Apple CarPlay is a great feature that many drivers enjoy.
However, there have been some complaints about the system switching audio sources randomly.
It can be extremely frustrating when you are trying to listen to music or a podcast, and the system switches over to a phone call or navigation instructions.
Here are some of the ways you can fix Apple CarPlay changing audio sources:
- Get rid of your VPN
- Update your firmware
- Check your USB – Buy a new cable
- Remove all the music apps running in the background
- Restart your phone
- Reach out to Apple support
6 Reasons Why Apple CarPlay Changes Audio Sources
As you can see, there are a few different things you can try if you’re having this problem with your Apple CarPlay.
Hopefully, one of these solutions will work for you, so let’s see what they are in detail.
1. Get Rid of Your VPN
Many Apple users have successfully fixed the problem by getting rid of their VPN. If you’re unfamiliar with what a VPN is, it’s a Virtual Private Network that allows you to connect to the internet through a secure connection.
While this can be beneficial in some situations, it can cause problems with Apple CarPlay.
If you have a separate app installed for your VPN, you can also try deleting that. After that, restart your phone and see if the problem is fixed.
2. Update Your Firmware
If you’re still having trouble after getting rid of your VPN, try updating your firmware. Firmware is the software that runs on your device and is often updated to fix bugs and improve performance.
In short, firmware tells your phone how to operate. It’s important to keep it up-to-date, so your phone can run smoothly.
To update your firmware:
- Go to Settings and then navigate to “General.”
- From there, select “Software Update” and then click “Download and Install.”
- Once the process is finished, restart your phone and see if the problem has been fixed.
The CarPlay firmware is the same as on your iPhone, but if you’re interested, see our article on how to update Apple CarPlay.
3. Check Your USB
The problem may be with the cable if you’re connecting your iPhone to your car using a USB cable.
Loose connections can also sometimes cause problems like this.
Try using a different USB cable or even a different port in your car.
Some have had better results by using Apple lightning cables instead of standard USB cables.
If you have one of these cables produced by Apple, try using that and see if it makes a difference.
Also, check if the USB ports in your car are working correctly. You can do this by plugging in a different device (such as a flash drive) and seeing if it works properly.
If not, there may be an issue with the port itself, and you’ll need to investigate further.
If you want to purchase a good USB cable we’d recommend an Anker Powerline+ II Lightning Cable.
As seen in the image below:
4. Remove All the Music Apps Running in the background
It’s also possible that the problem is with one of the CarPlay music apps or radio apps you’re using. CarPlay can sometimes randomly connect to an existing running app in the background.
This can happen even if you’re not currently using that app.
If you have multiple music apps running in the background, try closing all of them.
Hopefully, doing that will fix the problem.
Some of these apps could include:
And many more…
To force close apps, simply do the following:
- When on the home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause
- Then a range of apps that are running in the background will then show up
- Swipe up on each one to stop them from running in the background, until you use the application again
Watch the video below that shows this:
5. Restarting Your Phone
If you’ve tried all the above and nothing’s working, it doesn’t hurt to try restarting your phone. This might sound like a basic solution, but it can solve many problems.
- Hold the power button to restart your iPhone until “Slide to Power Off” appears on the screen.
- Once your phone is off, hold the power button to turn it back on.
- After that, see if the problem with CarPlay has been fixed.
Watch the video below for more instructions on this:
6. Reach Out to Apple Support
If you’ve tried all these things and you’re still having trouble, the last resort is to get on a call with Apple’s support team.
They can help you troubleshoot the problem and see if there’s anything else you can try.
Many users have complained that the support team could not guide them through the process of fixing the problem.
Official Apple Comment
Unfortunately, Apple has not yet released a statement or done anything to fix this problem. Many users have complained about it, but the company is yet to address the issue.
A patch might be released in the future, but there doesn’t seem to be a fix for now.
We hope the company will eventually release an update that fixes the problem once and for all.
In the meantime, hopefully, one of these solutions can help you out.
Conclusion
It is extremely annoying when CarPlay keeps changing the audio source by itself.
This can happen for a variety of reasons, but there are some techniques you can try to fix it.
To summarize, you can try deleting your VPN, updating your firmware, or using a different USB cable.
If everything fails, restart your phone or turn CarPlay off until Apple releases a patch.
We also have a range of articles around similar issues you might be facing. This includes:
