iOS 26 Carplay Podcast Audio Clipping (Distorted)

Extreme clipping.. Broken for me too. iPhone 11, CarPlay through usb, audible gain is like +10db and is clipping bad. Opening the camera app solves it while the camera is open, when I close it, it goes back to extreme gain.

I'm having this very issue with podcasts on Carplay via usb! iPhone 11, installed iOS 26 on Saturday night. Connected to my car via USB port and using Overcast to listen to podcasts. The voices are distorted from unwanted audio gain. I switched to Apple Podcasts, same problem. I changed some settings, didn't fix the problem. When I am connected to the car via bluetooth, I have NO problems. Also no problem when listening with the phone's built in speaker. I hope that Apple fixes this bug soon!!

This morning I upgraded to 26.1.

Problem solved!

iPhone 11 Pro Max

I would check the Input audio settings for the vehicle connection for CarPlay. Some vehicle manufacturers allow you to set input audio volume for different types of audio in the settings for the multimedia systems in the vehicle.

For instance, I had the call audio volume set to low for the ringer, but the call audio level was set just right in my vehicle.

I have the same issue with 2020 SE. About the camera work-around, it seems that any app that uses the microphone will get rid of the issue. So I found an app that can run in the background, uses the microphone, and thus normalizes the CarPlay sound for Audible. The app that I use is called "Microphone Live". The orange background for the time display on my car's display indicates that the mic. is used, also the phone similarly uses the orange color for the same reason.

Same problem - iPhone 11, since upgrading to iOS26, using YouTube music in Carplay, only a podcast seems to get unwanted audio gain and distortion. Opening the camera app whilst in the car put it back to normal. Music in the same app seems unaffected.

For me the problem is fixed with iOS 26.1!! (iPhone SE 2020)

Yes. I updated my iPhone SE (2nd gen) to iOS 26.1 and the issue has resolved.

iOS 26.1 resolves this for me. iPhone 11, CarPlay, Podcasts.

Updating to 26.1 fixed the issue for me on my iPhone 11.

Same issue here. iPhone 11 Pro and iOS26 when connected to CarPlay.

Mostly notice using PocketCasts app.

Opening the camera also 'fixes' the issue for me as others have suggested.

Audio via Bluetooth is perfectly OK.

This worked for me (@starwebb443). I have an iPhone 11 and while the podcast is playing, opening the camera app will immediately cause the audio to improve. Very weird.

This is crazy! As long as the camera app is open, audio quality goes to normal. When closed or pushed to run in the background, audio quality goes bad!

I found a workaround that works for me. Go to Apple Music setting, go to EQ, turn OFF. This helped reduce quite a bit of distortion. It’s still there but not nearly as much.

I also have a 2nd gen SE, with its original battery (still doing just fine), and I have this problem as well. It is only present when playing through Carplay and it is present for both the Podcast and the Books app. I too have noticed that if I engage the camera the problem goes away. I have reported this to Apple Feedback.

I will try turning off the Dolby Atmos at the EQ to see if that changes anything.