If you drive an older car without a screen like Apple CarPlay, you probably have to use your phone to change songs or podcasts. Even looking away from the road for a moment can be dangerous. That's why Apple CarPlay is so helpful. And luckily, it works with Spotify, so now everyone can use it easily and safely. Instead of reaching for your iPhone while driving, you control your music and more right on your car's touchscreen or by asking Siri, keeping your eyes on the road at all times.
To use this, everything needs to support CarPlay - from your iPhone to your vehicle. You can meet the minimum requirement with iOS 7.1 or later for basic features, or iOS 13 and later for the latest CarPlay Dashboard experience. Then, you just need to choose between a wired or wireless connection. FYI: we know there are still some issues, but it's definitely worth trying. Keep reading to learn how to make it work.
Part 1. Why You Want Spotify on Apple CarPlay
According to Apple Support, "CarPlay is a smarter and safer way to use your iPhone in the car." Besides Apple Music, it's great to have other popular options like Spotify for listening to music. That's the main reason many people want Spotify on CarPlay. This integration doesn't miss a beat or leave anyone out.
With Spotify built right into your car's infotainment system, you get big buttons, clear album art, and simple controls to scroll through playlists or skip songs — all without touching your iPhone. And yes, you also get Siri support. We all know what that means for driving safety. Plus, for Spotify Premium subscribers, there's offline mode. So even when you're driving through areas with limited cell service, your music keeps playing.
Part 2. How to Use Spotify on Apple CarPlay
Step 1: Ensure your iPhone is running iOS 13 or later
To use Spotify with Apple CarPlay, you need an iPhone running iOS 7.1 or newer and a car that supports CarPlay. Most modern cars from brands like BMW, Audi, Lexus, Honda, and Tesla support CarPlay, either wired or wireless. Your car's infotainment system must be compatible, and your iPhone should be connected via USB cable or Bluetooth/Wi-Fi for wireless CarPlay.
Step 2: Update your Spotify app to the latest version
Make sure you have the latest version of Spotify installed on your iPhone to avoid any issues caused by outdated software. You can check this in the App Store under your account's updates section. The newest version helps prevent bugs and improves the CarPlay experience.
Step 3: Enable Spotify in your CarPlay settings
Go to your iPhone's Settings, tap General, then CarPlay. If your car is already connected, it will show up under "Available Cars." Select your car to activate CarPlay. Also, make sure Siri is enabled by going to Settings > Siri & Search > Listen for "Hey Siri."
Step 4: Connect your iPhone to a CarPlay-compatible vehicle
For USB connection:
- Find the USB port in your car. It may have a CarPlay or smartphone icon.
- Use an Apple Lightning to USB cable to connect your iPhone to the USB port.
- When your iPhone asks, tap "Allow" to let CarPlay access your phone while it's locked.
- Wait for your car's screen to switch to the CarPlay interface. If it doesn't, select CarPlay from the car's menu.
- Tap the Spotify icon to open the app and start listening.
For wireless connection:
- Press and hold the voice command button on your steering wheel. Make sure your car stereo is set to Bluetooth or wireless mode.
- On your iPhone, turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
- Open Wi-Fi settings, find your car's CarPlay network, tap the info (i) button, and turn on Auto-Join.
- Go to Settings > General > CarPlay on your iPhone and select your car.
- Wait for the CarPlay interface to appear on your car's screen. If it doesn't, select it manually from the menu.
- Tap Spotify to launch the app and start playing your music.
Step 5: Start playing Spotify music through Apple CarPlay
Once connected, Spotify will appear on your car's screen alongside other apps like Maps and Messages — making it easy to switch between music, directions, and calls while driving. You can browse playlists, albums, or podcasts directly from your car's touchscreen or use Siri voice commands.
Bonus Tip: Use Siri to control Spotify hands-free
Press and hold the voice command button on your steering wheel or say "Hey Siri" if supported. Then try commands like:
- "Play my Discover Weekly on Spotify."
- "Play [song name] by [artist name]."
- "Play my [playlist name] playlist."
- "Skip this song."
- "Pause the music."
Siri will confirm your command and start playing your music while you keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
Part 3. How to Fix Spotify Issues on Apple CarPlay
Apple CarPlay works behind the scenes and sometimes causes trouble with Spotify playback. It can glitch or stop working. When that happens, you might notice playlists stopping shortly after starting. This issue has been reported in various car models, including the 2023 Jeep Compass.
Sometimes, simply restarting your iPhone or car system is enough to fix the problem. But in many cases, you may need to try additional steps to get it working reliably. If you keep having trouble, check another post for more effective solutions.
Encounter Spotify not working on Apple CarPlay and don't know how to fix this problem? We'll colelct possible fixes to this issue. Come check this out.
Part 4. Best Alternatives for Playing Spotify in Your Car (With or Without Apple CarPlay)
If Spotify still won't work properly on CarPlay, there's another way to enjoy your music in the car. You can use a USB drive or other external storage to play your favorite songs without relying on CarPlay.
The tricky part is that Spotify's downloads are protected with DRM, which prevents direct playback from a USB. One solution is to use ViWizard Spotify Converter to convert your Spotify music into USB-friendly files like MP3. This method lets you save and play your music on any device. Even if your car doesn't support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, you can still use a USB drive to play Spotify songs directly through your car stereo.
Key Features of ViWizard Spotify Music Converter
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- Download Spotify songs, playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks extremely fast at up to 15x speed
- Convert Spotify into MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, M4A, and M4B losslessly
- Lets you play Spotify tracks offline on any device without restrictions
- Works seamlessly on Windows and macOS, supporting the built-in Spotify Web Player
Step 1Add Spotify Music to ViWizard
Open this ViWizard software to see this screen. Wait while the software is opening the desktop app to add music from. Make sure the 2 apps are on the same screen, drag and drop music tracks to add to ViWizard.
Step 2Customize Spotify Music in ViWizard
In this ViWizard software, open the app menu at the top to select Preferences. Click Convert to set the Format as MP3, then OK to save this change on output format.
Step 3Convert Spotify Music in ViWizard
Click the Convert button to start the conversion at a 5x speed. Once the music tracks are all converted into MP3, the output folder will pop up to show all the files.
Step 4Transfer Converted Spotify Music
Once there's the MP3 music collections, it's simple to transfer the files or folders to a connected USB drive on desktop. You have the full control of the music contents in the car without apps and phone!
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Adam Gorden, the digital media specialist at ViWizard, is dedicated to providing the best solutions for digital media management, including audio and video conversion, file optimization, and media workflow enhancements.
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