iPhone Triggers Voice Control on My Car When Using CarPlay

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iPhone Triggers Voice Control on My Car When Using CarPlay

So I've been having this weird issue for the last, I believe, two to three years. My iPhone makes my Honda Civic EX-L 2018 think that I have activated voice control. I can tell because the same icon that shows up when I activate Siri shows up on my digital cluster randomly. This doesn't usually interrupt or affect me in any way when I'm listening to the radio or Sirius XM, however, it does get annoying when I'm playing music from my iPhone. Not only does the voice control icon shows up, but the music's audio quality decreases and the car starts using the same volume that it uses when I'm on a call or using Siri, which is significantly higher. I've gotten my fair share of heart attacks due to the sudden increase in volume, but my passengers have had it worst for sure. The car can get stuck on this mode for up to a minute, before it deactivates the voice control and returns to a normal volume. Holding the voice prompt button from my steering wheel will trigger Siri; as it should, and this is one way in which I can make the issue temporarily go away when it occurs.

I mostly listen to music through Spotify, so I do not know if maybe Spotify or another app could be causing this. I have an iPhone 14 Pro at the moment, but this issue was present even when I had an iPhone 12 Pro Max. Additionally, I have tried using two different wireless CarPlay adapters, restoring my phone and reinstalling iOS via recovery mode, different cables all the way from Apple's OEM to the questionable ones on Amazon. Unfortunately, the issue persists no matter what I do and Apple wasn't helpful when I first started experiencing this issue, so I've been living with this issue since then, but I'm getting really tired of it.

I found out someone had the same issue and reported it around the time I first started experiencing it, but he didn't get a true solution: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252162059?answerId=254137938022&sortBy=best#254137938022

Thank you for your help in advance!

iPhone 14 Pro

Posted on Dec 13, 2023 10:25 PM

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Answer 1

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camil300 Author

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8 points

Feb 14, 2024 8:02 AM in response to SravanKrA

I finally found the cause... This issue is caused by the Alexa app! Deleted the Alexa app for a whole month and the issue went away. Today I decided to reinstall it and went for a drive, the issue was back immediately. I will also add that some people on reddit said that turning off location tracking is enough to make the issue go away, while others said that this is caused by Amazon using an old Bluetooth API.

I contacted Amazon Support and provided them all of my evidence. They said that a ticket has been filed, so hopefully they resolve it within the next upcoming versions.

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Answer 2

SravanKrA

Level 10

433,304 points

Dec 13, 2023 10:31 PM in response to camil300

Here are a few additional steps you can consider to troubleshoot the problem:

In your car's settings or infotainment system, there might be an option to reset CarPlay or clear its settings. Try resetting this to see if it helps.
If there's a firmware update available for your car's entertainment system, updating it might resolve compatibility issues.
While you mentioned Spotify, try using other music apps to see if the issue persists with them as well. Sometimes, specific apps might cause compatibility problems with CarPlay.
Considering the issue has been persistent across different iPhones and multiple adapters, visiting a Honda service center might be beneficial. They might have encountered similar issues and could offer a specific solution or update for your car's system.
Exploring forums or communities dedicated to Honda Civic or CarPlay might also reveal if others have faced similar issues and found solutions.

Visiting the service center might provide specific insight or updates related to your car's system.

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Answer 3

camil300 Author

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8 points

Dec 13, 2023 10:56 PM in response to SravanKrA

So I already did everything you mentioned. I even reset my infotainment system to factory settings, took it to the dealer (they found a software update for my head-unit but it didn't fix the issue. They had never heard of this issue before and simply told me to use Apple's OEM cable), tried looking up on forums and reddit but nothing.

This issue is driving me crazy and like I said, I'm not the only one as per the link I shared. Maybe, I will switch to only Apple Music for a while and will delete Spotify in the meantime just to see if it fixes the issue.

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Answer 4

AGPFiero

Level 1

8 points

Jan 15, 2024 7:16 AM in response to camil300

My phone/car does this too, except I have a 2021 Ford Escape. it started with my iPhone 12PM and my prior Ford C-Max, and continues with my iPhone 14PM. The car thinks voice activation was triggered at the same spot when I’m driving away from home and triggers at the same spot when I arrive at home. I assume it has something to do with a geo-fence setting and disabled all but it still continues. I use Apple Music also. Posting my experience in case a fix gets posted here.

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Answer 5

SravanKrA

Level 10

433,304 points

Dec 13, 2023 10:28 PM in response to camil300

Apple CarPlay™ takes the things you want to do with your iPhone® while driving and puts them right on your car's bui... Watch now on Honda Info C

Apple CarPlay™ - 2018 Honda Civic Coupe EX-L

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Answer 6

camil300 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 15, 2024 7:23 AM in response to AGPFiero

I posted the issue on reddit with a video. Please let me know if it looks like the same issue:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CarPlay/s/DO7ZmpgvW3

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iPhone Triggers Voice Control on My Car When Using CarPlay

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