How to Fix Apple Music Not Working on CarPlay (Step-by-Step)

Part 1. How to Fix Apple Music Not Working on CarPlay

Apple CarPlay is a useful service for iPhone users, allowing you to use your apps, including Apple Music, directly through your car's infotainment system. By signing in with your Apple ID, you can easily access and play your music playlists while driving. However, if certain settings aren't correctly set up, CarPlay might not work well with Apple Music, leading to a poor listening experience.

To make sure everything works smoothly, follow these steps to check and enable the necessary settings on your devices.

1. Restart iPhone & Car

You'll need to restart both your iPhone and your car's infotainment system to resolve any glitches and connectivity issues affecting Apple Music on CarPlay.

• To restart your iPhone:

  1. Press and hold the power button until the "slide to power off" slider appears.
  2. Slide to power off your iPhone.
  3. After it’s off, press and hold the power button again until the Apple logo appears.

• To restart your car:

  1. Refer to your car’s manual for specific instructions on how to restart the infotainment system.
  2. Typically, turn off the car, wait a few minutes, and then turn it back on. Tip:Note: Some systems may require you to locate the power button or fuse box for a full reset.

2. Update iOS & CarPlay

Always ensure your iPhone's iOS and your car's CarPlay software are up-to-date. Any updates released may help resolve potential bugs and improve performance.

• To update your iPhone's iOS:

  

  1. Connect your iPhone to a stable Wi-Fi network.
  2. Open Settings, go to General, then Software Update.
  3. Download and install any available iOS updates.

• To update your car's CarPlay:

  1. Navigate to the infotainment system’s settings.
  2. Check for updates and follow on-screen prompts to download and install updates.
  3. After updating, reconnect your iPhone to CarPlay. Ensure CarPlay is enabled and follow prompts on your car’s display to reconnect.
  4. Open CarPlay on your car's display to see if this resolves the issue with Apple Music.

3. Make Sure Siri is On & Enable When Locked

Siri enables hands-free control over Apple Music. When it's enabled and set to work even when the iPhone is locked, it ensures a seamless interaction with Apple Music while driving. Plus, you can use voice commands even when your iPhone screen is off or locked, which is necessary for CarPlay usage.

• To activate Siri:

  Use the voice command "Hey Siri" to activate Siri if enabled. If not:

  1. Press the Home button (if present) and make your request.
  2. On iPhones without a Home button, press and hold the side button until Siri appears.

• To ensure Siri is On:

  

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Go to Siri & Search.
  3. Turn on the option for "Listen for 'Hey Siri'".
  4. Follow any on-screen prompts to set up Siri if required. Tip: Customize Siri's behavior further in Settings > Siri & Search to optimize your experience with CarPlay and Apple Music.

• To enable Siri when locked:

  1. In Settings, go to Touch ID & Passcode (or Face ID & Passcode on devices with Face ID).
  2. Enter your passcode.
  3. Scroll down to the "ALLOW ACCESS WHEN LOCKED" section.
  4. Toggle on the switch next to "Siri".

• To test Siri with Apple Music:

  1. Connect your iPhone to CarPlay in your vehicle.
  2. Activate CarPlay on your car's display.
  3. Use the voice command "Hey Siri" (if enabled) or press and hold the voice control button on your steering wheel or car's interface to test Siri's response with Apple Music commands.
  4. Try commands like "Play music", "Play [song/artist/playlist]", "Pause", "Skip", etc., to ensure Siri responds correctly and controls Apple Music.

4. Reconnect CarPlay to Car

Sometimes, the CarPlay connection can become unstable, leading to issues with Apple Music playback. If Apple Music is still not working on CarPlay after reconnecting to your car's CarPlay system after the troubleshooting steps above, it's time to re-establish the connection between your iPhone and your car can resolve connectivity issues. Forget the CarPlay connection on both devices, and let's try it again.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Go to General and then CarPlay.
3. Under "MY CARS", tap on your car’s name or icon that represents your CarPlay system.
4. Tap the option to "Forget This Car".
5. Confirm by selecting "Forget" when prompted.
6. Disconnect your iPhone from the car’s USB port or Bluetooth pairing.
7. Restart your car’s infotainment system (as per previous instructions).
8. Reconnect your iPhone to the car’s CarPlay system.
9. On your car’s display, follow prompts to enable CarPlay.
10. Select Apple Music or any other app to see if the connection issue has been resolved.
11. Ensure Apple Music functions correctly on CarPlay after re-establishing the connection.
12. If issues persist, proceed with further troubleshooting steps.

5. Switch CarPlay Connection

Your connection can sometimes be unstable or interfere with CarPlay functionality. Switching the CarPlay connection method can help identify and resolve issues related to how your iPhone connects to CarPlay. You can connect your iPhone to CarPlay for Apple Music usage either via a wired (USB cable) or wireless connection (Bluetooth). For example, if you're experiencing problems while connected via Wi-Fi, test the connection over another Wi-Fi network or switch to cellular data (or vice versa). This can determine if the issue is network-related and ensure that Apple Music functions correctly.

• To switch from Wi-Fi to Cellular Data:

  1. Open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner (iPhone X and later) or up from the bottom (iPhone 8 and earlier).
  2. Tap the Wi-Fi icon to turn it off.
  3. Alternatively, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and toggle Wi-Fi off.
  4. Open Settings.
  5. Go to Cellular and make sure Cellular Data is toggled on.

• To switch from Cellular Data to Wi-Fi:

  1. Open Control Center and tap the Wi-Fi icon to turn it on.
  2. Alternatively, go to Settings > Wi-Fi, toggle Wi-Fi on, and connect to a stable Wi-Fi network.
  3. Open Settings.
  4. Go to Cellular and toggle off Cellular Data.

• To switch from USB to Bluetooth connection:

  1. Unplug your iPhone from the car’s USB port.
  2. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  3. Go to Bluetooth.
  4. Toggle Bluetooth on if it’s not already enabled.
  5. Access the Bluetooth settings on your car’s infotainment system.
  6. Make sure your car’s Bluetooth is discoverable.
  7. On your iPhone, select your car from the list of available Bluetooth devices.
  8. Follow any prompts to complete the pairing process.
  9. On your car’s infotainment system, navigate to the CarPlay settings.
  10. Select your iPhone from the list of available devices.
  11. Follow any prompts to set up wireless CarPlay.

• To switch from Bluetooth to USB connection:

  Tip: For USB connection, check the AUX or USB cable that's connected with the devices by ensuring it is the correct cable for your iPhone (an Apple USB cable) and it's not damaged and is intact. You can connect it to a different USB port to test it, or replace it with another USB cable if applicable.

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Go to General, then CarPlay.
  3. Under "MY CARS", tap on your car’s name or icon.
  4. Tap "Forget This Car" and confirm by selecting "Forget" when prompted.
  5. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  6. Go to Bluetooth.
  7. Toggle Bluetooth off.
  8. Use a compatible USB cable to connect your iPhone to the car’s USB port.
  9. On your car’s infotainment system, follow prompts to enable CarPlay.
  10. Select your iPhone if prompted to choose a device.

6. Enable CarPlay for Content & Restrictions

Sometimes, CarPlay might not function properly if it is restricted under your iPhone's Content & Privacy Restrictions settings. If you haven't allowed CarPlay for content restrictions, they can prevent CarPlay from being detected or functioning correctly, which in turn affects Apple Music and other apps. You should enable CarPlay in these settings, ensuring that it has the necessary permissions to operate. This allows seamless access to Apple Music and other apps.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on Screen Time.
3. Tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
4. If the switch for Content & Privacy Restrictions is off, toggle it on.
5. Tap on Allowed Apps.
6. Scroll down and find CarPlay.
7. Ensure the switch next to CarPlay is toggled on (green).
8. Connect your iPhone to your car’s CarPlay system either via USB cable or Bluetooth, depending on your setup.

7. Allow Cellular Data & Change to 4G (Recommended)

Apple Music requires a stable internet connection to stream music. If you're experiencing issues with Apple Music on CarPlay, ensuring that Cellular Data is enabled and switching to a more stable 4G connection can help. This step is particularly useful if your current network (like your Wi-Fi) is slow or unstable, which can interfere with music streaming.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Tap on Cellular.
3. Scroll down to the list of apps using cellular data.
4. Find Music and ensure the switch is toggled on (green), allowing Apple Music to use Cellular Data.
5. Go back to the main Cellular settings screen.
6. Tap on Cellular Data Options.
7. Tap on Voice & Data.
8. Select 4G to enable the 4G network for data usage.

8. Reset Network Settings (If Necessary)

If previous troubleshooting steps have not resolved the issue, resetting your iPhone's network settings can help. This action clears all current network configurations, including Wi-Fi passwords, cellular settings, and Bluetooth connections. After resetting, you will need to re-enable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Cellular Data to restore connectivity. This provides a clean slate for network connections, potentially resolving conflicts or misconfigurations.

• To reset Network Settings on iOS or iPadOS 15 or later:

  

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Go to General.
  3. Tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  4. Tap Reset, then select Reset Network Settings.
  5. Enter your passcode if prompted, and confirm the reset.

• To reset Network Settings on iOS or iPadOS 14 or earlier:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Go to General.
  3. Tap on Reset.
  4. Select Reset Network Settings.
  5. Enter your passcode if prompted, and confirm the reset.

Part 2. Best Alternatives to Play Apple Music in a Car (USB Media Player)

Here we will show you how to play Apple Music offline on any car that supports a USB drive. Since the downloaded Apple Music files are encrypted files that can't be moved to other devices, you need to Convert Apple Music to MP3. So how can I convert Apple Music to MP3? The answer is ViWizard Audio Converter.

Why ViWizard Audio Converter is your best choice? Because it can download and convert Apple Music encrypted audio to multiple open formats, such as MP3, FLAC, AAC, WAV and so on. And it can also keep the original audio quality after the conversion. So, you can enjoy the converted music in high quality. With the built-in settings, you can also tune the parameters of the output audio, like channel, sample rate, bit rate and speed. ViWizard also supports converting iTunes audio and Audible audiobooks.

Key Features of ViWizard Audio Converter

Free Trial Free Trial

* Security verified. 5, 481,347 people have downloaded it.

• Convert songs, albums, and playlists from Apple Music to MP3
• Remove DRM protection from Apple Music, iTunes, and Audible
• Save the converted audios with the original quality and ID3 tags
• Support the conversion of up to 100 audio formats to others

How to Play Apple Music Offline on Any Car with ViWizard Audio Converter

ViWizard Audio Converter is a professional audio converter to convert Apple Music to MP3 for offline playback. Now you can follow the guide below to see the detailed steps.

Step 1Upload Apple Music Playlists You Need to the Converter

Start the ViWizard Audio Converter program. The iTunes app will be available in a few seconds. To import your Apple Music library into ViWizard, navigate to it and select the Load in Library icon. To load the downloaded Apple Music files, click the Add Files icon. You may also use the converter's UI to drag and drop local Apple Music files.

Step 2Personalize the Output Audio Parameters

After you've added Apple Music to the converter, navigate to the Format area. ViWizard features an audio editing tool that allows users to fine-tune various music parameters such as audio channel, sample rate, and bit rate to improve sound quality. Finally, click the OK button to preserve your selections. To pick the audio output destination, simply click the Three-dot symbol at the bottom.

Step 3Convert Apple Music to MP3 for Offline Playback on Car

To start the conversion, click the Convert button at the bottom. When the conversion is complete, click the Converted button in the upper-right corner of the window to view all converted Apple Music.

Conclusion

After reading this article, you may get all the answers you want. You can follow the guide above to fix music not working on Apple CarPlay. To play Apple Music offline on your car, you may try ViWizard Audio Converter which can download Apple Music to MP3 in simple clicks. You can click the downloading button below and start to free your Apple Music playlists.