Apple Carplay Setup And Connect Iphone To Car
How to use iPhone in the car or everything you need to know about CarPlay. A smartphone is one of the most popular modern devices. It is designed not only for talking, but also for listening to music or using GPS navigation. This case has not escaped the attention of car manufacturers, which are increasingly providing the ability to integrate the phone with the radio into the car.
Integration means that by connecting the phone to the car we will see on the screen the selected applications that we use daily. In addition to navigation, it can be news, films, photos and programs. The type of application depends on which phone you are using. In addition, it is closely dependent on the connection standard: Android Auto, Bosch mySPIN, Ford AppLink, CarPlay, MirrorLink or MHL. We will review the most popular system. CarPlay.
The solution, developed by Apple and appeared on the market 5 years ago, works only with American branded phones. In most cars, it works through a traditional USB connection. Starting with the new BMW 5 Series, KarPlay will also be available wirelessly. To see the phone’s applications on the radio screen, you don’t need to use a USB cable.
How to check phone compatibility with CarPlay?
CarPlay mode is used only on some iPhone. It is available in the following models: 5, 5C, 5S, 6, S Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, SE, 7 and 7 Plus. This feature is not available for iPad and iPod Touch. CarPlay is installed by default on any compatible iPhone and does not require additional programs.
How to check car radio compatibility with CarPlay?
The solution is available only on multimedia radios with a large color screen, on which, for example, you can display a map of the navigation system. Compatible radio devices are not usually marked with the CarPlay logo symbol. Therefore, to make sure that the head unit of the car works with the iPhone, you can use the website of the car manufacturer and look for a bookmark on the compatibility of phones with factory installed equipment. Although on some cars (for example, Volvo XC90), CarPlay mode is available only after updating the radio firmware, which requires a visit to the station.
How to set up a smartphone for CarPlay?
In the general settings of your phone, select the CarPlay option. For proper operation, you need to activate the Siri voice assistant function (also in the general settings of the smartphone). Please note that on some vehicles, the CarPlay function may not work properly if you set the phone language to other than English (US).
How to connect the phone to the car radio?
Both devices are connected via a USB cable. But on some cars equipped with several USB-connectors (for example, BMW, Opel), only one of them is designed to connect in CarPlay mode. Unless specifically indicated, you need to check the correctness of the manual. When connecting the phone, make sure that the screen is unlocked. Otherwise, the CarPlay function will not turn on.
To use Wireless CarPlay, you need to enable the Bluetooth function on your phone and then activate voice control in the car.
How does Karplay work?
The main menu of CarPlay, which appears on the screen at startup, is the default program selected by Apple. The icons are large and clearly marked, which greatly facilitates use. The entire user interface is designed for voice control, which requires knowledge of the English language. This is especially true for Apple Maps, in which the manual entry of the address was hidden from the user. Unfortunately, the program does not recognize Russian names of streets and cities that are pronounced in a voice. Thus, it remains to spend time entering the target manually. In this regard, Apple Maps is certainly an inconvenient navigation program. In addition, Apple Maps also does not have a warning about police cameras and other problems.
In terms of stability, CarPlay is rated very highly. The program does not freeze and does not slow down. None of the tested cars had problems that often happened in Mirror Link or in Android Auto. The telephone mode also works well. no one complained about the quality of voice and sound.
Apple CarPlay also works for listening to music, podcasts or Internet radio. The sound quality is very good, and the search for recordings is intuitive (you can use the recordings on the Internet and store them on your iPhone). Unfortunately, the choice of programs is very limited, in this regard, Apple continues to give way to Google.
Pros and cons of the program
Disadvantages of Apple CarPlay
- Inconvenient manual entry of navigation address
- Bad Apple Maps Navigation
- Limited number of applications
- The high cost of buying new phones
Benefits of Apple CarPlay
- Stable operation in CarPlay mode
- Convenient menu with a list of applications
- Large selection of music listening software
- Voice control with Siri function
