Fix CarPlay Keeps Disconnecting Issue in 7 Easy Ways

If Apple CarPlay keeps disconnecting from your iPhone, we have a few easy steps to fix the issue. Mostly, these disconnections are due to problems with wireless networks. However, a few other factors might be preventing CarPlay from functioning as intended. Regardless of what’s causing the problem, in this guide, we’ll help you fix the CarPlay disconnection issue.  Why Does My Apple CarPlay Keep Disconnecting? There are a multitude of reasons that can cause Apple CarPlay to disconnect frequently. One thing we learned while writing this article is that CarPlay disconnects automatically when you open the camera. It also reconnects automatically, but just putting it out there for everyone to know.  If you’re facing issues with wireless CarPlay, it might be mostly due to Bluetooth network interference. On the other hand, if you use wired CarPlay, damaged cables or ports might be causing repeated disconnection.  Apart from this software issues like temporary bugs, and outdated software versions, can also cause CarPlay to disconnect frequently. Moreover, connectivity issues like VPN interference or an unstable cellular data connection prevent CarPlay from functioning smoothly.  What Can I Do if CarPlay Keeps Disconnecting? Among the basic fixes, the first step to fixing Apple CarPlay disconnections is to restart your iPhone. Temporary bugs or glitches are killed when you restart. Moreover, all the services also restart alongside your iPhone. And it doesn’t take long either. Just ask Siri to restart your iPhone.  Next, you should check if you have an active and stable internet connection. Because most of the apps and services in CarPlay need an internet connection to function. Make sure to enable Cellular Data, head to a speed test site, and check the internet speed and stability. Lastly, disable the VPN on your iPhone. While a VPN connection protects your browsing activity, it also tends to slow down your internet speeds. This might be the reason your iPhone is constantly disconnecting from CarPlay.  If none of these tend to fix CarPlay from disconnecting, head to the next section.  Note: Please do not try to fix CarPlay using these steps while you are driving. Take a stop somewhere and then proceed to troubleshoot CarPlay.  1. Enable the CarPlay Toggle on Your Car To Fix CarPlay Keeps Disconnecting CarPlay disconnection issues with wireless CarPlay are quite prevalent. Especially, with users who have multiple cars or have linked their iPhones to multiple CarPlay head units. If you’re in the same boat, we suggest toggling CarPlay On and Off in Settings for the car you’re currently using. This should help fix the issue.  Time needed: 2 minutes. Steps to toggle CarPlay On and Off in Settings on iPhone. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.  Tap the General option.  Select the CarPlay option.  Now, tap on the car you’re currently using located under the My Car menu.  On the next page, turn off the CarPlay toggle, wait for a few seconds, and turn it on again.  2. Enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the iPhone  If you use Wireless Apple CarPlay, ensure that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are always enabled on your iPhone. These wireless networks are essential for wireless CarPlay to function smoothly. If you disable any of these, your iPhone might have difficulty maintaining a stable connection, leading to the constant CarPlay disconnection issues.  Open the Control Center by swiping down at the top right corner of the iPhone’s screen. And then, tap on both the Wi-Fi and the Bluetooth icons to enable them.  3. Switch to Wired CarPlay To Fix CarPlay Keeps Disconnecting Does your car support wired CarPlay? If it does, switch to wired CarPlay if you’re encountering connectivity issues. Sometimes, the iPhone might not be able to establish a wireless connection and in such cases, wired CarPlay can be extremely useful. Just use the USB cable and connect your iPhone to the infotainment system.  Moreover, you’ll be lucky if your car supports wired and wireless CarPlay. Because, the moment you connect your iPhone using a cable to the infotainment system, the iPhone will display an alert that will offer to connect your device wirelessly next time.  4. Use MFi-Certified Cables If you’re facing disconnection issues with wired CarPlay, then we suggest switching to a different USB cable. Because, if the cable is damaged it won’t be able to establish a strong connection and the disconnection problem will persist. Also, ensure that you pick a USB cable that is MFi-certified. This applies to any accessory you intend on buying for Apple products. MFi-certified accessories are safe and are designed to work well with Apple products.  5. Reconnect iPhone with CarPlay To Fix CarPlay Keeps Disconnecting Have you connected multiple cars through CarPlay to your iPhone? Ideally, this shouldn’t be a problem. However, it can be a reason for constant disconnections. The best solution to this is to disconnect and reconnect every car again.  Yes, disconnecting and reconnecting might seem like a lot of work, but it should be able to fix the problem. Even if you haven’t connected multiple cars to your iPhone, we suggest you try this method.  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and head to the General option.  2. Select the CarPlay option.  3. Now, tap on the Car you’re currently connected to.  4. Tap the Forget This Car option.  After you disconnect your iPhone from CarPlay, you can refer to the official Apple page that will help you set up CarPlay.  6. Update iOS Version To Fix CarPlay Keeps Disconnecting Some software bugs are fixed by simply restarting the iPhone. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for all software bugs. There are chances that the CarPlay disconnection issue is due to an iOS software bug in on your iPhone. Which can only be resolved by updating to the latest version of iOS.  Follow the steps mentioned below to update to the latest version of iOS on your iPhone.  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.  2. Head to the General option.  3. Tap the Software Update option.  4. Tap the Update Now button on the next screen and enter your passcode. If a software update is available, you will only see an Update Now or Install Update button. 7. Restart Car’s Infotainment System To Fix CarPlay Keeps Disconnecting There may be nothing wrong with your iPhone or CarPlay. Instead, your car's infotainment system (head unit) might be at fault, causing the CarPlay disconnection issue. To fix this issue, all you have to do is restart the car’s infotainment system.  Here’s how to restart your car’s infotainment system (head unit). Turn off the car and wait for the infotainment system to turn off. If that doesn’t work, refer to the owner's manual outlining the right steps to restart the infotainment system. Wait for a few minutes and then turn on your car and check if this resolves the CarPlay disconnection issue.  Conclusion Apple CarPlay is useful for navigation, listening to music, answering calls, etc. If it doesn’t work smoothly, it can be a frustrating experience. Also, you can refer to our CarPlay not working guide if it isn’t working at all. We hope this article helps you resolve the issue where CarPlay keeps disconnecting. Please let us know in the comments below if you have any other doubts.