarPlay is great for the most part. It allows us to get notifications whilst we’re driving, and it even allows users to watch Netflix (when they’re parked up safely at the side of the road, of course!).
However, there are times where you may have issues getting CarPlay to work properly in your vehicle – here’s what to do if you find CarPlay not working properly.
First, Check Your Connections
One of the most frequent reasons CarPlay won’t launch or keeps disconnecting is a poor or improper cable connection.
One way that you can combat this is to make sure you are using a certified Apple Lightning cable – cheap third-party cables can often be faulty.
It’s also worth checking the USB ports on the car too, as they could be loose, dirty or just wearing out over time. And if you have multiple USB ports to choose from in your vehicle, swap to a different one.
Reboot Your Device
If you’ve checked your cables and the connections seem fine, your next step should be to reboot both your iPhone and your car’s infotainment system.
To restart your iPhone, quickly press and release the Volume Up button, then the Volume Down button, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
The method used to reboot the infotainment system varies, but usually it involves holding down a physical button or series of buttons for 10-20 seconds until the screen goes blank and the system restarts.
Rebooting can clear out any software glitches that may be causing conflicts between your iPhone and car system that are preventing CarPlay from functioning properly.
Check for Updates
Ensuring both your iPhone and car’s software is up-to-date is also crucial for CarPlay compatibility.
Open the Settings app on your iPhone and navigate to General > Software Update to check for any available iOS updates.
Install any pending updates, as these often include important CarPlay bug fixes and performance improvements.
For your vehicle, again it varies by each model. Many cars allow updates over Wi-Fi or through a USB drive loaded with firmware files downloaded from their website.
Reset Network Settings
If you’ve tried all of the above and CarPlay still refuses to work, your next option is to reset your iPhone’s network settings.
You can do this by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
If you want to go a step further, you can reset all settings on your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings.
Bear in mind that this will get rid of all your current settings, which you’ll need to change afterwards – this includes adjusting your CarPlay notifications.
Once you’ve checked your cables, updated your device, restarted it and reset your network settings, you should find your CarPlay issue resolved.
