iPhone Won't Connect to Apple CarPlay? Here's How to Fix

If you are an Apple loyalist and have been using an iPhone for a few years, you must be aware of the benefits CarPlay brings to your daily lives. CarPlay is a smarter and safer way to use your iPhone while you drive, without having to pick up your iPhone.

CarPlay lets you get directions, make calls, send or receive messages, and vibe to your favorite playlists, all from your car’s infotainment system, keeping distractions to a minimum. What’s more interesting is that CarPlay now features more app categories and wallpaper options to personalize your CarPlay Dashboard.

Everything sounds great until you find out your iPhone won’t connect to CarPlay on a random day. Imagine you are ready for your long road trip and your new iPhone suddenly won’t connect to Apple CarPlay. Well, we have been there and can tell it’s not a pleasing experience. But, don’t worry, we have got your back.

In this guide, we will walk you through the possible connection problems you might run into while using Apple CarPlay. We’ll also list different troubleshooting methods that will help you at times when your iPhone suddenly stops connecting to CarPlay or when CarPlay doesn’t work at all.

Common Apple CarPlay Connection Issues Faced By iPhone Users

Apple CarPlay offers you a plug-and-play experience, but things can go south sometimes and you may have multiple issues. The following are some of the commonly reported CarPlay issues responsible for no connection.

CarPlay keeps disconnecting from iPhone
iPhone not connecting to CarPlay after an iOS update
Apple CarPlay is not working when the iPhone is locked
Wireless CarPlay won’t connect
CarPlay is connected but not working
iPhone won’t connect to CarPlay via USB

How to Fix iPhone Not Connecting to CarPlay – Tried & Tested Ways

If you facing one or more aforementioned issues while using CarPlay on your car, you should try the following troubleshooting methods. So, without further ado, let’s jump right in.

1. Make sure Apple CarPlay works with your iPhone and car

Before jumping into troubleshooting methods, it’s always ideal to check your iPhone and car for any compatibility issues. You should ensure that your iPhone, Car, third-party head unit, and wireless adapter are compatible with Apple CarPlay.

Compatibility with your iPhone shouldn’t be a big deal since CarPlay is available on iPhone 5 and newer models running at least iOS 7.1. As far as the car’s compatibility with CarPlay is concerned, there are a few things you might have to check. Apple CarPlay is currently supported on 800 models across different brands. You can check our guide to see if your car is on that list.

That said, the list won’t tell you whether your car supports wireless or wired CarPlay. Therefore, we always recommend you to look for the user manual of your vehicle. Just in case you’re using a third-party head unit or wireless CarPlay adapter, it’s best to get in touch with the brand for inquiries related to its compatibility with Apple CarPlay.

Quick tip: After ensuring the compatibility, make sure to restart your iPhone and car. A quick hack like this can resolve some underlying issues causing your iPhone unable to connect with CarPlay.

2. Check if the USB port or cable you’re using supports CarPlay

What if you’ve ticked all the boxes mentioned above just to find out your iPhone won’t connect to CarPlay when plugged in? In such a scenario, you should check if the USB port or cable you’re using supports CarPlay. Most cars these days come with USB-A or USB-C ports for CarPlay connection.

While that’s there, you need to ensure that your USB-A to Lightning or USB-A to USB-C cable supports data transfer. Yes, you read that right. If you don’t want any issues related to the cable’s compatibility with CarPlay, we recommend getting the desired cables from a reliable brand.

If you have the iPhone 15 or newer models, the cable that comes in the retail box should be enough. However, you need to ensure that your car has a USB-C port compatible with CarPlay. Additionally, if your car has multiple USB ports, you must check which one supports CarPlay because not every port will support it.

Also read: How to use Apple CarPlay

3. Enable these settings if your iPhone won’t connect to CarPlay

If you are still figuring out why my iPhone won’t connect to CarPlay anymore, you might have to check a few settings and ensure they are enabled. A simple toggle can stop you from using CarPlay and you won’t even know about it. First and foremost, head to your iPhone Settings > Wi-Fi > turn on the Wi-Fi toggle.

Next, go back to the Settings page and tap Bluetooth > turn on the Bluetooth toggle. Finally, you should tap on the name of your CarPlay network in the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth list to enable the Auto-join toggle.

Note: The Auto-join toggle only appears if your car supports Apple CarPlay.

4. Enable the CarPlay toggle inside Content & Privacy Restrictions settings

If you didn’t find any luck after enabling the above toggles, head to the Screen Time settings. Apple’s Screen Time feature needs no introductions. It’s an effective feature to keep your screen time in check and enable parental control for your kids.

However, tapping a toggle here and there inside the Content & Privacy Restriction settings could be the reason why your iPhone suddenly doesn’t connect to CarPlay. In every circumstance, you need to ensure that the CarPlay toggle inside the previously mentioned settings is turned on. Here’s how to do it:

Enable the CarPlay toggle inside Content & Privacy Restrictions settings

Go to Settings.
Tap Screen Time.
Now, tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. If you notice a grayed out, it means this setting hasn’t been set up on your iPhone and CarPlay is automatically permitted.
If the page opens normally, tap Allowed Apps & Features and toggle on CarPlay option on the next page.

5. Check if a firmware update for your car or head unit is pending

Do you regularly update your iPhone but forget to update your car’s firmware version? It’s possible that you may have missed an important update that resolves an issue where your car display a message – “unable to connect Apple CarPlay, please check your iPhone.”

You don’t have the option to update carplay, changes are done through iOS update, so you only need to update your iPhone. However car companies or custom head unit companies also release firmware updates that can fix underlying problems or bugs. To update, you can head to Settings of your car’s infotainment system and look for an option that says firmware update, update, or software update. Once you locate it, make sure to update it by following the on-screen steps. The process varies for different units.

Also read: Where Did I Park My Car? Your iPhone Knows!

6. Turn on “Allow CarPlay When Locked” on your iPhone

If CarPlay is not working on your car when your iPhone is locked, there’s one setting that you need to enable and you will be free from headaches. If you don’t enable the “Allow CarPlay When Locked” feature on your iPhone, you’ll have to use Touch ID, Face ID, or enter a password to establish a connection with your car. So, you should enable it from the Settings on your iPhone. Here’s how to do it:

Head to Settings.
Tap General.
Next, tap CarPlay.
Then, select your car from the list of CarPlay devices.
Finally, toggle on “Allow CarPlay When Locked.”

7. Remove your car from your iPhone’s CarPlay list and reconnect

If the CarPlay issue persists, remove your car from your iPhone’s CarPlay list to fix the issue. Once, it is removed, make sure to reconnect your car. Here’s how to do it:

Go to Settings.
Tap General > CarPlay.
Select your car from the list of CarPlay devices.
Finally, tap Forget this car and add your car again in the CarPlay settings.

Also read: How to Use and Customize Control Center on iPhone

8. Tap the CarPlay icon on your car

If you are unable to use CarPlay on your car, there’s one thing you need to understand. Every car has a different UI based on what operating system it is running on. So, it’s most likely that your car might display a CarPlay icon and it requires you to tap it before you can connect your iPhone with CarPlay.

9. Reset your iPhone’s network settings

While it is very unlikely, corrupted network settings can cause issues where CarPlay keeps disconnecting from your iPhone. So, it’s recommended that you reset your iPhone’s network settings and see if it makes any difference. You can reset network settings on your iPhone by following the steps given below:

Go to Settings.
Then, tap General.
Now, tap Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
From the list of options, tap Reset Network Settings and follow the on-screen prompts.

If resetting network settings doesn’t resolve CarPlay issues, back your all the important data and files and perform a factory reset on your iPhone.

Final Thoughts

If you are still reading this, we are assuming that you are still thinking why won’t my iPhone connect to my CarPlay? Sadly, there’s no other option left for you than connecting to the Apple Support team. The team of experts can always help you with Apple CarPlay problems. In case you found this guide handy, please share it with someone who often faces issues while connecting their iPhone to Apple CarPlay.

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iPhone Won’t Connect to Apple CarPlay? Here’s How to Fix