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How to play music together in the car using SharePlay and CarPlay on iPhone

by Abigail Shilets

Using SharePlay and CarPlay, you and your passengers can all control the music that’s playing in the car.

Passengers can join in two ways: from a notification on their iPhone, or by scanning a QR code on the CarPlay Now Playing screen or on another passenger’s iPhone. The driver needs an iPhone with iOS 17 or later and an Apple Music subscription, but passengers don’t need an Apple Music subscription.

Before you begin

  • The driver must have an iPhone with iOS 17 or later and be an Apple Music subscriber.
  • Passengers must have an iPhone with iOS 17 or later, but don’t need to have an Apple Music subscription.
  • Everyone must allow their contacts to discover them when playing music in the car—go to Settings > Apps > Music, then turn on Discoverable by Nearby Contacts if it isn’t on already.

Start SharePlay with CarPlay on your iPhone

You and your passengers each play a part in using SharePlay in the car.

  1. Begin playing music from your iPhone using CarPlay.

    A notification appears on the Lock Screen of passengers’ iPhone devices. After they tap Connect, you receive a notification in CarPlay.

  2. Tap a passenger’s name. Tap the Checkmark button to allow the passenger to choose and stream music from your iPhone.

    After you approve a passenger, they can join SharePlay in the future without going through the same process unless you end their access.

Use a QR code to join SharePlay

Passengers can also join SharePlay over Bluetooth® by scanning a QR code.

  1. On the Now Playing screen in CarPlay, tap the SharePlay button.

    A QR code appears on the CarPlay screen.

  2. Ask a passenger to open the Camera app on their iPhone and point the camera at the QR code.

    A button appears below the picture of the QR code on their iPhone to request a connection to SharePlay. The passenger taps the button, then taps Connect.

  3. Tap the Checkmark button on the CarPlay screen to allow the passenger to join.

Use a QR code to add other passengers

While the driver focuses on the road, a passenger controlling the car’s music with SharePlay can invite other passengers.

  1. Open the Music app on your iPhone.
  2. Open the Now Playing screen and tap the SharePlay button at the bottom of the screen.

    A SharePlay window appears, listing all the participants as well as a QR code for joining.

  3. Ask a passenger to open the Camera app on their iPhone and point the camera at the QR code, tap the button that appears below the code, and tap Connect.

    The driver taps the Checkmark button on the CarPlay screen to allow the passenger to join.

Leave or end SharePlay in the car

  • If you’re a passenger: Tap the SharePlay button at the bottom of Now Playing, then tap Leave.
  • If you’re the driver: Tap End on the CarPlay screen.
Tag: carplay
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How to use your vehicle’s built-in controls to control CarPlay

by Stacey Butler

CarPlay works with your vehicle’s built-in controls, for example, a touchscreen, a rotary knob, or a touchpad. To learn how to operate your display, see the owner’s guide that came with your vehicle.

With those controls, you can open apps, move between CarPlay Dashboard and CarPlay Home, get back to your vehicle’s own Home Screen, and scroll quickly through long lists. You can also use Siri to control CarPlay with your voice instead.

  • Open an app: Tap the app on the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob to select the app, then press the knob.
  • Switch between CarPlay Dashboard and CarPlay Home: CarPlay Dashboard displays several items you likely want to view or control, such as driving directions, audio playback, and suggestions from Siri. CarPlay Home shows all your CarPlay apps organized into pages.

    To go to CarPlay Home, tap the Home button on the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob to select the Home button, then press the knob.

    To go to CarPlay Dashboard, tap the Dashboard button, or turn the rotary knob to select the Dashboard button, then press the knob.

  • Return to your vehicle’s Home Screen: Select the icon with your vehicle’s logo if it appears on CarPlay Home or, if available, the physical Home button on your radio.
  • Return to a recently used app: Tap its icon on the edge of the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob to the icon, then press the knob.
  • View additional apps: If you have more than eight apps, some may appear on another page of CarPlay Home. To view them, swipe left on the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob.
  • Scroll quickly through a list: Tap the letters in the list on the right side of the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob.
  • Control audio playback: Use the audio playback controls on CarPlay Dashboard. Or from CarPlay Home, select Now Playing to view and control the current audio app.

Use Siri to control CarPlay

Siri allows you to control CarPlay using your voice instead of your vehicle’s built-in controls.

Use Siri AI (Beta) with CarPlay

Siri AI (Beta)* is your conversational AI assistant with entirely new capabilities that you can use in CarPlay. Use the Siri AI CarPlay app to get information, resume your prior conversations, and more.

Siri AI is available in beta on iOS 27 or later on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later with Siri and device language set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not initially be available in the EU on iOS. Usage limits may apply.

Siri is designed to protect your information, and you can choose what you share.

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions.

Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts.

Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

Tag: carplay
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How to play podcasts with CarPlay

by Tyler Stephen

Use CarPlay to play the podcasts that are on your iPhone. You can use your vehicle’s built-in controls to open Podcasts and select a podcast to play. And to control playback, you can use the controls on your vehicle’s steering wheel and the buttons on the Now Playing screen.

Note: If you’re viewing CarPlay Dashboard, tap the Home button. All of your CarPlay apps appear on its pages, including Podcasts.

The buttons on the Now Playing screen, CarPlay Dashboard, and the controls on your vehicle’s steering wheel can all control podcast playback, too.

Button Description
Play
Pause
Jump back 15 seconds
Jump forward 30 seconds
Choose a faster or slower playback speed
Tag: carplay
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Apple CarPlay Not Working on iOS 26? Here’s How to Fix it

by GeeksModo Staff

CarPlay has been updated with the same Liquid Glass design that Apple added to iOS 26. The look includes layered glass-like app icons and translucent user interface elements. However, multiple iPhone users have reported problems with CarPlay after iOS 26 update, based on complaints on Reddit and elsewhere.

The most widespread iOS 26 CarPlay issues appears to be related to connectivity. Multiple users have said that they are not able to connect their iPhone to CarPlay after updating to iOS 26. Other users have said that CarPlay keeps disconnecting after it is connected. Other people have stated that their iPhone is not being detected by CarPlay after iOS 26 update.

These CarPlay problems have been reported across numerous vehicle models including the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2025 Mazda CX-30, various 2024 Honda models, multiple Volkswagen vehicles, the 2023 Audi S3, and the 2023 Nissan Frontier.

Meanwhile, several iPhone users have complained that CarPlay completely fails to launch, requiring multiple reconnection attempts – sometimes up to five tries – before the system will work. Others report broken Siri audio functionality that persists despite restarting both their iPhones and vehicles.

In addition, some iPhone users have said that CarPlay freezes and shows a black screen. When this happens, CarPlay doesn’t display the currently playing song information on their car’s instrument panel. Lastly, several users have reported CarPlay sound problem.

Whatever the issue — can’t connect your iPhone to a car with CarPlay, your CarPlay apps aren’t opening, or your phone is charging but CarPlay isn’t working—we can help.

Here’s what to do when Apple CarPlay isn’t working with iOS 26.

Warning: Don’t try fixing CarPlay while driving. Pull over so that you can safely solve the issue without being distracted while driving.

Make Sure CarPlay Is Enabled on your iPhone

If you can’t get Apple CarPlay started in your vehicle, it might be because the feature has not yet been enabled on your iPhone. It’s possible CarPlay feature was disabled during iOS 26th update. To check if CarPlay is enabled on your iPhone, choose Settings ⇒ General ⇒ CarPlay and select your vehicle, then make sure “Allow CarPlay While Locked” is enabled. This will prevent CarPlay from disengaging when your iPhone locks.

If your iPhone isn’t detected by CarPlay on iOS 26, make sure that CarPlay isn’t restricted. Choose Settings ⇒ Screen Time ⇒ Content & Privacy Restrictions. If Content & Privacy Restrictions is on, tap Allowed Apps & Features, and make sure that CarPlay is enabled.

Make sure Siri is on

CarPlay depends on Siri to work, so you must make sure Siri is enabled on your iPhone. To do this, press and hold the “Side” button (the same one you use to lock or wake your device) until you see the Siri symbol appear at the bottom of the screen.

If you’re asked to enable or set up Siri, follow the instructions. Alternatively, Choose Settings ⇒ Siri, or Apple Intelligence & Siri ⇒ Talk & Type to Siri and tap “Siri” or “Hey Siri.” On top of this, make sure that Siri can be accessed when your device is locked. To do this, enable the “Allow Siri When Locked” toggle.

Check Airplane Mode, Bluetooth and VPNs

This mostly apply if wireless CarPlay is not working with iOS 26, but it’s worth a shot even if wired CarPlay is not working.

On your iPhone, choose Settings and make sure that Airplane Mode is turned off. Still in Settings, tap Wi-Fi and make sure that Wi-Fi is turned on. Tap the CarPlay network, and check that Auto-Join is turned on. Finally, tap Bluetooth and make sure that Bluetooth is also turned on.

If your iPhone can’t connect to your car with CarPlay and shows an error that says, “connection failed. Please check the bluetooth and wifi settings on your mobile device,“ toggle Bluetooth and Wi-Fi off and on.

Lastly, a VPN connection can interfere with CarPlay, so consider disabling your VPN using your VPN provider’s app if you’re having trouble (a VPN can even interfere with wired connections).

Wired CarPlay? Disconnect and Reconnect

Some iPhone users have reported that CarPlay disappears for no reason. Other users have reported that CarPlay doesn’t initialize. One way to solve these problems is to force your car to start CarPlay again. Simply disconnect the USB cable from your iPhone and reconnect it. It’s also worth trying connecting to a different USB port if you have one.

This only works for wired CarPlay setups. It’s also worth checking both ends of the wire to make sure that the cable hasn’t slipped out of your car’s USB port.

Wireless CarPlay? Reset Your Connection

Wireless CarPlay is slightly different in that it should “just work” when it detects your phone is nearby. If wireless CarPlay doesn’t work on your iPhone, you can try resetting your connection between your car and iPhone by toggling Airplane Mode on and off.

You can also go to Settings ⇒ Wi-Fi and turn Wi-Fi off and back on, then tap on the CarPlay network and make sure that “Auto-Join” is enabled. Next, tap Bluetooth and turn Bluetooth off and back on.

Restart Your iPhone and CarPlay Stereo

CarPlay is an extension of your iPhone’s operating system, presented in a car-friendly skin. If there’s a problem with iOS 26, there might be a problem with CarPlay. You can rule out crashes and bugs by restarting your iPhone.

To restart your iPhone, choose Settings ⇒ General ⇒ Shut Down. Drag the Slide to Power Off slider to the right. Then press and hold the power button until your device starts.

I also recommend that you restart your CarPlay stereo. The process is different for different cars and models. For example, you may need to press and hold down the audio system power knob for at least 10 seconds. Again this may be different for your car. Simply check your car’s manual.

If CarPlay doesn’t activate automatically, look for the CarPlay logo on your car’s display and select it.

Replace Your USB Cable

If your iPhone does not connect to your car with CarPlay after iOS 26 update, you should inspect your cable for damage. Connecting and disconnecting your iPhone every day can take a toll on the cable, so it’s worth switching your cable out with a spare if you’re having trouble to rule it out as the cause.

Apple recommends using an Apple-branded cable, but I’ve had success with a very short Beats-branded cable that I got with a pair of old headphones with no issues. That said, the type of cable can make a difference, so avoid the cheapest flimsy cables.

Upgrade From Lightning to USB-C

When I installed iOS 26 on my iPhone 15 Pro, my phone would not connect to my Mazda CX-5 with CarPlay. When I plugged it in, it would charge but couldn’t connect. When I replaced the cable, the problem was fixed.

If you’ve just upgraded to an iPhone from an iPhone model with a lightening connector, you’re also going to need to upgrade the cable you use with a wired CarPlay connection. All iPhone models use USB-C cable.

You can use the USB-C to Lightning Adapter with wired CarPlay in most vehicles. However, some combinations of adapters, cables, and vehicle entertainment systems might disrupt the wired CarPlay connection. In this situation or for cars that support only wired CarPlay, use a direct connection with a USB cable.

Audio Problems? Switch Source and Back Again

One problem I have on a semi-regular basis with my CarPlay-enabled Volkswagen Golf is a lack of audio after connecting to CarPlay. I’m not sure what causes the issue since it seems to happen randomly, but it appears that the car becomes confused between “Voice Control” and “CarPlay”, effectively muting any audio coming out of the iPhone.

The fix is a simple one: switch to a different audio source using your entertainment unit (like the radio) and then head back to the CarPlay interface and tap “Play” to start playing music or a podcast again. This seems to signal to the car to switch to CarPlay as a source, fixing the issue until the next time it appears.

Another reason you might not be able to hear music or podcasts is because your car audio is muted, so make sure you crank the volume just to make sure.

Kill Any Problem Apps

Since CarPlay is an extension of your iPhone, the apps that appear on your display when using CarPlay also happen to be extensions of the apps installed on your iPhone. So if you’re using Google Maps to navigate, the Google Maps app on your iPhone is putting in the work.

This can result in issues if that app in question crashes or bugs out. The easiest way to solve this issue is to kill the app as you normally would. On your iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen with one finger and hold in the middle until you see a list of apps appear. Swipe through the list until you find the app in question, and then flick up again to “throw it away” and terminate to process.

You can now launch the app and try again. Crashed apps can cause all sorts of issues, from wonky behavior to black unresponsive screens.

Update iOS (and Maybe Your Car)

Updating your iPhone to the latest iOS 26 version can help in a myriad of ways, from adding new features to fixing pesky bugs. If you’re experiencing regular problems with CarPlay on your iPhone, make sure that your phone has been updated to the latest version of iOS 26 for the best results. You can do this under Settings ⇒ General ⇒ Software Update.

On top of this, many cars now receive over-the-air software updates. These updates add new features and fix old issues, even those associated with CarPlay. If you have a modern vehicle, try updating it using the relevant menu to see if it fixes your CarPlay problems.

“Forget” Your Car in CarPlay Settings

If your CarPlay is still not working with iOS 26, you should forget your car and CarPlay settings, then set it up from scratch. This worked for me, so give it a try. Follow these steps:

  • On your car stereo, go to Settings and delete ALL phones listed in Bluetooth settings.
  • On your iPhone, Go to Settings ⇒ Bluetooth and forget any car stereos listed under My Devices.
  • On your iPhone, go to Settings ⇒ General ⇒ CarPlay and forget any car listed there.
  • Restart your iPhone AND your car stereo by turning them off and back on.
  • Set up CarPlay again:
    • If your car supports CarPlay using the USB port, plug your iPhone into the USB port of your car or stereo. The USB port might be labeled with a CarPlay icon or a smartphone icon.
    • If your car supports wireless CarPlay, press and hold the voice command button on your steering wheel to set up CarPlay. Or make sure that your car is in wireless or Bluetooth pairing mode. Then on your iPhone, go to Settings ⇒ General ⇒ CarPlay ⇒ Available Cars and choose your car. Check the manual that came with your car for more information.

Fix iOS 26 CarPlay Issues With Minimal Fuss

It’s frustrating if your CarPlay is not working with iOS 26, as being unable to use your phone responsibly on the road can be very limiting. But with the troubleshooting tips above, you can get rid of the issues preventing your CarPlay from working with iOS 26 and get back to listening to tunes, navigating your journey, or getting in touch with loved ones safely and conveniently.

Tags: carplay, iOS 26
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4 Awesome Apple CarPlay Apps for 2022

by GeeksModo Staff

Apple CarPlay has been around for almost seven years now. It was introduced in 2014 in iOS 7.1 and has completely transformed the car infotainment experience. If you own an iPhone, you no longer have to deal with the sub-par software installed by your car manufacturer, simply replace it with the CarPlay interface operated by your iPhone.
But before you get behind the wheel, download these apps on CarPlay.

Apple Maps

Apple Maps works seamlessly with CarPlay. When you open it, you’ll see an overview of your location. Click on the Destinations link and the app will suggest places you can go to based on your location and what you’ve recently discussed in text messages and emails. The Search function allows you to quickly find eateries, gas stations, and more. Apple Maps gives you turn-by-turn directions that are easy to follow. You can also ask Siri to direct you to the nearest restaurant, gas station, and more. CarPlay also supports Google Maps and Waze.

Phone

Once you install CarPlay in your car, you’ll be able to make and receive calls without using your iPhone. You can open the phone app, browse your contacts, review recent calls, open the dialer, or check voicemail. But we don’t recommend scanning through a list of contacts while driving. So, it’s better to use Siri to say something like “Call John.”

See also: Apple CarPlay not working?

TuneIn Radio

This app has one of the best collections of content in the world. Download it to access over 120,000 stations. You can stream radio and listen to sports, news, music, and other audio formats. To enjoy more perks, get the premium subscription. For only $10 a month, you’ll get play-by-play access to different sports channels. You can root for your favorite NFL or MLB team while driving. You’ll also be able to listen to more than 130 ad-free music stations.

Audiobooks.com

If you have a long commute, or simply like to listen to audiobooks every day, get the Audiobooks.com app. It allows you to download audiobooks directly to your iPhone. You don’t have to sync the phone with your computer, and you can stream audiobooks through data connection or over Wi-Fi.
The app has a huge library and you get your first 3 premium audiobooks for free. After you’re done reading those, you can choose a new audiobook every month for $15 per month. Audiobooks also lets you access more than 700,000 podcasts. You can easily discover new audiobooks by following narrators, authors, and book series. The app also sends you notifications about new releases.

Apple CarPlay supports navigation apps and many other apps on your iPhone. You can listen to your favorite songs through iTunes or Apple Music. Your Apple device can also help you when you need to determine how much is your car worth. You simply need to open Safari on your iPhone or iPad.

Tag: carplay
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