CarPlay is drving me crazy

[rocktheroad]

CarPlay connects to my phone no problem. I see the maps right away and it seems to work fine. There are some glitches when I stop at a gas station and come back - I have to restart it because it just won’t recover. I can deal with that, though.

What really drives me nuts is trying to call people or answer calls. It just stops working for no reason. I see the incoming call, hit answer, and all I get is silence. My phone shows I'm connected to CarPlay, but when I switch to my iPhone or the speaker, I can hear just fine. When I go back to CarPlay, it’s muted. Navigation and music come through perfectly, but not the call.

The same thing happens when I try to make a call. To get it to work again, I have to reboot the infotainment unit, but I never know how long it’ll last. I’ll make a call, and then it just decides to stop working. It’s super frustrating because everything else like maps, navigation audio, and music is working smoothly. This issue also happens with all other calls like WhatsApp, Viber, Alexa, FaceTime. It’s not even a hit or miss - it’s almost always a miss. It’s a real pain trying to juggle this right when I need to take or make a call. It totally defeats the purpose of hands-free calling.

I updated my iPhone to the latest version, although I wasn't planning to do that, and it didn’t fix anything. Is it just me, or are others dealing with this too? Should I try updating the infotainment software? Can I do that without having to book an appointment?

/rant completed

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[Louisiana-Cajun]

Carplay uses WiFi between your phone and headunit. Do you happen to have a dashcam? Some dashcams broadcast wifi so you can connect from your phone to download footage, this can cause interference My sales person said they don't recommend factory dashcams for that reason.

 

[rocktheroad]

Carplay uses WiFi between your phone and headunit. Do you happen to have a dashcam? Some dashcams broadcast wifi so you can connect from your phone to download footage, this can cause interference My sales person said they don't recommend factory dashcams for that reason.

I have a dashcam, but the problem keeps happening even when it’s turned off. I don’t think it’s a Wi-Fi issue since everything else works fine (like Apple Music, Tidal, Audiobooks, and navigation audio). There’s a little lag, but it’s all good - it's the same on other cars.

The weird part is that I can't hear the other person on calls. I also can’t hear when the phone is ringing or when the call connects, but they can hear me just fine. The volume is up, and I can hear music and navigation after the call.

I’ve figured out a couple of workarounds: one is to turn off the head unit by holding down the volume button, and the other is to go into settings and switch CarPlay off and then back on, but I can only do that when I’m parked.

 

[HVLA]

Does it happen with other phones?

 

[rocktheroad]

I need to give this a better test. It works okay when I’m in the driveway just starting the car, but it runs smoothly with mine in that clear situation. For our next longer drive, I’ll turn off my phone and use my wife’s instead.

 

[T_Pomp]

I need to give this a better test. It works okay when I’m in the driveway just starting the car, but it runs smoothly with mine in that clear situation. For our next longer drive, I’ll turn off my phone and use my wife’s instead.

Do you live in a rural area? I agree with the other commenter who said it sounds like a Wi-Fi connection issue.

 

[Twisted]

I'm experiencing random disconnects while driving and fairly sure it is a wifi connection issue. It happens at the same locations every time I drive by (As well as some random locations). Doesn't disconnect when wired.

My 5th gen had aftermarket wireless Carplay which would disconnect at a couple specific locations every time. Different locations than my 6th gen but pretty convinced there is some kind of signal interference.

 

[montesurg01]

I'm experiencing random disconnects while driving and fairly sure it is a wifi connection issue. It happens at the same locations every time I drive by (As well as some random locations). Doesn't disconnect when wired.

My 5th gen had aftermarket wireless Carplay which would disconnect at a couple specific locations every time. Different locations than my 6th gen but pretty convinced there is some kind of signal interference.

I had the same issue with an aftermarket radio in my Jeep. I’ve had my 6th Gen 4Runner now almost a year and it has been fine but in the last two weeks it’s starting to happen and similar to yours it is happening in similar geolocations. I have not found any solutions just posting to let you know you aren’t crazy and hopefully someone sees this and has a solution.

 

[Nodak]

dont use wireless carplay is usually what resolves it.

if the cabled connection solves the issue, you just going to have to wait until apple fixes the issue.

dont worry android auto has a similar issue where wireless AA will hiccup randomly during a song for like 1 sec.

from what i can tell, if you run AA maps and spotify it will do it. but if i use toyota's mapping screen it doesnt hiccup during songs

 

[LostInAZ]

I only use CarPlay wired using a high end TB4 cable and I am still having audio drops and glitches on music. I know that it's the Toyota head-unit since if I plug into my wife's Hyundai Palaside it never glitches. I can't figure out if it's the cable or the head unit. I was even thinking of using a TB5 cable since that is about as maxed out on the bandwidth scale.

This one thing is reallythe only irritating thing on my ORP's almost flawless performance so far.

 

[Joestac]

dont use wireless carplay is usually what resolves it.

if the cabled connection solves the issue, you just going to have to wait until apple fixes the issue.

dont worry android auto has a similar issue where wireless AA will hiccup randomly during a song for like 1 sec.

from what i can tell, if you run AA maps and spotify it will do it. but if i use toyota's mapping screen it doesnt hiccup during songs

I have noticed without fail, in my case at least, when I pass close to a large radio antenna my AA will glitch out and disconnect briefly and reconnect. Does it whether I am using Spotify, Audible, YouTube Music, or even just Sirius and only running Google Maps. There is two towers on the edge of town that it happens on without fail. Then on my road trip to NM, I noticed the same thing when passing towers off the side of the highway. Really odd because my Subaru using the same phone never had that issue. I wonder if it is the wifi bands Toyota is using specifically. Also wonder if there is a way to change them.

 

[Nodak]

I have noticed without fail, in my case at least, when I pass close to a large radio antenna my AA will glitch out and disconnect briefly and reconnect. Does it whether I am using Spotify, Audible, YouTube Music, or even just Sirius and only running Google Maps. There is two towers on the edge of town that it happens on without fail. Then on my road trip to NM, I noticed the same thing when passing towers off the side of the highway. Really odd because my Subaru using the same phone never had that issue. I wonder if it is the wifi bands Toyota is using specifically. Also wonder if there is a way to change them.

the only thing i can think of is if they are using the DFS channels for wifi. that would be a direct issue since using DFS channels per the wifi spec would mean the device has to cede the channel to any radar device since that has a higher priority of use of those channels than commoner devices.

i mean i use DFS channels for my wifi at home since i live so far away from the airport and the airport is on a hill and i live in the valley.

plus 99% of the people around me dont even know what DFS channels are when i do a scan so its pretty empty for wifi use for me

Key DFS Rules and Behaviors:

• Radar Detection & Avoidance: If radar is detected, the AP must stop transmitting within seconds (usually 10s) and switch to a non-DFS channel.
• Non-Occupancy Period: If a DFS channel is flagged for radar, the AP cannot reuse that channel for 30 minutes.
• Startup Delay (CAC): Upon selecting a DFS channel, the AP must listen for radar (often 60 seconds to 10 minutes) before allowing clients to connect.
• Power Limitations: DFS channels often have lower allowed transmit power compared to non-DFS channels, potentially reducing coverage range.
• Regional Variation: Allowed DFS channels and specific regulations vary by country/region (e.g., FCC in the US, ETSI in Europe).

Common DFS Channels:

• UNII-2A: 52, 56, 60, 64
• UNII-2C: 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 132, 136, 140, 144

 

[Nodak]

I only use CarPlay wired using a high end TB4 cable and I am still having audio drops and glitches on music. I know that it's the Toyota head-unit since if I plug into my wife's Hyundai Palaside it never glitches. I can't figure out if it's the cable or the head unit. I was even thinking of using a TB5 cable since that is about as maxed out on the bandwidth scale.

This one thing is reallythe only irritating thing on my ORP's almost flawless performance so far.

its not a bandwidth problem, from what i can tell, its an iteraction problem between the mapping software on the phone taking over priority over the sound app causing the hiccup.

thats what i can tell using AA. but if i dont use the mapping software and use the toyota nav map i dont get the hiccup

 

[Joestac]

@Nodak I'll see if I can get to a more secluded spot and do some scanning to see what shows. Not sure I can do a dang thing about it, but would be good to know.

 

[LostInAZ]

its not a bandwidth problem, from what i can tell, its an iteraction problem between the mapping software on the phone taking over priority over the sound app causing the hiccup.

thats what i can tell using AA. but if i dont use the mapping software and use the toyota nav map i dont get the hiccup

Interesting theory, I will test it when I go out tomorrow. If this is correct I will definitely be sending Apple & Toyota a bug report because I really like Apple Maps over the Toyota mapping software.

Have you checked if this is just an Apple Maps issue or does it also happen with Google Maps? I'll test this as well.

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