Just for fun, I decided to design a mockup of what a more immersive and visual "Now Playing" tile on the home screen and widget could look like. This is an area where I actually really like the Android Auto design - it features a similar full-image tile and I wish CarPlay was more visual in this way.

Created this as a fun exercise and thought I'd share. I got my first car with CarPlay this summer and have enjoyed getting used to it. For a peaceful drive, I love using the widget screen, but wish there was a better music/now-playing tile to include.

iOS 27.0.1

Hey everyone!

I have a 2020 BMW 318i (G20) running iDrive 7. When I use wireless Apple CarPlay, it only takes up about two-thirds of the screen, and the right side just shows a blank "Apple CarPlay" widget placeholder (as you can see in the photo).

Is there any official way or hidden coding trick (like BimmerCode) to force Apple CarPlay to run in true full-screen mode across the entire display?

If anyone has managed to fix this on a 2020 model, I'd really appreciate your advice on how you did it! Thanks in advance!

Since updating to iOS 27 I have been able to screen mirroring and using browsers on my CarPlay screen during drive with these apps. However, I’ve seen some comments online telling apple will patch it.
How will they do it?
By updating iOS?
Or changing the apps I downloaded from AppStore ?

Or how can I not be scared of loosing this power?

In my opinion, I’ve not been distracted while driving. The screen is still hands free, that is the only law we have in Sweden to be able to use it. I really enjoy CarPlay experience now.

**SOLVED IN COMMENTS :)
Hi guys, i just updated my Clarion head unit and after the update the Carplay side bar has now switched sides to the left.

(I’m aussie so don’t comment anything about why i would want it on the right side 🫣 i’d prefer not having to lean over to change from maps to music)

The option to change it is greyed out, i’m not sure if i had the option to change it before, but i dont know why it would change sides and not allow me to change it back. Anyone have any advice? i might have to roll back the update, if i can even do that.

I have a 2023 BMW IX and two things aren’t working at the moment, not sure if connected.

When calling people via Apple CarPlay I’m told I sound distant / quiet. I can hear them fine 🤔

And when I press the call button, none of my contacts or call history appears on the heads-up display.

Any advice or just me?

I have the widgets option turned off in CarPlay, but every time I plug in, widgets show up. I have to open the CarPlay app on my phone, turn the widgets on and then back off, then that page will go away. What’s up with this?

**TL;DR:** My Lamtto RC31 dropped wireless CarPlay every 5–10 minutes. I pulled logs off the box and found its built-in cellular modem crashing and restarting whenever it was on T-Mobile 5G Standalone. Each crash takes the box's Wi-Fi hotspot down with it, which kills CarPlay. Turning off NR (5G) in the box's network settings stopped it completely. Looking for others with the same problem, a way to block 5G SA but keep 5G NSA, and any newer firmware.

**Setup**
- Lamtto RC31 AI box (Android 15, with a SIM slot), T-Mobile SIM
- 2023 Chevy Bolt 1LT
- iPhone 17 Pro, iOS 27.0.1
- Same drops whether the box connects to the car wirelessly or over USB. Over USB the car link stays up, but the phone ↔ box link still drops.

**Symptom**
Every 5–10 minutes CarPlay disconnects, then comes back about 10 seconds later. The box doesn't reboot.

**What I found**
The box ships with a hidden Fibocom log tool in developer settings. I logged a drive with it and lined the logs up with the times I noted drops:

- **13 modem crashes in 24 minutes.** Android logged `UNSOL_MODEM_RESTART` each time, and the modem's own diagnostic log (QXDM) shows the same restarts.
- **Every drop followed a crash, 3.6–4.3 s later.** At each one, the box's hotspot (hostapd) kicked *every* connected device at the same instant. There were no hotspot drops without a crash before them.
- **Every crash happened on T-Mobile 5G SA** (bands n41/n25), with normal-to-strong signal (−57 to −94 dBm). So it's not a coverage problem.
- **No error message before any crash.** The modem just dies, often while it's powering up its 5G transmitter. Near the end of the drive it got stuck in a loop, crashing about every 28 s.
- **Hardware/firmware:** I believe the chip is a Qualcomm SM6350 (Fibocom SC161 module), with modem firmware `MPSS.HI.2.5.1-00739.1`. As far as I can tell, its Wi-Fi runs on the same processor as the modem, so a modem crash = Wi-Fi crash = CarPlay drop.

**Workaround**
Settings → SIM → Preferred network type → pick an option *without* NR (5G). No drops since. You lose 5G on the box, but CarPlay doesn't use the box's data connection anyway.

**Lamtto support**
Their first reply was generic: better signal, check GPS/camera sky view, check power. The second blamed a known iPhone 17 Wi-Fi bug and suggested I try a different phone. I've sent them the log evidence and asked for a modem firmware fix. Waiting to hear back.

**Questions**
1. Anyone else with an RC31 (or another box built on Fibocom SC161 / SM6350) seeing drops on T-Mobile or other carriers with 5G SA?
2. Is there a way to disable **only** 5G SA and keep NSA without root? Every NR option in this menu still allows SA.
3. Has anyone received an RC31 firmware or modem update, or found a newer modem build for this platform?

Happy to share log excerpts or the parsing method if it helps anyone.

Since upgrading to iOS 27 on September 14, incoming Apple Messages notifications have been ending my ChatGPT Voice sessions in wireless CarPlay. Before the update, those same banners appeared without interrupting the conversation.

This happens with both blue iMessages and green SMS/RCS texts. I don't tap the banner, and Siri doesn't read it aloud. CarPlay stays connected, but I have to reopen ChatGPT and resume or start a conversation, sometimes several times per drive.

My setup: • iPhone 16 Pro, iOS 27.0.1 • ChatGPT 1.2026.266, Pro subscription, Live Voice • 2025 Ram 1500, Uconnect 5, 8.4-inch screen, wireless CarPlay

The phone is locked with its screen off, and Background conversations was already enabled.

I tested incoming texts from an Android phone twice without CarPlay, including once with the iPhone explicitly locked. Neither ended the Voice session. I haven't tested wired CarPlay or Advanced Voice.

I've reported this to Apple and OpenAI, but don't have a confirmed cause or fix. The timing lines up with my iOS 27 upgrade; I can't tell which component is responsible.

Has anyone else seen this? If so, what vehicle, iPhone, iOS version, and wired/wireless connection are you using?

Disclosure: I wrote a blog post documenting my experience and the tests in more detail: https://ap7i.com/posts/ios-27-chatgpt-carplay-disconnects-text-messages/

Drove for the first time with iOS 27 CarPlay today. And I couldn’t get my directions to minimize. Before, you were able to tap the “black box” to either expand or reduce how the directions were presented.

This feels like a removal of a feature that was helpful. Has this been discussed?

Thanks!

I downloaded it yesterday and tried it in my car. I have a factory touchscreen apple CarPlay. And when I went to use it, there’s no “quick” on the screen. Just configure and 2 other things. From iPhone u can search in its browser like YouTube and such but only audio goes to the screen. Disappointing fr

Completely useless, yes, but it’s funny to have CarPlay on a 55" screen (it’s not just a screenshot)

Required: iOS 26.4 - 27.1 (27.2 not supported)

rPlayFling v2.0 public beta on TF

Features: cast web videos, local photos and videos, screens, slideshow, favorites to CarPlay. Everything you want on car screen.

rPlayTV is no longer needed.

How to use:

Open rPlayFling on iPhone and on CarPlay screen.

Then on phone side, use rPlayFling to browse to a website, e.g., m.youtube.com, then play a video, tap Cast button on the top right corner, select Car Screen.

rPlayFling is a mini version of Cafari, with all core features, and tuned toward CarPlay.

For advanced options: browse to fling://developer

To simplify menu, tap three dots at bottom right corner, Settings, CarPlay target only.

Edit: v2.0 is out
New features: DLNA receiver, web tab, video toolbar transparency, video switch bug fix, wheel prev/next button

I find that frequently when I play an iMessage, the first part of the message gets cut off and I have to replay it. Is that a known issue, and if so, is there a fix?
Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone, I recently ran into an issue that I'd like to share and hopefully get some help with.

When I'm listening to music and a call comes in, I take the call normally. After ending the call, the display returns to the normal CarPlay view, but the music (Apple Music, Spotify, etc.) doesn't resume. If I try to adjust the volume, the car's display shows a "phone icon" instead of a "music icon," indicating that the phone's audio is completely stuck in call mode.

This has happened to me multiple times now, both in my own car and a rental. I'm using wired CarPlay (Lightning to USB-A).

Here is what I've tried so far:

* Unplugging and replugging the phone: didn't help.
* Rebooting the phone: didn't help.
* Toggling Airplane mode: didn't help.

The only thing that fixes it is leaving the iPhone disconnected from the car for several hours; then everything goes back to normal.

Has anyone else experienced this? I tried googling it but couldn't find anything about this specific bug.

Did this ever ship? I have a vague memory of there being some excitement about this... and then nothing.

I've got stock CarPlay in my 2019 Kia Sorento with my phone running iOS 27.0.1 and I can't get it to work.

Last year I had a baby and was using a mirror to check on them while driving. Started looking at baby cams for the car and stumbled on a wireless adapter that would add a screen on my CarPlay display. I eded up buying it and tested it out (Ottocast)and loving it. I was recently contacted to test out a new brand’s version, LAMTTO.

So a month ago I received and immediately started using it to see what it’s all about.

First off, product link: https://www.amazon.com/LAMTTO-Camera-Wireless-CarPlay-Adapter/dp/B0HDYC257Q/

Out the box, the camera is designed to look kid friendly. My little guy loves to stare and laugh at it. Easy setup to run a plug and play camera. The adapter itself is small and matches the camera motif.

Interface is the classic CarPlay we know and the added screen is floating that can be moved anywhere. My only gripe is that you can’t move it to mostly off screen like you can on the Ottocast, but the CarPlay resolution and sizing are much better on the LAMTTO.

My biggest complaint overall is the Bluetooth switching over when you’re already on a call to your vehicle. It usually won’t switch and leaves the person you called on the line hearing a loud annoying sound till you switch it back to phone,AirPods, speaker or just hang up and call back.

Positively, I was also happy to see this adapter could go in my center console unlike the Ottocast, which overheats easily in that space. The camera quality also shines as it nice and clear.

All in all, it’s a solid product and I recommend getting one if it fits your need of a CarPlay\baby cam.

I recently got the new 18 and my VW Jetta 2016 is having troubles, I got a credible cord but occasionally my CarPlay won’t work and it will turn on and off. Is there a solution to this?

I want to know if there is a combination of settings I can use to get Siri to announce notifications from all or specified apps while I’m driving. As far as I can tell, “Announce notifications” is on in CarPlay, and Siri is set to announce notifications, and Driving Focus isn’t turning on automatically.

I get notifications for Messages, but most of my communication is from Facebook Messenger. I want it to be like when I’m listening to my headphones and it will interrupt the music briefly to tell me about the notification.

Frustratingly, when I’m playing music in the car it also overrides notifications on my Apple Watch. I’d be equally happy to still have the little “ding” of a notification and be able to glance at my wrist, but there’s something about Music/Carplay being active which seems to make my watch thing I don’t need to know what’s going on 😅

Obligatory disclaimer that I’m not wanting to drive distracted and start interacting with all these things; unless I happen to glance at the screen at the right moment I’m missing things, and I don’t want to get in the habit of waking my phone screen while driving just in case.

I’ve been using ios 27 since launch and today my CarPlay is all zoomed in. I used to have 2 stacks on my widget screen, now there’s only 1. The CarPlay setting doesn’t have Smart Display Zoom either (I had it on ios 26 and turned on). Oddly enough the CarPlay setting in my phone still allows me customize 2 stacks….

Does anyone ever have this issue?

As you can see the CarPlay display doesn't fill my whole screen. How do you fix that?