How to disable car autoplay on iPhone

I purchased a new Subaru and every time I start the car my paired iPhone auto-plays music. How do I stop the music from playing automatically?

MacBook, iPhone OS 3.1.2, Car Bluetooth

Posted on Apr 14, 2011 5:48 PM

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118 replies

Aug 16, 2015 3:06 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Meg St. Clair wrote:

"If you lack the self-control to avoid buying music while driving, you lack the self-control to be driving."

On the contrary it seems like no one is purchasing while driving, but Apple continues promoting tracks that autoplay when we drive, forcing drivers to stop paying attention to the road in order to pause the music track. Again, I think it's a serious problem for safety.

Aug 16, 2015 5:20 PM in response to emiliefromca

emiliefromca wrote:


Meg St. Clair wrote:

"If you lack the self-control to avoid buying music while driving, you lack the self-control to be driving."

On the contrary it seems like no one is purchasing while driving, but Apple continues promoting tracks that autoplay when we drive,

I don't have that problem with Apple Music. It has never "auto played" anything for me.

Aug 27, 2015 1:35 PM in response to skuip

I recently got an Alpine head unit to replace the ancient factory unit in my car, which failed. I have noticed that this problem happens with any audio program. In my case, if I were in the midst of playing audio through any of the following apps, audio automatically resumes when as soon as the iPhone 5s pairs with the Alpine unit: Music, Podcasts, Downcast, TuneIn Radio, KCRW and the di.fm apps.


The major problem is that the internet apps (TuneIn, KCRW, di.fm) use the cellular network. So, huge chunks of my monthly 2 gigabyte limit are being eaten away if I don't catch the app right away. What's even worse is that apps like TuneIn will continue to buffer music if you just pause playback. So, I have to kill the app or to go into the app and press the stop square, instead of the pause button. (In this regard, the di.fm apps get it right. The pause button halts streaming, period. No buffering.)


This is infuriating because these software bugs are preventing me from doing the things that I want to do with my phone: check email, browse, send pictures to friends. These are the things for which I need the cellular network.


The solution so far has been to deny access to the cellular network to all of these streaming apps, and to turn off Background App Refresh to most of the apps. My data usage is now somewhat close to normal, but this software bug has taken too much of my time.


Neither the phone nor the stereo offer the option of stopping bluetooth autoplay. At least one of these parties needs to act.

Sep 7, 2015 2:10 PM in response to skuip

I contacted Alpine about this problem. Here is their response:


The only way to stop it is by turning the Alpine receiver to FM tuner source before you get off of the vehicle.




Thank you



Alpine Electronics of America, Inc. Customer Support


At this point this seem to be a "feature" or a "bug" of the Bluetooth specifications. I'm willing to bet that the majority of people view this as a bug. I certainly do.


I hope Apple introduces a feature to fix this "feature" of Bluetooth.

Sep 30, 2015 3:28 AM in response to skuip

Ended my 5 year association with Android and got me the iPhone 6s on 25th September.

Phone is great, but still annoying to find that it autoplays on bluetooth. My car doesn't even support A2DP streaming, so I do not even realise most of the time that the music has turned itself on. (Ford Mondeo 2009 model)


Surprising to find this thread dating back form 2011 onwards, an issue that has been around for so long and still not fixed? No hope then?


I have sent a bug feedback using a link someone provided here, but now I am not sure it is of much use, when the problem has been around for so long.


A phone that costs a fortune still has annoying bits in it.

Oct 10, 2015 7:34 PM in response to emiliefromca

Just adding my voice to the chorus of people who have been complaining about this for years. Can't believe iOS9 didn't address it. Apple could be responsible for killing people if this isn't addressed. APPLE: THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, NOT A CONVENIENCE ISSUE. (Excuse the all-caps.)


Using bluetooth in my car for handsfree calls. Apple Music comes on with a random song from my collection, even when the Music app is closed, every time I enter the car, or end a phone call. Then I have to unlock the phone, open the app, and close the app again, to get it to stop. (While DRIVING of course). Then, as soon as I get out of and back in my car, or, have a call end while driving, the zombie Music returns to startle me with more music at full volume.


FYI, I'm driving a VW with standard stereo. However I experienced the same issue in my brother's Prius, as well as in a Ford rental car. It may not happen in every vehicle but it's clearly Apple's problem.

Feb 10, 2016 2:30 PM in response to livinginaboxers

This has been ******* me off for years. Same exact problem as you. I've tried everything including removing all my Music from the device yet it still streams from iCloud. Then I turned use cellular data for music off and it still manages to play one song. The SAME song every time.


And it even sometimes starts autoplaying WHILE I'm on a phone call. In the middle of my call I hear music playing and have to force close the music app. Ridiculous.


EVERYONE needs to give feedback to http://www.apple.com/feedback/


It's the only way for developers to add a "Disable Auto Play" option and they probably won't do it unless we bombard them with requests.

Mar 8, 2016 6:51 AM in response to iSteve86

I think this problem has taken 5 years off my life from stress. I've had my car stereo over 5 years now and every morning I am tortured with the song Albatross, because it's the first song in my list alphabetically... Oh how I have come to loathe that song!!! Because apparently apple decides for me that it's the only song I like listening to while driving the kids to school in the morning. When you plug in the phone, you can bet Albatross will start playing, as it always does. Come on, Apple, you can't even solve this one simple problem? How can we expect any innovation from a company that can't even get a simple autoplay setting implemented correctly?


And please. Let us have some peace and quiet when we get into our cars in the morning. PLEASE


PS... Cancelling our Apple Music subscription if this isn't fixed in the next update.

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How to disable car autoplay on iPhone

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