Carplay doesn't auto connect and toyota app problems.

[Delta1Seven]

I’ve had my truck for about three months, and while I love many things about it, I can’t help but be frustrated with some issues—especially considering the truck costs nearly $55k. The most annoying problem is that CarPlay doesn’t auto-connect half the time.

Apple Car Play + Remote Start:
As far as I can notice, it seems if the truck sits overnight, Carplay won't auto-connect if I remote start the truck using the App (haven't tested with the keyfob if the results are the same). Does anyone have a fix to this? My iPhone is on the latest iOS and BT and wifi are both on. I have also tried repairing my phone multiple times.

(Don't get me started on how bad the remote start from the KeyFob is. Seems like it "lags" when trying to do the 3 Locks to initiate the remote start, and the truck only registers 1-2 clicks of the key fob the majority of the time)

UPDATE: After seeing @Sner's post below, I tested and he is 100% correct. When you remote start, it appears the truck is searching for a phone immediately and "times-out" after a short amount of time. This means if you remote start but aren't within wifi/bluetooth range of your truck, Carplay won't automatically connect. I was able to test this by standing right outside my truck when I remote start it, and Carplay does connect. It only doesn't connect when I am further away like in my house, which stinks because that's when I actually want to use remote start!

Toyota App:
Every time I start my truck, the Toyota app on my phone asks to "Allow" to communicate. It seems whether you allow or deny, it still works, assuming the carplay was going to connect in the first place.

What's even more annoying, is once you make a choice, it auto-opens the Toyota app and then even if you close the app, it still leaves location services ON for the app (I get the icon on the top of my phone screen showing an app is tracking my location). I have the App set to "Allow location Access while only using the app", but seems like it still uses it until I force-close the app.

Does anyone know of any remedies of these issues? I can't be the only one!

Sponsored

 

[Sner]

So same for me on the auto start. Anytime you auto start the truck with the app or the remote, car play does not connect. Any other time it connects flawlessly. The way I explain it to myself is that when the truck is started with the auto start, the head unit looks for a phone to connect to, and of course it's not there because it was auto started. Then when you get to the truck, it's done looking for the phone and doesn't look for the phone until you hard reset the audio head unit, or next key cycle. It's why so many say to hard start the audio unit and it reconnects - while a solution or just go into your bluetooth settings and toggle on use apple car play, and phone will connect. A rather huge oversight in engineering .... hope an update comes.

Worse is the radio not muting when a text message comes in. Ridiculous, and Toyota blames it on Apple and Apple blames it on Toyota, and we're just stuck with a half baked system that we paid for.

As far as location services, I've not paid much attention to it, I'm more worried about the things that don't work over things that "are" working in the background.

 

[Goriders]

Don’t think there is one for the remote start issue. I just go into settings and turn on carplay each time I remote start.

 

[TacoHulk]

@Delta1Seven - I'm an Android user. I have a similar problem with Android Auto not connecting automatically, but it only happens about 20% of the time. And it's not when I'm using remote start. I can't pinpoint a rhyme or reason for it.

If I restart the truck, or go into the settings and turn on Android Auto, it connects. It's definitely frustrating, but in my case it is not the remote start that's causing it. I'm looking for an answer too!

 

[Superjet]

I use remote start daily. This is an easy fix Toyota, dont have the radio boot up until you do take over.

 

[B-52 Gunner]

Same issue with my Android and assumed that's how it works since my phone is an older generation (S9). However, had my Pro in for 5,000 service and warranty work. Got a 2024 Highlander loaner for 3 days and it automatically connected every time. WTF?

 

[Delta1Seven]

The way I explain it to myself is that when the truck is started with the auto start, the head unit looks for a phone to connect to, and of course it's not there because it was auto started.

So I've done some testing the last few days and I think you are 100% correct. I tested remote starting the truck but being outside the truck (within wifi/bluetooth range), and my carplay connects when remote starting. But if I am inside my home or further away when I remote start, carplay doesn't automatically connect until I manually search for my phone on the head unit after I get in.

Toyota should really have Carplay search for a phone after you hop in your truck and physically push the start button after a remote start. A huge miss on whoever designed the headunit software.

 

[Sner]

So I've done some testing the last few days and I think you are 100% correct. I tested remote starting the truck but being outside the truck (within wifi/bluetooth range), and my carplay connects when remote starting. But if I am inside my home or further away when I remote start, carplay doesn't automatically connect until I manually search for my phone on the head unit after I get in.

Toyota should really have Carplay search for a phone after you hop in your truck and physically push the start button after a remote start. A huge miss on whoever designed the headunit software.

Toyota needs to make the unit continue to look for a device until it finds a phone to connect to. The logic in the system should be, if I was connected to this phone when the truck was shut off, I should continue to look for that same device (say every"x" seconds) until I connect to the last known device. Simple software update. That said, the whole operation of Car Play in the Toyotas from what I've read is a total cluster fornication compared to how other manufacturers units operate.

 

[SnowmanJPS]

Same issue on my up to date 2025, I couldn’t get CarPlay to connect this morning but managed to figure out how to finally use Bluetooth instead

 

[Sagebrush]

The remote start via the app uses cell connectivity. If the phone isn’t within Bluetooth range, it can’t connect.

It’s an easy fix once in the truck. Just hold the volume knob in until the screen reboots.

 

[Sner]

The remote start via the app uses cell connectivity. If the phone isn’t within Bluetooth range, it can’t connect.

It’s an easy fix once in the truck. Just hold the volume knob in until the screen reboots.

you can also just go into bluetooth, devices, and toggle back on use Apple Car Play, also solves the problem.

 

[SnowmanJPS]

How do you connect wired CarPlay does it have to plug into the side of the screen? I want to try something after work

 

[SnowmanJPS]

you can also just go into bluetooth, devices, and toggle back on use Apple Car Play, also solves the problem.

I couldn’t get that to fix my problem this morning, it locked me out of CarPlay

 

[Sner]

I couldn’t get that to fix my problem this morning, it locked me out of CarPlay

Always works for me ... to hard wire into CarPlay, at the right hand side of the screen there is a USB C port to plug into it.

 

[Goriders]

The remote start via the app uses cell connectivity. If the phone isn’t within Bluetooth range, it can’t connect.

It’s an easy fix once in the truck. Just hold the volume knob in until the screen reboots.

The other fix is go into settings and turn carplay on for your phone. It gets turned off in the scenario you described above.

A little annoying but takes 5 seconds. I just deal with it. But a software update would be nice.

Sponsored