How to Fix If Your Apple CarPlay Not Working

Are you an Apple CarPlay user who often asks “Why is my Apple Carplay not working”. Here is a guide that revolves around the carplay not working issue along with the possible solutions to fix it:

Before CarPlay, Apple had developed its smaller version, ‘iOS in car’, in June 2013. With their car screen, it allowed car users to access maps, messages, and more.

CarPlay application was then launched in March 2014 at the Geneva Motor Show, and in September 2014, the Ferrari FF was the first car to have the full version of CarPlay installed in it.

Why isn’t Carplay Working: Causes & Solutions

What is Apple CarPlay

Apple CarPlay is an application that comes installed in most of the modern cars. It enables car owners to use the car’s display unit as their iPhone. With this application, you can use many of the features of your phone while traveling in your car, without having to touch your phone, but only the car’s screen.

Apple CarPlay feature turns your car screen into your iPhone. After you connect the CarPlay app to your phone, you can just ask Siri or tap the car screen to make a call, receive incoming calls, read text messages, play music, ask for directions, and more.

Another plus point of CarPlay is that it is quite intuitive and can be very easily connected to your iPhone by following certain very simple steps.

Watch this short YouTube video to learn how to connect and use CarPlay.

The huge number of benefits that this application delivers is the reason that it has become so popular around the world. As per a report by CNBC, the Apple Engineering Manager, Emily Schubert had said in an interview that 98% of new cars in America come with CarPlay already installed in them, and 79% of the US car buyers have stated that they would buy the vehicle if they get this feature in it.

A report by Straits Research states that in April 2023, about 98% of the new cars were either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatible. But, another very important point to be noted is that in 2022, the USA saw a 22% increment in fatalities due to distracted driving, followed by Europe, where the rate of increase was 10%, and then 8% in China.

Even when the application is quite easy to use, it may get stuck sometimes. So read the article to find solutions to problems related to CarPlay.

Quick Checks if Apple CarPlay is not working:

Please make sure that:

• CarPlay is supported in your country or region
• Your car supports CarPlay (Contact the vehicle manufacturer if unsure)
• Your iPhone has the latest iOS version

Why is My Apple Carplay Not Working 

If you are a new user, you may find it difficult to get CarPlay working at once. And even if you are a regular user, due to some reasons, it is possible that Apple CarPlay won’t work sometimes. CarPlay users are often spotted asking, ‘Why is my CarPlay not working?’

Some of the possible reasons for this issue are as follows:

1. Your application or phone needs an update
2. CarPlay is not compatible with your car
3. The app does not work in your region
4. There is some connection problem between your phone and the vehicle
5. There can be some issues with the Settings in your iPhone.
6. There is some glitch
7. If you have connected your phone to the Car through a USB cable, there can be some issue with the cable or the port in your car.

Also Read => How do Apple AirTags Work

How to Fix if Your Apple CarPlay Not Working

You can try different methods to get the problem of ‘Why isn’t CarPlay working’ fixed. We have listed all the possible solutions for this issue here-

#1) Restart your phone: First, try restarting your phone. This fixes the issues with your phone most of the time.

#2) Reconnect your vehicle with CarPlay: Try disconnecting and reconnecting the vehicle with CarPlay. If there is a bug, it will most probably get fixed.

For disconnecting your vehicle with CarPlay, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings

• Click on General

• Tap on CarPlay

• Now select your vehicle
• Tap on Forget This Car.

Now you can restart your phone, and reconnect CarPlay with your vehicle.

To reconnect, you’ll have to do as following:

• Go to Settings
• Select General
• Now click on CarPlay
• The screen will then show you a list of Available Cars.
• Select your vehicle and the connection will be recreated.

#3) Check for updates: Check for system updates on your phone.

To check system updates on an iPhone, you’ll have to follow these steps:

• Go to Settings
• Tap on General
• Now select Software Update

If an update is available, your phone will give you the details. Follow the instructions for installing the latest updates.

#4) Check if you have given permissions for Screen Time: You may have turned off the Screen Time permissions for CarPlay on your phone.

To check this setting, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings
• Tap on Screen Time

• Select Content & Privacy Restrictions

• Go to Allowed Apps & Features

• Permit CarPlay

#5) Enable Siri: If Siri is not enabled, CarPlay won’t listen to your voice instructions. So check whether or not you have enabled Siri on your iPhone. To enable Siri on iPhone, do as stated under.

• Go to Settings
• Select Siri
• Now enable Allow Siri when locked.

Note: It is quite common that the ‘Allow Siri when locked’ feature is disabled and Siri doesn’t work when the phone gets locked. So remember to turn this feature on.

#6) Enable CarPlay to run while your phone is locked. This is another answer to the question, “Why isn’t Apple CarPlay working?”.

Personal Experience:
When my CarPlay is not working, I look for ways to fix it and try different things. I realized that in my phone settings; I have not enabled CarPlay to work while the phone is locked. After the option is enabled, it works.

So many settings can hinder CarPlay’s functioning.

To enable CarPlay when locked, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings
• Click on General
• Select CarPlay
• Now select your vehicle from the list of available connections shown on your iPhone screen
• Tap on Allow CarPlay While Locked.

#7) Check your USB cable: If you have connected your iPhone to the vehicle through a USB cable, maybe:

• The wire is worn out
• The cable is not inserted into the vehicle port properly
• You are inserting the USB cable into the wrong port.

You can try

• Re-inserting the USB cable,
• or plugging it into another port,
• or using another USB cable.

The USB port for CarPlay in your vehicle would most probably have iOS written on it, so plug your USB cable in the right port.

#8) Turn off USB restricted mode. There are chances that you would have enabled the USB restricted mode in your iPhone, by turning OFF USB Accessories. This feature is built to protect the phone’s data from being exposed through an unwanted USB connection.

So if you are connecting your phone to the car’s screen through a USB and this feature is enabled in your iPhone, you would be wondering why won’t my apple CarPlay work.

Further Reading => Why is my Face ID not Working

Follow these steps for turning the USB restricted mode OFF:

1. In your phone, go to Settings
2. Tap on Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode
3. Enter your Passcode
4. Find the option Accessories or USB Accessories
5. Now turn it ON

Suggested Reading => Best USB-C Hubs For Your Laptops 

#9) Make sure your phone is not in Airplane mode: Airplane mode often prevents the phone from connecting to other devices wirelessly. So, switch off the Airplane mode if it is enabled.

#10) Turn on Bluetooth in your phone: You would need to turn the Bluetooth function ON in your iPhone, to connect your vehicle CarPlay to your iPhone. You can also try removing other Bluetooth connections from your phone or vehicle if the other solutions don’t work.

#11) It is possible that your vehicle is not compatible with CarPlay. In that case, no solution will work. You can have a look at the list of vehicles compatible with CarPlay before buying a new one.

#12) It is possible that Apple CarPlay does not work in the region you are using it. To check if Apple CarPlay is supported in your region or not, go through this link.

#13) Your phone may have been switched OFF. It is possible that, due to continued usage for long hours, your phone may have been switched off, that’s why CarPlay stopped working instantly. If that is the case, charge your phone first, then only you would be able to use CarPlay.

Further Reading => Quick Fixes for iPhone Not Charging Issue

#14) If your iPhone is not detected by CarPlay, there are chances for:

• Your iPhone isn’t updated to its latest version
• If you are using a wired CarPlay connection, your USB cable may have some issues. Try using a different USB cable.
• If you are using a wireless CarPlay connection, make sure your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and turned on.
• CarPlay may be restricted to your iPhone. To allow CarPlay, follow these steps:
  • Go to Settings
  • Tap on Screen Time
  • Now select Content & Privacy Restrictions
  • Tap on Allowed apps
  • Enable CarPlay.

#15) There is a chance that the audio in your car is muted. If that is the case, even if CarPlay were working, you won’t be able to hear anything and would keep wondering why isn’t my Apple CarPlay working.

#16) Contact Apple Support. If your phone is updated to the latest version, your vehicle is compatible with CarPlay and you have tried all the solutions and still can’t get CarPlay to work, then you must contact the iPhone support.

Suggested Reading => Compare Top Apple Watch Apps

FAQ’s on Car Play Not Working

Conclusion

We explored the solutions to the question often asked by CarPlay users – ‘why isn’t my Apple CarPlay working’. You can find a detailed list of all the possible solutions to fix this issue in the article.

CarPlay was launched in the year 2014. Today it is considered one of the top features that people look for while buying a new car. Even if CarPlay is not provided in your model, you can get it installed at additional charges. The charges vary depending on the complexity of the car model, ranging from $200 to $700.

Though CarPlay is an extremely useful and popular app around the world, it does have certain drawbacks too, which I want to bring to the readers’ attention. I must say that doing anything while driving can be extremely dangerous, even for professional drivers. So the driver must focus on driving only.

Talking to Siri and getting voice directions for your desired location is a commendable feature. And, you can even get your messages read up without having to use the phone! So, the app is a great invention, but must be used with caution.