Just got an iPhone 16, and ran into the same problem. Most of the A to C cables I had already wouldn't even charge, one charged but no CarPlay, and none compatible with CarPlay. 2018 Audi. I was beginning to think nothing would work. Just bought a 2-pack of Anker cables specifically labeled for CarPlay (also for Samsung devices), and CarPlay works great - problem solved! Charging isn't very fast, but it does work. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRZ4LR9K?ref=I&th=1 Answer from PG2001 on reddit.com
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 255270058
Problems with CarPlay using usb a to usb … - Apple Community
1973 1 · Connecting iPhone 15 to Lexus RX350 My iPhone 13 never had a problem with charging or connecting to CarPlay. My iPhone 15 connects but disconnects every 2 seconds. Anyone? 2082 2 ... Make sure the cable you're using is a data capable cable. Read this user tip --> https://discussi...
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 255154269
Apple CarPlay not working with iPhone 15 (USB-C issue?)
Are you using a USB A to USB C cable? Did you have your car infotainment system forget your previous phone? Have you gone into Settings on your new iPhone > General > About > Name and give it a new name (not the same as the previous iPhone). This will have you approve using Apple CarPlay using the new iPhone through your Infotainment system.
Charger Forums
chargerforums.com › home › dodge charger discussion › audio - alarms - navigation - electronics
USB to USB-C, CarPlay not recognized | Charger Forums
Ever since I got the new iPhone 15 Pro Max and had to replace my car charging cord from the "USB to lightning" to "USB to USB-C" cord, CarPlay is dicey if it recognizes the phone being plugged in and enabling Apple CarPlay or not. It will ALWAYS begin charging, the only issue is CarPlay recognition/startup.
MacPowerUsers
talk.macpowerusers.com › hardware
USB-C cable not connecting to CarPlay consistently - Hardware - MPU Talk
October 31, 2023 - Hi there… when I got my iPhone 15 Pro, I ordered this 10GB USB-C cable to connect it to my car for CarPlay. It works, but usually not right away. I sometimes have to plug it in and unplug it 2 or 3 times before it works.…
Reddit
reddit.com › r/iphone › wired apple carplay not working with usb-c
r/iphone on Reddit: Wired Apple CarPlay not working with USB-C
May 2, 2024 -
Upgraded to the 16 pro and now it won’t connect through the original charging cable and a usb a to c adapter
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Have you tried a usb c to usb a cable? I would ditch the adapter and try an actual c to a cable, when I get my 16 today I’m going to try the same thing since I’m going from lightning on my 14 to usb c on my new 16 UPDATE: usb type A to USB C worked perfectly. Don’t use an adapter, third part cables are fine but really long ones sometimes cause issues. I don’t have usb C to C in my car so I can’t test that
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I have the iPhone 16 pro max and I cannot connect to apple carplay. I can charge my phone fine. I went through all diagnostics that I could with apple support but found no solution :( USB-C seems to be the cause since my iPhone 14 Pro Max works fine with apple car play
Reddit
reddit.com › r/iphone › usb-c to usb-a cable for carplay?
r/iphone on Reddit: USB-C to USB-A cable for CarPlay?
September 26, 2023 -
My car only has USB-A input for CarPlay. The new iPhone will come with a USB-C-to-C cable, but is there an A-to-C cable that is also certified for use with CarPlay? Or a tiny adaptor that goes from male A to female C but won’t screw up CarPlay compatibility?
So confusing.
Update: Grabbed a bunch of random USBC cables out of my drawer from who-knows-where. All of them worked with CarPlay. Great success!
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Just got an iPhone 16, and ran into the same problem. Most of the A to C cables I had already wouldn't even charge, one charged but no CarPlay, and none compatible with CarPlay. 2018 Audi. I was beginning to think nothing would work. Just bought a 2-pack of Anker cables specifically labeled for CarPlay (also for Samsung devices), and CarPlay works great - problem solved! Charging isn't very fast, but it does work. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRZ4LR9K?ref=I&th=1
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Generally, any cable that supports data should work. Don't get an adapter as that will most likely not work.
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 255141463
What USB-C to USB cables are compatible w… - Apple Community
When buying a cord, you need a cord, not a charger. The charger isn’t complex enough to exchange data, only charge the battery. I purchased Native Union Belt Cable at Best Buy. The back of the box says “cable to sync and charge”. Hope this helps a lot of peoples frustration! ... I use Anker USB-A to USB-C with my 15 pro in my Hyundai for CarPlay. Works great and didn't have issues with my previous S22U and current 15 Pro.
MG EVs
mgevs.com › mg community forum › mg electric vehicles › mg4 ev forum
Apple Car Play issue (USB-c connector) | MG EVs electric cars community forum
January 13, 2025 - The phone charges so the wire works (I’ve also tried 2 different wires), but CarPlay doesn’t work. It worked fine with my old iPhone so I’m not sure what the problem is! ... Had a similar problem with another usb-a to usb-c cable recently and an iPhone 16 max pro.
MacRumors
macrumors.com › 2023 › 09 › 29 › iphone-15-carplay-issues
CarPlay Not Working for Some iPhone 15 Users, Possibly Because of USB-C Cables - MacRumors
September 29, 2023 - So it seems that either USB-A to USB-C does not allow Carplay, or it simply does not work anymore with non-Apple chargers. Other CarPlay users chimed in and mentioned having the same problems, though some were able to get CarPlay ...
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 253792028
CarPlay will not detect USB wired cable - Apple Community
I have also tried 4 different lighting ... Apple cables. Anyone else have this issue and know how to fix it? Getting ready to go on a trip and I need my maps haha. ... I got it to work finally. I went into the cars radio settings and went into factory settings and reset the app-connect and ir started to recognize my usb connection. ... CarPlay issues I have ...
MaverickTruckClub
mavericktruckclub.com › forums › tech › issues, repairs, warranty, tsb, recalls
USB Carplay/Phone Charging Issues | MaverickTruckClub - 2022+ Ford Maverick Pickup Forum, News, Owners, Discussions
February 23, 2025 - So that may be your first issue on the USB a ports not charging your phone front or rear that could be a blown fuse in the passenger footwell area check the corresponding fuse and make sure it's not blown first.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/carplay › apple indirectly solving the “apple doesn’t make a usb a to c cable for carplay”?
r/CarPlay on Reddit: Apple indirectly solving the “Apple doesn’t make a USB A to C cable for CarPlay”?
April 22, 2025 - The only cables that haven’t worked are those that are “charge-only” cables that don’t have data connections. ... Same I’ve just got some anker usb A to usb C and have had 0 CarPlay issues Continue this thread Continue this thread Continue this thread
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 255798464
iPhone 16 Pro USB-C not working with Apple CarPlay
The description for Apple's USB-C to Lightning Adapter states it works with CarPlay for "most" cars. It also provides a link to this article, which recommended using a direct connection with a USB-A to USB-C cable when problems are encountered using an adapter or for cars that only support wired CarPlay.
Cabletime Tech
cabletimetech.com › home › knowledge › knowledge
Choosing the Right USB-A to USB-C Cable for iPhone 15 and 16 CarPlay
May 9, 2025 - This transition can lead to unexpected ... infotainment system via Apple CarPlay. Your existing USB-A to Lightning cable is now incompatible, necessitating the purchase of a new USB-A to USB-C cable....
MacRumors
forums.macrumors.com › news and article discussion › macrumors.com news discussion
CarPlay Not Working for Some iPhone 15 Users, Possibly Because of USB-C Cables | Page 6 | MacRumors Forums
September 29, 2023 - Apple loves to sell accessories, yet they don't offer an official USB-A to USB-C cable. ... My car has only two USB-A ports and I used a no-name (JSAUX) USB-A to USB-C cable that I’ve had since July that costs $8.99 for a pack of 2. It worked with CarPlay just fine.
Chrysler Minivan Fan Club
chryslerminivan.net › home › forums › the minivan mopar garage › audio/video/electronics
My new USB-A to USB-C wire won't work with Carplay | The Chrysler Minivan Fan Club Forums
To accommodate I bought a USB-A to USB-C wire to plug in my phone in the same USB-A port that I did previously. The port will charge my phone but the CarPlay will not recognize my phone is plugged in. In fairness I bought this wire from a random gas station where I know the quality of the wire is very likely not well made.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/iphone › iphone 17 pro usb a to usb c carplay issues
r/iphone on Reddit: iPhone 17 Pro USB A to USB C Carplay Issues
September 24, 2025 -
Hi There
I know with USB C iPhones a common query is being able to connect them to Carplay - A lot of USB A to USB C cables are for charging only so I went ahead and spend £20 on the Beats by Apple USB A to USB C cable which is CarPlay compatible.
Unfortunately, with the iPhone 17 Pro in my Vauxhalll/Opel Astra (K), it just doesn't want to play nice.
Sometimes it will connect for a few seconds. One time it seemed to fully connect and work for a couple of minutes, but most of the time it pops on and then goes straight off. The time it worked for a couple of minutes, it was laggy in places and the audio was crackly at times.
It acted like there was too much data for the cable to handle.
I turned off Apple Intelligence, did hard resets, removed previous CarPlay devices from the car, all to no avail.
My next step will be to buy a small USB A to USB C adapter for the car port and see if I have any better luck there but I'm wondering if anyone else with the 17 is having similar issues? I don't have a 16 (previous was 14) so don't know if this behaviour is specific to the 17 versus the 16 for example (or an ios 26 issue)
Pretty annoying either way! Thoughts welcome and appreciated
EDIT: Update - as per a couple of other people, after several days the disconnects have stopped (nothing changed. Same cable). Maybe some hidden update??? Super weird!
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Been having this exact same issue and it’s been driving me insane. Also on wired CarPlay USB A to C after getting the 17 pro. Hangs repeatedly requiring unplugging and reconnecting the cable. Crackly audio. Didn’t have the issue on 15pro running iOS 26 beta so definitely seems 17 pro related. Hope they fix via a software update, wireless adapter CarPlay is usually very slow and laggy vs wired when I tried in the past.
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I also have problems mit CarPlay in my Opel Astra K Used to work just fine with my iPhone 14 Pro. Since it got my 16 pro I usually have bad audio after a couple of minutes. I constantly have to switch to radio and then back to get the distortion free audio back. Tested several cables - issue stays.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/carplay › usb-c input carplay
r/CarPlay on Reddit: USB-C input CarPlay
October 21, 2023 -
My car has CarPlay that the input is USB-C . So I thought great the included cable is all I need. Nope. I bought a few other cables and still nothing. The only thing that works is if I use a USB-C male to USB-A female adapter and then use USBA to USBC cable. What the heck is going on.
Edit: Here is the pin out of the included USB C CABLE
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gfbe57k2nthjmks1re4oy/Photo-Oct-21-2023-8-25-47-AM.jpg?rlkey=d2uhho6xevuz10ltxu9nu41sh&dl=0
Pin out for the little usbc to USBa adapter
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xeoxwk6uceyy4s3k1xe8y/Photo-Oct-21-2023-8-25-58-AM.jpg?rlkey=3n79wrh3npij4ihbrw1nhgyb6&dl=0
Digital Trends
digitaltrends.com › home › phones › cars › mobile › features
This $3 USB adapter fixed all of my Apple CarPlay connection problems
February 16, 2023 - But in the first couple of weeks of driving, I was increasingly frustrated: even though I was using a wired USB connection, my CarPlay kept disconnecting. Sporadically, and frequently. I tried different phones. I tried using an official Apple Lightning cable — USB-A and USB-C, as my car has both — as well as various styles and lengths of third-party cables.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/gadgets › carplay not working for some iphone 15 users, possibly because of usb-c cables
r/gadgets on Reddit: CarPlay Not Working for Some iPhone 15 Users, Possibly Because of USB-C Cables
March 13, 2023 - If it says USB-C it is both charge and data. Dumb Apple users. ... Thought I had this experience, confirmed I had a data cable. Then after more unsuccessful attempts realized my WiFi networks transferred devices so I just had to resync the wireless CarPlay to the new phone.