Carplay tips

Introduction

Before we jump into what can be done with CarPlay, let’s first talk about the ways to connect your iPhone to CarPlay. The most common way to connect your iPhone to CarPlay is by using a Lightning cable – simply plug it into the USB port in your car.

Newer cars, like the BMW 5-series, may also offer wireless AirPlay support via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. This allows you to access CarPlay without having to fiddle with cables every time you get in and out of your car. 

This won’t work with all cars that feature CarPlay, and if you're unsure, you should take a look at your car’s manual for more information.

Tips and Tricks

• Find your car

Especially helpful for those who travel to a different city, this feature allows you to find your vehicle quickly. To enable the option, you need to go to Settings, then Maps. Here scroll down to find the Show Parked Location and turn it on.

• Expand the apps selection

Using Siri, you can interact with other applications that you installed on your iPhone. You can dictate notes, for example, or ask Siri to set the alarm for you, even if CarPlay does not support the Notes and Alarm apps.

• Siri shortcuts

Siri shortcuts bring some ease to your daily routines. You have the capability of setting up a shortcut on your own, which might require a learning curve, or you can utilize shortcuts that have already been created by another user. Here is an example of a shortcut: Set Siri to route directions from your WAZE app or Google Maps instead of Apple Maps.

• Create and download playlists

While you can play anything from Apple Music when using CarPlay, it’s worth noting that streaming music will eat up your data, and we suggest creating car-specific playlists before driving and making them available offline when connected to Wi-Fi.

• Siri can tweet, WhatsApp and more

Siri isn’t restricted to only understanding commands based on apps installed in CarPlay, and will also be able to perform tasks like sending WhatsApp messages, tweeting and answering questions like “How tall is Big Ben?” while on the go.

You can find our Carplay collection by visiting the link posted HERE