Hey everyone, Ever since updating to iOS 26, my wireless CarPlay has been all over the place. It worked flawlessly for years, but right after the update, things started breaking — CarPlay wouldn’t launch, Maps wouldn’t show up, and sometimes the CarPlay option just disappears after I approve it.
What’s strange is that my older iPhone still works fine with the same car setup. So now I’m wondering — did iOS 26 actually introduce a bug here, or is something else going on?
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A lot of people started seeing similar issues right after iOS 26 rolled out.
From what I’ve seen, it’s not just one cause. A few things that have tripped people up:
So yeah, iOS 26 definitely changed something under the hood.
I do keep a VPN enabled most of the time, and I never thought that could interfere with CarPlay. One thing that still confuses me though — sometimes CarPlay keeps working even after Bluetooth is turned off. Isn’t Bluetooth required for CarPlay?
Bluetooth is mainly used to initiate wireless CarPlay and handle things like calls. Once the session starts, CarPlay actually runs over Wi-Fi. That’s why it can look like CarPlay is working without Bluetooth — the Wi-Fi link is already active.
But if Bluetooth is off before you start the car, wireless CarPlay usually won’t connect at all. It’s not a glitch, just how Apple designed the handshake.
As for reliability — wired CarPlay is still the most stable option. Fewer moving parts, no Wi-Fi interference, and fewer surprises after iOS updates. Many folks who had constant disconnects on wireless found that wired worked perfectly.
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