iPhone Dock Mode - Explanation

Meg,

Thanks for the reply, but there is dock mode for the iPhone. I am aware of CarPlay and this is not what I am referring to. When you connect an iPhone to the USB port (with the lightning to USB cable) in a vehicle that supports the iPhone it acts like an iPod. The controls are on the vehicle and emulate those of an iPod.

If I have the Aux Input (USB port) turned on in the vehicle the iPhone will start playing music on it's own from the last song I was playing when I used iTunes on the iPhone outside the vehicle. This is annoying as I also use the USB port to play from Apps like Downcast and other Podcast type Apps and I have to go through this sequence of unplugging the cable and restarting the App to get it to play properly and override the iPhone trying to play from iTunes.

Howard

I am totally clear on how the car interface works with the iPhone playing songs from the iTunes library. It works just like an iPod with the control keys on the steering wheel. This is not my issue.

What I am having trouble with are Apps that play via the Lightning to USB port, which shows as 'Dock Connector' in the pop up menu for the audio destination. They all act the same, not playing when I press the play on the Apps like Downcast; Apple Podcast; This American Life and StoryCorps to name a few even though I am telling it to connect to the "dock connector' versus the "iPhone". It is acting like the iTunes -> iPod mode is not releasing the dock interface even though I explicitly tell it to. I suppose this could be the vehicle not releasing it, but was wondering if there is a way to prevent the iPhone from going into the iPod mode when I plug it to charge in the vehicle. I always need to unplug and reconnect the interface with the App running before I can play the App audio via the car audio system.

Thanks for taking the time to try and help out.

Howard