The long list of problems that have surfaced in iOS 15 continues to grow as iPhone 13 owners report new issues with CarPlay.
Some say they are unable to play tracks in Apple Music or third-party apps like Spotify without the system crashing completely. There are some fixes you can try, like disabling the equalizer if it’s active, that may solve the problem.
CarPlay music playback broken in iOS 15
It feels like users are discovering new bugs in iOS 15 almost every day. Since the update made its public debut almost two weeks ago, it has caused problems with touch input, Home screen widgets, Unlock with Apple Watch on iPhone 13, and Apple Music when restoring from a backup.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, yet another bug rears its ugly head. The latest, which is being widely documented by iPhone 13 owners on Twitter, the Apple Support Communities forum, and other online platforms, prevents users from playing music in CarPlay.
“I upgraded to iPhone 13 and now music does not play using CarPlay when I am using either Spotify or Apple Music,” one user explained on Apple’s forum. “When I click on a song either using Spotify or Apple Music my CarPlay app shuts down.”
“That happened to me, too. iPhone 13 Pro,” replied another. “CarPlay is totally broken for me, via USB connection on a 2019 RAV4. It worked great with an iPhone 11 Pro running iOS 15, but with the new phone, it won’t work at all.”
There may be a fix
Why is it that Carplay stops working as soon as I try playing music on my iPhone 13 Pro Max? I have tried in a couple different cars, restored my phone and reset the settings on my car and still nothing. This needs to be fixed ASAP @AppleSupport
— Brandon Charnovesky (@BCharnovesky) September 25, 2021
oh wow, so trying to play any music at all, even from different apps, while using CarPlay causes CarPlay to crash! it’s a super cool new iPhone 13 feature that forces you to drive silently with your thoughts!
— george (@gtinari) September 25, 2021
@AppleSupport love the brand new iPhone 13 pro but having major issues like many others with CarPlay not allowing me to play any music. Open the music app and it crashes instantly
— Alex Lill (@Lillstar12) September 25, 2021
Some users have tried removing their vehicle from CarPlay and setting things up from scratch, but the problem still persists. However, there are other steps you can take that may eliminate this issue until Apple provides a proper fix.
One is to disable the EQ or equalizer feature (inside the Music section of the Settings app) if you have it enabled. Another is to reset all network settings on your iPhone. You can do this by following these steps:
- Open the Settings app on iPhone.
- Tap General.
- Tap Reset.
- Select Reset Network Settings.
- Enter your passcode to confirm.
Note, however, that when you do this, your iPhone forgets all saved Wi-Fi networks and any VPN you have set up.
’A widespread issue’
One affected user on the MacRumors forum was supposedly told by Apple Support that this is a “widespread issue” and that a fix “might roll out in a security update in the near future.” However, Apple is yet to acknowledge the problem publicly.
It’s rather baffling that so many issues are surfacing in iOS 15 and on iPhone 13. Apple’s biggest software updates haven’t been without their issues in the past, but this one seems like a particularly problematic release — and that’s not what fans have come to expect from Cupertino.
Here’s to hoping we’ll see software updates that make iOS 15 and iPhone 13 a lot more stable — and soon.
