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carplay vs bluetooth

I have a dual system in my vehicle - a factory fitted stereo with Bluetooth (provides telephony and music streaming), and an after-market CarPlay head unit (connects to the phone via WiFi, and broadcasts to the radio). I have the iPhone set up to connect to both devices (as the telephony from the in-car system is so much better). This has worked perfectly in the past.


I have disabled the ability for the phone to stream audio to the car stereo in the stereo itself. I cannot find how to turn that off in the phone though. When the phone connects to the CarPlay system, it insists in trying to stream music from whatever source (the Music app, radio app or Spotify) to the Bluetooth instead of the CarPlay.


in all other ways, the CarPlay system is flawless. When I had the setup in place in a previous vehicle, I didn’t have this problem - music was always played through the CarPlay as a first choice.


my question here is - how do I force the phone to play music through the CarPlay as a first choice, in these situations ?


thanks. I am using an iPhone 14 and IOS17

Posted on Oct 8, 2023 11:57 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 9, 2023 12:00 AM

  1. Bluetooth Audio Settings:
    • Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
    • Scroll down and tap on Bluetooth.
    • Find the entry for your car's Bluetooth system and tap the 'i' icon next to it.
    • Look for an option like "Media Audio," "Audio Routing," or something similar. It might be different depending on your car's Bluetooth system.
    • Ensure that this option is set to "Off" or "Do not connect" for audio playback. This should prevent your iPhone from automatically streaming audio to the Bluetooth system.
  1. CarPlay Audio Settings:
    • Still in the Settings app, scroll down to General and tap on it.
    • Tap on CarPlay.
    • Select your CarPlay system from the list.
    • Ensure that the "Audio" or "Media Audio" setting is enabled for your CarPlay system. This should make your iPhone prioritize audio output through CarPlay when it's connected.
  1. App-Specific Settings:
    • In some cases, certain apps have their own audio output settings that might override your system preferences.
    • Open the app you want to use with CarPlay (e.g., Music, Spotify, etc.).
    • Check within the app's settings for any audio output preferences and ensure it's set to use CarPlay.
  1. Forget and Reconnect Bluetooth:
    • If the issue persists, you may try forgetting your car's Bluetooth connection and then reconnecting it.
    • Go back to the Bluetooth settings on your iPhone.
    • Tap the 'i' icon next to your car's Bluetooth connection and select "Forget This Device."
    • Reconnect to your car's Bluetooth system.


Similar questions

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 9, 2023 12:00 AM in response to GeofC

  1. Bluetooth Audio Settings:
    • Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
    • Scroll down and tap on Bluetooth.
    • Find the entry for your car's Bluetooth system and tap the 'i' icon next to it.
    • Look for an option like "Media Audio," "Audio Routing," or something similar. It might be different depending on your car's Bluetooth system.
    • Ensure that this option is set to "Off" or "Do not connect" for audio playback. This should prevent your iPhone from automatically streaming audio to the Bluetooth system.
  1. CarPlay Audio Settings:
    • Still in the Settings app, scroll down to General and tap on it.
    • Tap on CarPlay.
    • Select your CarPlay system from the list.
    • Ensure that the "Audio" or "Media Audio" setting is enabled for your CarPlay system. This should make your iPhone prioritize audio output through CarPlay when it's connected.
  1. App-Specific Settings:
    • In some cases, certain apps have their own audio output settings that might override your system preferences.
    • Open the app you want to use with CarPlay (e.g., Music, Spotify, etc.).
    • Check within the app's settings for any audio output preferences and ensure it's set to use CarPlay.
  1. Forget and Reconnect Bluetooth:
    • If the issue persists, you may try forgetting your car's Bluetooth connection and then reconnecting it.
    • Go back to the Bluetooth settings on your iPhone.
    • Tap the 'i' icon next to your car's Bluetooth connection and select "Forget This Device."
    • Reconnect to your car's Bluetooth system.


carplay vs bluetooth

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