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My Apple CarPlay is making a static/crackling sound and I don’t know how to fix it.

mu Apple CarPlay is making a static/crackling sound when playing music. Does anyone know how to fix this? I have a iPhone 13 pro if that matters.

Posted on Jun 1, 2022 6:04 AM

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94 replies

Mar 24, 2023 3:36 AM in response to angedecicco

Well I may of found my fix whether it’s permanent is a difficult matter I was driving home last night and my radio decided to freeze and my iPhone wouldn’t connect to car play nor would my van charge my phone this morning I got back into my van and everything is working again last night I had to factory reset my multimedia unit since I’ve done this I’ve not had any crackling sound from Apple Music and phone calls have been fine I’ve drove two hours without any issues with car play no distorted static noises, poor phone calls maybe this is the fix but time will tell



Apr 19, 2023 7:55 PM in response to Baileyhubb8

I have a 2019 Audi Q5 (owned it since new) and this crackling began last fall. My husband and I both have iPhone 14 Plus’ with the latest iOS always installed, and the issue happens regardless of which phone we are using. It’s worse when listened to podcasts, but also happens with music. As many people have stated, there’s no issue when I play podcasts or music through Bluetooth. Have purchased a brand new Apple USB cord and it didn’t fix the issue.


We didn’t notice an issue with our previous iPhone 12 Plus’, iPhone 11 Max’s, or iPhone XS Max’s.


Very irritating.


Jul 7, 2023 11:46 AM in response to Baileyhubb8

Same issue on iPhone XR with Seat Ateca 2017. Never had this issue in my old car with an aftermarket Sony XAV-AX3005DB so thought this was a stereo fault. Seat replaced the speakers as they sounded broken but didn't fix it and so off to google I went and found this thread. Thank you everyone for confirming this isn't just me going crazy and is a genuine fault with CarPlay. I will get a wireless adapter as it is the cheapest way to fix this until Apple (maybe) acknowledge and fix the issue.

Jul 11, 2023 11:32 AM in response to Baileyhubb8

My problem seems to be solved with the creaking and crackling of phone calls when using Waze or Google Maps with CarPlay. I found this online; a March 8, 2023 update for Infotainment issues on various Nissan models. I brought this to my dealer and they said they had no knowledge of this update changing version 825 to 845. It took about 3 hours for them to download on to a thumb and install the new software. So far so good. Apparently not an Apple issue. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10234078-0001.pdf

Jul 13, 2023 1:33 AM in response to Baileyhubb8

I'm having the same issue with my Jeep Renegade MY2021.

After a while, the sound cracks, especially when using both a navigation app and another one to stream music (Apple Music, Spotify or anything else).

It looks like it cannot handle all of these sounds and processes going on together. I have an iPhone 13 PRO 512GB updated to the latest iOS 16.5.1.

I replaced my car radio unit (uconnect) but nothing has changed.

I'm seriously thinking about moving back to Android as Apple seems not to care about people having issues with its expensive products and devices.

Aug 10, 2023 10:42 AM in response to Baileyhubb8

I had this problem right off the bat in my new car. I spent a chunk of time texting and then speaking with members of apple support team who were unable to help. Based on the information I was provided with by a senior advisor, there is no "fix" to this issue in the works. That's funny, as basic google search reveals that the issue dates back at least 3 years. In one of the old forms, I fond a solution proposed by ethantolmachoff. I followed his advice to "try turning off Sound Check under Settings --> Music," and for 2 days now have been enjoying my Bach cantatas via the H/K sound system in the car without any static / clipping / distorted sounds. I really hope this sticks and thought I'd pass on the suggestion.


Aug 21, 2023 4:07 PM in response to Baileyhubb8

Same issue with both an iPhone XS Max and a iPhone XR wired to CarPlay on a Seat Arona 2018 (factory HeadUnit).

Latest software on vehicle and phones.


Screen is really clear and responsive, but if playing music via any app, the audio starts off clear and distortion starts to plague the sound within only a minute or two of playback.


I am an electronics engineer by trade and my initial suspicion was an over-heating power-amplifier in the head unit.

However as this problem, going by this thread, affects many vehicle makes, each with different Head Unit electronics hardware, I very much doubt it is a hardware common fault as the chances of that are virtually implausible. It definitely points to how Apple have configured the CarPlay software and it sounds like CarPlay cannot buffer the data in quick enough.


I suspect it is a simple case that Apple CarPlay has a data through-put limitation, probably due to Apples usual over-the-top security restrictions, that cause the data buffer to empty and the databus cannot keep up with demand. Hence the screen and functionality remain functional but the audio begins to contain error and missing data packets as it tries and fails to keep up with demand for visuals and audio over the one USB cable.


What is really odd though is that when the distortion starts, it muddies the audio but it doesn’t get progressively worse.


Long story short, Apple will never admit liability on these forums for anything but it is 200% an Apple Software issue and no fault of the vehicle hardware or manufacturer.


Just waiting for an advert on TV to pop up with a “Have you been mis-sold Apple Car Play in your vehicle between X and Y date, if so you could make a claim for thousands of your car!” topic 😂👍

Sep 11, 2023 7:46 AM in response to Dacoo

Yes, seams to be some kind of buffering issue. In my car, the issue disappears temporarily (10-15 minutes) if I mute and unmute the audio from the steering wheel.

The issue started suddenly ~2 years ago, and CarPlay worked fine before that.

Doing a factory reset might also help, but last week I tried it again, without any success.


It is indeed a worldwide issue, I live in the EU, but I have seen reports from all around the world.

My Apple CarPlay is making a static/crackling sound and I don’t know how to fix it.

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