Why is my Apple Carplay Not Working: 10 Possible Fixes

Here you will learn about possible reasons why your Apple Carplay not working properly and what could be done to fix it step by step.

So, let’s get into more details…

Using your phone while driving is never an option – even for the most important reasons. But when phones have become such an integral part of our lives, we need something that could help us safely check the contents of our phones while we are out on the roads.

This is where Apple jumped in to help with their CarPlay feature.

Apple CarPlay makes it easier and safer for drivers to access their phones hands-free while driving. The efficient system is directly linked to the infotainment section of your car and projects your phone’s information there.

Through Apple CarPlay, you can use your iPhone to call someone, receive calls, text, or listen to music safely, even when you are driving on a busy road.

Unfortunately, many users have reported incidents of their CarPlay not working. In this article, we’ll provide a list of reasons causing these problems along with their possible fixes.

Read Also: iPhone Compass Not Working: 9 Ways to Fix it

Why Your Apple CarPlay Not Working: Possible Reasons

Before trying any solutions, you need to figure out the important question – why is my Apple CarPlay not working?

If you have a good diagnosis, then you can come up with the right solution instantly.

People can route their CarPlay to the infotainment system of their cars through a USB cable or even use Bluetooth. However, irrespective of the routing method you use, there are plenty of factors that can inhibit the proper functionality of Apple CarPlay.

Some of the possible underlying reasons for your Apple CarPlay not working are –

• Your USB cable is faulty or damaged.
• The CarPlay system cannot detect your iPhone.
• Issues with setting up a Bluetooth connection.
• Your iOS version is not up to date.
• You are facing some compatibility issues.
• Potential problems arise while integrating different apps.

Either way, you should revive your Apple CarPlay feature as soon as possible as it is a convenient feature for drivers. In this article, we’ll give you a comprehensive list of fixes that you can try to get your CarPlay to work.

10 Proven Solutions to Fix Not Working Apple CarPlay

There are so many car systems and interfering networks that it becomes difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for Apple CarPlay not connecting – be it a sound issue, a connection issue, or anything else.

In this article, we’ve covered all the reasons that could interfere with CarPlay’s performance and their working solutions.

But before you move on to our ten fool-proof solutions, you need to conduct some preliminary checks.

Here’s what you have to do –

• Check if your car’s infotainment system is turned on and working well.
• Apple CarPlay might not be supported in your region. You can check if your particular country is compatible with Apple CarPlay from their official website.
• Not all vehicles are compatible with CarPlay. Check if your car is designed to work well with Apple CarPlay. You can find this from the manufacturer’s website or a manual.
• Make sure that your iPhone is up to date and that it is compatible with Apple CarPlay.
• Ensure that your vehicle is built with the latest firmware.
• Unpair and pair your iPhone with the car a few times and see if that works.
• Unpair all the Bluetooth devices that are paired with your car. Then pair your iPhone with your car and see if CarPlay is working now.

If the issue still predominates even after you’ve tried our preliminary checks, you can move on to our following ten solutions –

1. Check if your Connection is Stable

There are two different ways through which you can connect your CarPlay – either through a USB cable or through wireless connections like BlueTooth.

In case you are using a USB cable, check it for any wear and tear or damage. Check if it is connected tightly as sometimes cables get lost and stop functioning properly. In this case, use a separate USB cable to establish the connection. 

If you are using a wireless connection, then you need to check the connection through settings.

Here’s how you can form a stable wireless connection for CarPlay –

1. Open your iPhone’s Settings and then go to Wi-Fi. 
2. Tap on Wi-Fi to toggle it on. 
3. Now tap on Settings again and then tap on Bluetooth to toggle it on. 

2. Restart iPhone and your Car’s Infotainment System

If switching between different modes of connections doesn’t work for you, you can try our next simplest solution. 

For this, you’ll need first to check if the CarPlay logo is present on your car’s display. If you cannot see the CarPlay display, you need to restart your iPhone and your car’s infotainment system.

• Different versions of the iPhone have different methods of restarting them. You can look at how your iPhone model can be restarted on the internet.
• You need to use the vehicle’s user manual for instructions on how to turn your car’s infotainment system off and then back off.

Once you’ve restarted both your iPhone and your car’s infotainment system, try rerunning CarPlay to see if it works. 

3. Ensure that your Siri is Enabled

It sounds weird, but turning on Siri if your vehicle supports it has helped some users fix the issue.

Here’s how you can do it –

1. Go to your iPhone’s Settings -> Siri & Search. 
2. Enable these options: Allow Siri when locked; Listen for Hey Siri; Press Side Button for Siri or Press Home for Siri.

Now try and see if your CarPlay works properly.

4. Check if your CarPlay is Restricted

Sometimes, your iPhone cannot detect your CarPlay if you have restricted its services.

Here’s how you can un-restrict Carplay –

1. Open your iPhone’s Settings and then go to Screen Time. 
2. Now tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions. 
3. Now locate and tap on Your Car -> Forget This Car. 
4. Now set up your Apple CarPlay again and see if it works.

5. Check if your CarPlay is Allowed When Locked

Follow these steps –

1. Open your iPhone Settings. 
2. Go to General and then CarPlay. 
3. Tap on Your Car. 
4. Next, see if the Allow CarPlay While the Locked option is off. If it is, then toggle it back on and see if it works now. 

6. Turn off USB Restricted Mode

Apple has launched the USB Restricted Mode to prevent its users from being hacked. But apart from serving its security purposes, the feature can also block your CarPlay’s full potential.

Here’s how to turn off USB restricted mode –

1. Open your iPhone’s Settings. 
2. Tap on either Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode.
3. Enter your password if it asks, and then goes to Allow Access When Locked. 
4. Now, go to USB Accessories and toggle it ON to turn off the USB restricted mode.

7. Update All Devices

Updating your devices can be a simple fix for nearly all your problems. To get your CarPlay to function properly, your iOS version needs to be up to date. 

Here’s how you can update your iPhone’s software –

1. Connect your iPhone to a stable internet network. 
2. Now go to Settings -> General -> Software Update. 
3. Check if an update is available. If it is available, tap on Download and Install.
4. Follow the prompts and run your CarPlay again once the update is completed. 

8 Turn Airplane Mode On and Off

The simple fix has solved the issue for many users, as per reports.

1. Go to your iPhone’s Settings. 
2. Go to Airplane Mode and toggle it on.
3. Wait for 10 seconds.
4. Now toggle it back On.

9. Reset All Settings

Sometimes, you have to take the difficult way out of a tricky situation. Resetting your settings on your iPhone is a simple solution for everything. 

Note: Users are warned that this step might permanently lose data. They should create backups of their information before they proceed.

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings -> General -> Reset. 
2. Tap on Reset All Settings.
3. Follow the process until the reset is completed and check if CarPlay is working again. 

10. Contact Apple Support

Unfortunately, we have run out of answers if none of the solutions is working for you. You might be facing some more complex issues that professionals can only solve. 

Your only hope is to get professional help from Apple’s support staff. They’d be more than willing to help you out.

Winding Up

This article has provided a comprehensive list of what could be causing your Apple CarPlay not to work. At the same time, we have listed the possible fixes that can solve the issue for our readers.