How To Fix Apple CarPlay When It’s Not Working

Apple CarPlay is one of the most useful apps in the iOS suite. It allows you to use various apps hands-free while driving so you can focus on the road. However, it can often stop working or fail to connect to your ride, which is a major nuisance.

This article will help solve the issue. We’ll show you how to troubleshoot when Apple CarPlay doesn’t work in your vehicle to get things moving along when you’re on the road.

CarPlay Not Responding in a Honda

Your Apple CarPlay might not be working in your Honda for many reasons. For example, you could be having trouble updating your iOS, or the system might not be able to integrate certain applications. Other potential culprits include compatibility and detection issues.

Regardless of the cause, re-enabling CarPlay on your phone should do the trick.

1. Go to “Settings” and press “General.”
   
2. Choose “CarPlay.”
   
3. Find your Honda in “My Cars.” If you can’t see the model, hold your voice control on the steering wheel. This should start the setup, allowing you to pair the smartphone with the vehicle.
   
4. Wait for the pairing process to complete.
5. Go back to the smartphone and tap your back arrow two times. Go to your main Settings and choose “Screen Time.”
   
6. Tap the “Content and Privacy Restrictions” menu.
   
7. Go to “Allowed Apps.”
   
8. Enable CarPlay by swiping the button to your right.
   

Another method you can try is to restart your smartphone and add your Honda to available cars.

1. Turn off and restart the device and your car’s audio system.
   
2. Go to Settings and find “Available Cars.”
   
3. If you can find Honda on the list, select the option to “forget” it.
   
4. Reconnect CarPlay to your vehicle. If you use a USB cable, plug in the phone with a different cord to eliminate connectivity issues. If possible, use another port too.
   
   

If neither solution works, restart your car’s infotainment system.

1. Turn on the infotainment system
   
2. Locate the audio power button.
   
3. Press and hold it for 5-10 seconds.
   
4. You should now see a screen asking you to restart the system. Press the “Yes” button.
   
5. If the screen doesn’t appear, your infotainment should reboot itself.

Oh My Ford! Fixing CarPlay in a Ford

Honda isn’t the only brand that can encounter problems when trying to connect to Apple CarPlay. You can experience the same issue if you’re a Ford owner.

You can try several solutions, such as ensuring CarPlay is enabled when your phone is locked.

1. Navigate to “Settings,” followed by “General.”
   
2. Go to “CarPlay.”
   
3. Browse the list and tap your vehicle.
   
4. Make sure the “Allow CarPlay When Locked” is activated. Swipe the toggle next to the section to your right, and you should be good to go.
   

Another method is to re-enable Siri.

1. Head to “Settings.”
   
2. Tap the “Siri and Search” menu.
   
3. Turn on one of the following two options: Tap the “Home for Siri” button if you have an older iPhone or the “Side Button for Siri” if your model has Face ID.
   

If this doesn’t work, restart your smartphone to remove any crashed app, corrupted data, and other debris. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes and can help you solve unusual problems, including CarPlay issues.

Still, rebooting your Ford infotainment system might be necessary.

1. Hold the Audio Power and “Seek Up” buttons simultaneously.
   
2. Wait for the screen to go black and release the buttons.
   
3. Let the system reboot itself, which generally takes around three minutes.
4. Press the Audio Power button again to turn the infotainment system back on.
   

If the basic reboot doesn’t do anything, you may need to perform a master reset.

1. Start the vehicle and ensure it’s in park mode and running.
   
2. Go to the SYNC screen and press “Settings.”
   
3. Pick “General.”
   
4. Tap the “Master Reset” button. You should now see a message that confirms your settings will be deleted and restored to factory configurations.
   
5. Choose “Continue.”
   
6. Let the infotainment system shut down, which should be indicated by a black screen. It can take several minutes to reboot and regain normal operation.
   

Fixing BMW CarPlay Not Connecting

Many BMW owners are all too familiar with Apple CarPlay malfunctions. They’re especially hard to deal with if you don’t connect your device in wireless mode. Some modern vehicles don’t provide this functionality, which can be a huge obstacle.

Here’s how to troubleshoot and address it.

1. Connect your iPhone to the vehicle with a lightning cable.
   
2. Try different ports.
   
3. Verify the cable is in decent shape. Look for any damage and switch to a different model if necessary.

You can also try to reconnect CarPlay. The connection might be corrupt, so you need to command the app to forget the vehicle and link your smartphone anew.

1. Go to your “Settings” and head to “General.”
   
2. Select “CarPlay” and find your vehicle.
   
3. Tap the prompt that tells you to forget your car.
   
4. Reset the connection, making sure the phone is linked via USB.
   
5. Start your setup by pressing and holding the audio command button.
   

Finally, you may need to reboot the infotainment system.

1. Ensure the system is in standby mode.
   
2. Press and hold the volume button for approximately 30 seconds.
   
3. Press the button once again to turn the system back on.
   

Fixing Mercedes Apple CarPlay Not Working

You might have paid top dollar for your Mercedes, but this doesn’t mean errors with Apple CarPlay can’t happen. On the contrary, they can be pretty frequent.

One of the best solutions is ensuring your phone and car’s infotainment system have received the necessary updates. Your mobile needs the most recent iOS version, whereas your vehicle should have the latest firmware updates.

If your car supports wireless connections, you can make additional checks. More specifically, be sure your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on, and the device isn’t in Airplane Mode.

Also, you can request CarPlay to forget your vehicle and restart the link.

1. Go to “Settings.”
   
2. Press “General” and head to “CarPlay.”
   
3. Select the vehicle you wish to connect to.
   
4. Tap the prompt that allows you to forget your car in the app.|
   
5. Restart the phone, return to the “CarPlay” section and go to “Available Cars.”
   
6. Choose your ride to start the connection.
   

Try rebooting your Mercedes infotainment system if all else fails.

1. Locate the dashboard power button. It should be under your radio.
   
2. Press the button and wait for the system to turn off completely. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
   
3. Hit the button once again to restart the system.

If you can’t find the power button, there should be a reboot option in your Command menu. Alternatively, turn off the car ignition and disconnect your battery for a few minutes. Reconnect it and ignite your engine to restart the infotainment system.

Enjoy Smoother Rides

Apple CarPlay is a must-have, especially for long trips. It can malfunction sometimes, but restoring its functionality shouldn’t be too difficult. Once it works correctly, you’ll again be able to elevate your driving experience.

How often do you use Apple CarPlay? How long does it take you to restart and reconnect the system? Let us know in the comments section below.