Do you have problems installing Apple CarPlay on your vehicle’s multimedia system?
Apple CarPlay is one of the best features available in vehicles today. CarPlay allows you to connect your iOS device to your car’s head unit, which gives you access to features such as maps, screen mirroring, sync of messages, and even unlocking and starting your vehicle.
It is somewhat annoying, however, if you must spend time in your car trying to figure out what the problem is with Apple CarPlay.
Apple Support Community shows that there are a number of people who are having difficulty with Apple CarPlay in their automobiles.
Today we will demonstrate a few methods you can utilize in order to fix Apple CarPlay not working on your car’s multimedia system.
It is important to verify that Apple CarPlay is supported in your country before proceeding with the actual solutions. For more information regarding how to set up Apple CarPlay, please consult Apple’s detailed guide.
Let’s now move on to the actual solutions.
- Make Apple CarPlay available in Restrictions.
- Power on your iPhone and your head unit.
- Connect your iPhone to Apple CarPlay again.
- Review your restrictions.
- Inspect your USB cable.
- Turn on your Bluetooth device again.
- Shut down Siri and restart it.
- Perform a factory reset.
- Install an updated version of your iPhone.
1. Make Apple CarPlay available through Restrictions.
Apple CarPlay does not work due to the fact that your iPhone has been blocked from using it. Ensure that CarPlay is enabled on your vehicle’s multimedia system’s restriction settings in order for it to work.
Here is a detailed guide on how to enable Apple CarPlay:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone by tapping on it.
- Tap on Screen Time at the bottom of the page.
- Select Content & Privacy Restrictions from the Screen Time menu.
- Lastly, enter your Passcode and choose ‘Allow’ from the ‘Allow’ tab to enable CarPlay.
To verify that Apple CarPlay is already working correctly, connect your iPhone to the head unit once again.
2. Make sure your iPhone and head unit are restarted.
It is widely known that restarting your iPhone and vehicle’s head unit will resolve software and hardware issues, so you should consider doing this to fix any temporary glitches that may be causing Apple CarPlay to malfunction.
Below you will find a step-by-step guide for restarting your iPhone:
- Locate your device’s Power button.
- To power off your computer, press and hold the power button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ screen appears.
- The last step is to drag the slider to the right until the screen of your phone goes black.
Once your iPhone has been turned off, press the power button one more time to turn it back on.
You may need to turn off your car’s ignition before restarting your head unit, depending on the type of car you have.
Please connect your iPhone and head unit again after restarting to confirm that the issue with Apple CarPlay not working has been resolved.
You can use this method if you cannot access Apple CarPlay after updating your iPhone in cars equipped with Kenwood Multimedia Systems.
Nonetheless, if you are still experiencing problems with Apple CarPlay, please proceed to the next method below to resolve the issue.
3. Disconnect and reconnect Apple CarPlay.
Try re-pairing your iPhone with the navigation system in your car for the next method. If you attempt to pair your head unit with your iPhone for the first time, it may not establish a proper connection.
Below are the steps you need to follow in order to accomplish this:
- Open the Settings application on your iPhone by tapping on it.
- From there, select the Bluetooth menu item.
- Next, locate the head unit in your vehicle and press the (i) button next to it.
- Finally, choose the option “Forget this Device.”
Make sure your iPhone is not listed as a paired device on your car’s head unit. Set up Apple CarPlay once again to determine whether it works this time.
4. Review the restrictions.
If you find that Apple CarPlay does not function correctly when your device is locked, it is likely that the iPhone’s access to CarPlay has been restricted. In this case, you might want to change some of your restriction settings to allow CarPlay access to your phone, even if it is locked.
Check out the following guide if you are connecting your phone to your head unit using a USB cable.
- From the main screen of your device, open the Settings app.
- Go to the Settings section and select Touch ID & Passcode or Face ID & Passcode.
- The second step is to enter your Passcode if it is prompted and to select the ‘Allow Access When Locked’ option.
- Finally, make sure that you have selected Enable USB Accessories from the list.
In contrast, if you wish to sync your iPhone with your car’s multimedia system using a wireless connection, follow the steps below:
- Tap the Settings app on your iPhone to open it.
- Next, tap the General tab.
- Tap on CarPlay after scrolling down.
- In addition, make sure that Apple CarPlay is enabled when the vehicle is locked.
After you have made changes to the configurations above, connect your iPhone with your head unit and check if Apple CarPlay is working correctly.
5. Ensure your USB cable is functioning properly.
Ensure that the lighting USB cable you are using to connect your iPhone to your car’s head unit is Apple certified. Make sure the problem is not the result of a faulty USB cable by switching to a different cable.
Also, be sure to purchase lightning cables that are data-compatible. Many USB cables are not data-compatible, particularly cheap ones. You should therefore be aware of this.
6. Turn on your Bluetooth device and restart it.
You can connect your iPhone to your head unit via Bluetooth, one of the most common ways. You may experience temporary glitches with your Bluetooth radio, during which it believes it is still connected to the previous device you paired it with.
You may consider restarting your iPhone’s Bluetooth as well as your car’s head unit, if applicable.
The following guide will assist you in restarting the Bluetooth on your iPhone:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone by tapping on it.
- Next, navigate to the Bluetooth section.
- Finally, turn on Bluetooth by tapping the switch beside it and switching it off and on again.
Connect your iPhone once again to your car’s system to check if Apple CarPlay is already working.
7. Force Siri to restart.
Siri must function properly on your iPhone or at least be enabled for Apple CarPlay to function properly. Apple CarPlay uses Siri to process your voice commands when you make calls or change routes, so you do not have to divert your attention from the road.
Make sure Siri is enabled and functioning properly by following the steps below.
- From your main screen, open the Settings app.
- On the subsequent page, select Siri & Search.
- If the feature has already been enabled, tap on the switch beside ‘Listen for Hey Siri’ to turn it off.
- Press the switch once more to activate Siri.
- To complete the process, tap on Enable Siri. To set up Siri on your phone, follow the on-screen instructions.
Connect your iPhone to your head unit once again after you have verified that Siri is working properly to determine if Apple CarPlay is already functioning.
However, if you are still experiencing problems with Apple CarPlay, you can try the next method below.
8. Reset the settings to their default state.
A number of applications installed on your iPhone may have altered some of your system settings, which may lead to some features such as Apple CarPlay not functioning properly. The best thing to do in such a case would be to reset all of your system settings to their defaults in order to make sure that everything is working properly.
The following steps will guide you through the process of resetting your settings:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone by tapping on it.
- Select the General tab from the menu.
- Tap Reset in the General section.
- Click on Reset All Settings to complete the process. Follow the on-screen directions to complete the process.
The process usually takes a few minutes to complete. Check if Apple CarPlay is functioning properly by connecting your iPhone to your vehicle’s multimedia system once again.
9. Make sure your iPhone is updated.
You may experience compatibility issues with apps such as Apple CarPaly if you are using an outdated version of iOS on your phone. You may also find that there is a problem with your current version of iOS on your device.
If this is the case, you can try updating your device to the latest version of iOS to ensure that everything works properly.
Follow the instructions below to determine whether an update is available for iOS
- Open the Settings application from your main screen by tapping on it.
- Click on the General tab within Settings.
- Last but not least, tap on Software Update. You will be prompted to allow iOS to automatically check for available updates. Follow the onscreen instructions to download and install the software on your iPhone, if available.
You should try reconnecting your iPhone with your car’s head unit again once you have updated your iPhone to see if the issue with Apple CarPlay not working has already been resolved.
Here is the end of our guide on how to fix the problem with Apple CarPlay not working. If you are aware of any other solutions, please share them in the comments below, and we will credit you for the solution once we update this article.
