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Apple CarPlay not working – how to fix common CarPlay issues

Bianka Rommel

Aug 10, 2022

Apple CarPlay not working – how to fix common CarPlay issues

As the perversity of inanimate objects goes, your BMW Apple CarPlay may at times encounter errors – very often ones you can easily tackle with the right knowledge at hand. 

If you’re having connection problems, sound issues, your apps are not displayed, or your Apple CarPlay is not working at all, this guide will be your first-aid to have your BMW Apple CarPlay up and running in a matter of minutes. 

NOTE: This blog was created for educational purposes only. Our support team won’t be able to help you out if you activated Apple CarPlay at the BMW dealership or with a third-party provider. 

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What causes BMW Apple CarPlay problems? 

There can be several reasons why Apple CarPlay is not working. You may have:

  • an outdated iOS version
  • improperly paired phone to the Bluetooth
  • improperly installed WiFi antenna
  • muted apps
  • faulty USB cable
  • and so on

But the most common reason is forgetting how to set up Apple CarPlay correctly in the first place. So before anything, always make sure to follow Apple CarPlay setup guidelines.

Common BMW Apple CarPlay issues

Apple CarPlay not connecting

If you’re having troubles connecting your Apple CarPlay make sure you’re doing it the right way. Here’s the proper way to perform the Apple CarPlay pairing on iDrive 6.0 (NBT EVO ID6):

For BMWs with iDrive 7.0, the process of CarPlay setup works as follows: 

  1. Make sure Bluetooth, WiFi, and Siri toggle buttons are switched on in the Settings of your iPhone.
  2. Head on over to your car screen and go through the route: COM > Mobile Devices > Settings to check the Bluetooth, WiFi and Apple CarPlay boxes.
  3. Once the connection is enabled go to New Device > Phone calls and audio. 
  4. Get back to your iPhone, enter Settings > General > CarPlay and select your BMW PIN from the menu. 
  5. Your iPhone will now begin pairing with your BMW, so you’ll be prompted to confirm the PIN, Bluetooth and other pairing requests on your mobile device and the iDrive screen.
  6. Lastly, on your iDrive screen choose the option to connect to Apple CarPlay and your CarPlay setup will be complete.

Done? Now you should:

  1. Restart your iPhone and your BMW.
  2. Make sure the Siri option is enabled on your iPhone.
  3. Go to Settings > General > CarPlay and enable the option on your iPhone. 

Your Apple CarPlay should be performing well again. To test it out give Siri the first shot and see if your voice recognition functions are all set up correctly. 

Also, know that since iOS15.5 was released there are occasional problems with connecting to CarPlay – if they occur you may have to repeat the pairing process again from scratch, sometimes even a third time. 

CarPlay not showing up in settings

Now what if you can’t enable CarPlay because the option is not showing up in your iPhone settings?  It may happen that your phone has put on CarPlay restrictions. 

In that case go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions, tap Allowed Apps and enable CarPlay.

Apple CarPlay music not working 

Apple CarPlay music not workingIs your Apple music not working on Apple CarPlay? Or perhaps you find the entire Apple CarPlay sound not working whatever app you open? Again, it may be caused either by a BMW malfunction, app issues or iPhone settings. 

To rule out the fault of BMW speakers, make sure you can hear music from your car when not in Apple CarPlay mode. And to test the app you’ve got troubles with, try to play it through your phone. If in both cases you can hear the sound perfectly fine, it may turn out when   entering CarPlay your phone is muting a particular app or the entire phone. 

So again, what you want to do is play with the internal app settings on your iPhone and overall phone sound settings. 

Apple Carplay volume not adjusted

Your volume is too quiet or the speakers yell at you so loudly that they start buzzing and vibrating? If you are using AUX input or a CarPlay MMI PRO retrofit, your best bet would be to try adjusting the AUX volume in the multimedia settings of your iDrive.

How to do it? 

  1. In the Main menu, go to the Multimedia tab.
  2. Next, choose External devices and select the AUX input.
  3. In the AUX input tab, adjust the volume according to your preference.

Now, when it’s too quiet, you don’t want to turn it all the way up, as you could experience sound distortions. Instead, try going for something in the middle of the available scale – for example 10. 

A great rule of thumb is to compare the volumes of AUX and FM. If they are on a similar level, you are good to go. 

Not sure where to find the settings we described above? No worries – we’ve got a detailed video on adjusting CarPlay MMI PRO audio settings on our YouTube channel. You can find it here:

Apple CarPlay touch screen not working 

Apple CarPlay touch screen not working

Can’t use your Apple CarPlay touchscreen all of a sudden? Let’s begin with a simple fix first. 

  1. Hard reset your phone – to do so, depending on its generation, you can either:

    press the ‘Volume up’ button, press the ‘Volume down’ button and hold the ‘Wake’ button for a few seconds
       
    or

    hold the ‘Wake’ button along with the ‘Home’ button together until the screen goes blank.

  2. Make sure your iPhone’s iOS version is up-to-date. If not, update your phone.
  3. Enter your iPhone settings and remove your BMW ID from the CarPlay devices list.
  4. Perform the CarPlay/iDrive pairing process all over again. 

CarPlay microphone not working

If you’re keen on your voice control possibilities and one day find your Apple CarPlay Siri not working… you should know what you gotta do by now :) Microphone issues may happen due to Bluetooth failure or CarPlay interface problems, so first go with the easy fix – iPhone reset and CarPlay paring. 

CarPlay microphone not working

  1. Hard reset your phone – to do so, depending on its generation, you can either:

    ● 
    press the ‘Volume up’ button, press the ‘Volume down’ button and hold the ‘Wake’ button for a few seconds

        or

      hold the ‘Wake’ button along with the ‘Home’ button together until the screen goes blank.

  2. Make sure your iPhone’s iOS version is up-to-date. If not, update your phone.
  3. Enter your iPhone settings and remove your BMW ID from the CarPlay devices list.
  4. Perform the CarPlay/iDrive pairing process all over again. 
  5. Check if your mic works when using your BMW iDrive features without CarPlay.
  6. Go to iPhone Settings and make sure your phone is not automatically muting the microphone while connecting to Apple CarPlay.
  7. Also in phone Settings navigate to Siri & Search and make sure Siri feature is enabled.

Apple CarPlay maps not working

Another common issue drivers encounter is poor Google Maps connectivity. If you find the Apple CarPlay maps not working, the first thing you gotta make sure is whether your iOS system is updated. Google Maps work only on iPhones running iOS 12 or higher.

Apple CarPlay maps not working

Now, to troubleshoot the maps app on your iPhone follow these steps:

  1. Make sure your location services are enabled.
  2. Verify if you have set the correct date and time settings.
  3. Check if the cellular data or WiFi is turned on and you have an active connection.
  4. Restart your Google Maps app.

Apple CarPlay not working wirelessly 

Apple CarPlay not working wirelesslyCan’t restore your wireless connection with Apple CarPlay? Try using it via cable – this way you’ll be able to verify whether the problem comes from CarPlay itself or the wireless connectivity. If it turns out, the issue is on wireless connection, go through the phone reset and Apple CarPlay pairing process again, as you may have to restore your Bluetooth connection.

If you’re using 2 iPhones make sure they’re named differently in device settings. It may very well happen that your CarPlay won’t connect, cause it’s getting confused which iPhone to pair up with. 

To change your iPhone name go to Settings > General > Device > Name. Once you change your iPhone’s name go through the pairing process once again.

Apple CarPlay not working despite the undertaken steps?

If you’ve tried to fix your BMW Apple CarPlay issues with the steps above, but none of them worked, try pairing your CarPlay with another iPhone (of a different model). It may turn out yours isn’t well suited to be used with Apple’s hub.

Currently the list of iPhones compatible with BMW Apple CarPlay includes:

  • iPhone 13 Pro
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13
  • iPhone 13 mini
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 11 Pro
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • iPhone 11
  • iPhone XS
  • iPhone ten s
  • iPhone XS Max
  • iPhone ten s Max
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone ten r
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone 8
  • iPhone 8 Plus
  • iPhone 7
  • iPhone 7 Plus
  • iPhone 6s
  • iPhone 6s Plus
  • iPhone 6
  • iPhone 6 Plus
  • iPhone SE (1st generation)
  • iPhone SE (2nd generation)
  • iPhone 5s
  • iPhone 5c
  • iPhone 5

How to turn off Apple CarPlay?

Don’t want to use Apple CarPlay any longer? You can simply turn it off by disconnecting your phone Bluetooth from BMW. Just open your iPhone settings app and go to General > CarPlay> tap on your vehicle ID > Forget This Car.

Now your Apple CarPlay will be turned off until you re-pair it with your BMW.

How to upgrade Apple CarPlay?

How to upgrade Apple CarPlay?To upgrade your Apple hub there’s no need to install any additional software. CarPlay updates along with the new iOS releases, so as long as you make sure to run the latest iOS on your iPhone your CarPlay will be updated simultaneously with the latest features.

But Apple’s offerings may not be enough for you when you’re equally fond of Android apps. For such situations, CarPlay & Android Auto MMI PRO retrofit would be the upgrade of your choice combining the two competitive realms together. Integrate it with the native iDrive display and use your favorite apps, including YouTube just as intuitively as you would with the factory Apple CarPlay.

Got any other issues with BMW Apple CarPlay you’d like us to help you with? Let us know in the comment section. You may inspire an idea for another blog post :)

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