CarPlay Not Working? How to Fix Wired and Wireless CarPlay on iPhone

CarPlay puts Maps, music, calls and messages on your car's screen. When it stops working after an iOS update, or drops every few minutes, it becomes dangerous and frustrating. Here is how to find the cause.

Wired or wireless?

• Wired CarPlay: the iPhone connects with a USB cable to a specific USB port of the car (often marked with a phone or CarPlay icon).
• Wireless CarPlay: available on some cars; uses Bluetooth to pair and Wi-Fi to transfer the image.

Checks for all cars

1. CarPlay must be allowed: Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps: CarPlay on.
2. Siri must be on: Settings > Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri). CarPlay needs Siri to be enabled, including "Allow Siri When Locked".
3. Restart the iPhone and the car's infotainment system (turn the car off, open and close the door, wait a minute).
4. Update iOS: iOS 27.0.1. Some versions fix CarPlay bugs; see iOS 27 problems.

Wired CarPlay fixes

• Use a good cable. Cheap cables are the first cause of disconnections. Use an original Apple cable or a certified one, as short as possible.
• Try another USB port in the car: often only one supports CarPlay.
• Clean the iPhone's port with a wooden toothpick: lint prevents a good contact. If the iPhone shows a liquid alert, read Liquid Detected.
• Unlock the iPhone the first time you connect and accept the CarPlay prompt.

Wireless CarPlay fixes

• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi must be on. Turn off Airplane Mode.
• Turn off Personal Hotspot and VPN apps.
• Nearby Wi-Fi networks (garage, office) can disturb the connection; test elsewhere.

Forget the car and pair again

1. On iPhone: Settings > General > CarPlay, tap the car, then Forget This Car.
2. In Settings > Bluetooth, tap (i) next to the car and choose Forget This Device.
3. In the car's menu, delete the phone too.
4. Pair again, following the car's instructions.

No sound or wrong apps

• Check the car's audio source is set to CarPlay.
• Rearrange or show apps in Settings > General > CarPlay > [car] > Customize.
• For calls with no sound, check Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Call Audio Routing is on Automatic. More: no sound on iPhone.

Update the car's software

Many CarPlay problems come from the car's infotainment software, not the iPhone. Check the manufacturer's app or website, or ask the dealer. Some cars update over the air.

Reset Network Settings and, as a last resort, restore

Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. If the problem started after an update and persists on several cars, a clean restore with the IPSW can help: restore guide.

Official reference: Apple Support (iPhone).