CarPlay is not working after iOS 18.4.1 update

I just wanted to let everyone know that I rebooted by car Infotainment system and re-enabled CarPlay and everything now works as it did prior to installing 18.4.1.

After much trial and error came across a thread saying that turning off VPN on iPhone (in my case EXRESSVPN) can solve the problem - and it did! Now CarPlay works fine.

Further updated to 18.5, reset multimedia in car - CarPlay now works! 2019 Renault Kadjar.

Same here. So far only removing the car/head unit from CarPlay and reconnecting, then accepting the “access while locked” warning resolves it.

In settings select Bluetooth then select the Info icon of your vehicle in My Devices. Under Device type and select Car Radio.

My wired Carplay on my 2023 Mitsubishi ASX stopped working when updating to IOS 18.4, I then updated to IOS 18.4.1. Still no fix. Spoke to Apple for over an hour. Followed all of their "troubleshoots" and it still wont work. Did a reset on my car head unit too. I have an iphone 16 plus. My wife's iphone 14 that hasn't been updated to IOS 18.4 can still be recognised on my car play. So it is an issue with the new update hands down. Its been weeks now. Spend so much money on a phone where they just cant get the hardware right.

Count me in.

Connecting my iPhonePro 16 (USB C) to my car (2020 Skoda) which runs a standard manufacturer CarPlay (this isn't 3rd party).

Everything worked until 18.4.1.

Now the phone makes a connection with the CarPlay but then randomly disconnects a few secs or mins later.

It likes the connection of the cable is way too sensitive now.

Before the connection was rock solid, now you only have to move the phone a little bit(or the car goes over a bump) and it disconnects.

I've tried several different cables (USB IF certified) and nothing works.

Tried it on another iPhone 14 (lightning) running 18.3.2 and all works fine, tried it on another iPhone 16 running 18.3.2 (USB C) and it has the same issue.

Seems to be an issue with phones with a USB C port.

To be clear - Everything worked until 18.4.1.

UPDATE:

For me at least - it’s Apple Intelligence.

I’ve tried everything - nothing helped. 

Then one cable (that had not worked previously) suddenly worked again (a Juice one). 

It worked flawlessly again, wiggling the cable did not make it disconnect. 

I thought about what had changed and I remember reading on Reddit that someone mentioned Apple Intelligence. 

I’ve tried restarting AI before and it didn’t work, but I remember that I hadn’t tried every cable, for some reason switching off AI makes this (and only this) cable work.

So I tried the other cables (to be clear these cables all worked fine in the past, prior to this issue starting), assuming they would all work, and here is where it gets weird. 

Trying the other cables didn’t work, but it also then made the Juice cable not work again. 

So I restarted Apple Intelligence again and it worked again. 

Looking at this logically, Apple Intelligence is doing ‘something’ to the information that it stores about cables. 

I don’t even know if it does that, I know it checks for MFi cables but does it keep track of each cable and then that gets confused by Apple Intelligence?

I just don’t know. 

So in summary:

1- Switch off Apple Intelligence 

2- Try every cable you have (a Juice one worked for me)

3- If or when you find one that works, try turning on AI and see if it continues to work. 

This might not work for others but it’s worth a try. 

This problem just cost me $488 because I thought the problem was with my car audio system. It was 5 years old and it was having some minor annoying glitches, so I just bought a new one thinking the old one was completely failing on me. I was extremely frustrated when apple car play still didn't work on the brand new audio system. After testing different cables, and phones from friends, I was able to figure out that the oddity was that I updated to 18.4.1. My old audio system was Carrozzeria, and now a newer version of Carrozzeria. I hope they push out a fix soon.

Having the same issue. 2021 Honda Pilot. Never had an issue before 18.4.1. I’ve always run wired but since the patch, it won’t work. Tried forgetting and resetting the connection up on both the car & phone. I’m at the point of re-storing the phone and not enabling apple intelligence (someone else said that below). New iPhone 16 Pro I’d just got a month ago…. /sigh.

I've had issues with CarPlay disconnecting from my iPhone 16 Pro since updating to 18.4.1.

I've tried everything, but since 18.4.1 my CarPlay connection is flaky: if I touch the cable or drive over a bump, or in any way slightly wiggle the USB C cable it disconnects (it keeps charging though).

After trying everything (yes everything):

Clean port, new cables, resetting the car and the iPhone network settings, trying different phones running different iOS's, renaming my phone, turning off Bluetooth, VPNs, roaming, tethering.

I've even bought a very expensive USB A to USB C cable directly from Apple and it still disconnects.

I've narrowed it down to:

iPhones with Lightning ports running 18.4.1 are OK. (Lightning ports have a more secure fit than USB C).

iPhones with USB C ports running 18.4.1 all have the same disconnect behaviour.

It seems like the update made the USB C connection over-sensitive to even slight movement in the port.

18.4.1 had fixes for wireless CarPlay, it also seems to have introduced issues for wired USB C CarPlay.

The only thing that has me stumped is one phone (USBC iPhone 16 not running 18.4.1) also exhibited the disconnect behaviour.

I don't know whether updating my iPhone to iOS 18.4.1, updated CarPlay and then it also installed some sort of protocol in my car that now makes non 18.4.1 USBC iPhones randomly disconnect.

Although I know that CarPlay doesn't do this, it just mirrors your phone's display.

I guess we wait for the next update, otherwise I'm buying a wireless CarPlay adapter.

UPDATE:

For me at least - it’s Apple Intelligence.

I’ve tried everything - nothing helped. 

Then one cable (that had not worked previously) suddenly worked again (a Juice one). 

It worked flawlessly again, wiggling the cable did not make it disconnect. 

I thought about what had changed and I remember reading on Reddit that someone mentioned Apple Intelligence. 

I’ve tried restarting AI before and it didn’t work, but I remember that I hadn’t tried every cable, for some reason switching off AI makes this (and only this) cable work.

So I tried the other cables (to be clear these cables all worked fine in the past, prior to this issue starting), assuming they would all work, and here is where it gets weird. 

Trying the other cables didn’t work, but it also then made the Juice cable not work again. 

So I restarted Apple Intelligence again and it worked again. 

Looking at this logically, Apple Intelligence is doing ‘something’ to the information that it stores about cables. 

I don’t even know if it does that, I know it checks for MFi cables but does it keep track of each cable and then that gets confused by Apple Intelligence?

I just don’t know. 

So in summary:

1- Switch off Apple Intelligence 

2- Try every cable you have (a Juice one worked for me)

3- If or when you find one that works, try turning on AI and see if it continues to work. 

This might not work for others but it’s worth a try. 

Same problem for me too:

Iphone XMax with IOS 18.4.1 just updated, Apple CarPlay (which worked perfectly with my Toyota Highlander 2020 with Toyota touch MM19) stopped working after the OS update with frequent disconnects.

It only works when I turn on the car with the USB cable connected, but if I accidentally unplug and reconnect it, it can no longer find the phone. I've tried resetting and reconnecting to the car, but to no avail: the only way to get it to recognise the phone is to turn the car off and on again with the USB cable connected. Absurd and frustrating!

It worked perfectly before I updated to IOS18.4.1.

Same for me, updated to latest version and CarPlay will now not connect. Bluetooth works fine, it's just CarPlay has an issue. Reset car, no change, tried an old phone with earlier version , all fine.

18.4.1 on iPhone 16 pro max broke 2024 BMW CarPlay. Will not connect.screen message says incomparable Bluetooth.