Apple Carplay is the easiest way to safely use some of the applications on your phone while driving. You can use handy apps like Google Maps if you don’t have navigation; Spotify, for when you want to listen to your own music; and you can also have Siri read your text messages to you. However, if you have updated your iPhone to the new iOS, or if you find that Apple Carplay is simply not working when you plug your phone into your car, then here are some possible solutions.

Restart your iPhone

According to iMobie, simply restarting your iPhone could be one of the easiest ways to fix the Carplay connectivity issue. By now, you probably know how to restart your iPhone, but in case you don’t, just do a long press on the power button and then slide the graphic to ‘power off.’ If you need to do a “force restart,” then quickly press the “volume up” and then the “volume down” button then hold the power button, if you have an iPhone XS or higher. For the iPhones with a “home button,” just hold down that and the power button at the same time.

It could be the USB cable

Sometimes, the cable that you’re using to connect your iPhone to the system is the culprit. In that case, you may need to buy a new cable or replace it with one that you know will work.

Disconnect your Bluetooth connection

Not all cars with Apple Carplay are alike, and as such, you may need to disconnect your phone from Bluetooth in order to get Apple Carplay working. You can go into your car’s Bluetooth setting and delete your phone from the list of connected devices, or you can simply turn off the Bluetooth setting on your phone to disconnect it temporarily.

Check the list of Carplay vehicles on your phone

Another possible solution is to check and delete any other vehicles that are connected to Apple Carplay on your phone. To check, go to the “Settings” menu on your phone and then click on “General.” After that, click on “Carplay” and a list of vehicles that you already hooked up your phone to will appear. You can delete them and then connect your phone to your car again. In some cases, the addition of other vehicles could actually get in the way.

Turn Siri on and off

If Siri is turned off on your iPhone, then you won’t be able to make the voice commands on Apple Carplay. To make sure it’s turned on, go to “Settings,” then tap “Siri and Search,” then turn on “Listen for ‘Hey Siri.’”

Fingers crossed

If none of the possible solutions listed above work, then it’s possible that your car’s infotainment system needs to be updated or your iPhone’s iOS needs an update or both. You can try updating your phone and if that doesn’t work, then you can always reset all of your settings on the phone as a last-ditch effort. Just go to the “Settings” menu, then “General,” then “Reset.” However, we would recommend doing everything listed above first.