How To Fix iPhone CarPlay Crackling Sound During Calls

Posted in TILs by Tyrone on June 15, 2020

iPhone 11 CarPlay crackling sound during phone calls

iPhone 11 CarPlay crackling sound during phone calls.

CarPlay is a great feature to have when you use your iPhone while driving. It allows you to seamlessly integrate your iOS device with your car. The system works with the help of Bluetooth connectivity. It uses your car’s built-in display and controller. However, an annoying crackling bug can sometimes spoil the fun. Ever since iOS 11 users started to complain about a sound distortion experienced on and off during music playback.

These Bluetooth interference problems continued into iOS 12 but seemed to fade off starting with iOS 13. However, a few days ago, after swapping cars, I started experiencing CarPlay crackling noise problems during Phone calls. Luckily, I also accidentally uncovered a workaround. Read on to find out how I managed to manually filter out the distortion.

iPhone 11 CarPlay Crackling Sound Bug

In my case the audio distortions surface when pairing an iPhone 11, running iOS 13.5.1 with an Audi A7 using the Audi MMI CarPlay. As soon as I dial a new call the crackling noise kicks in. The audio is distorted even during ringing, before the call is picked up.

I managed to replicate the same issue on a friends Volkswagen, equipped with a VW RNS. Reports on the web about similar problems in the past mention that this bug was also experienced by Hyundai and Honda car owners.

iPhone 11 CarPlay Audio Distortion Fix

how to change iPhone audio output source I noticed that the crackling sound disappears when you switch between audio playback sources.
1. On your iPhone, swipe-down for the Control Center.
2. In the audio controls widget, tap the audio output source icon (available in the top-right corner).
3. Tap on Speaker to switch from your car’s audio output to the smartphone’s speakers. Crackling sound should disappear.
4. Next, tap on your car’s CarPlay label to switch back to the car audio system without any sound distortion.

Fact: This is a temporary fix, because it requires you to interact with your iPhone. A dangerous move if you’re driving. We will monitor situation and update this article in case the problem is fixed by an upcoming software update.

Have you experienced a similar audio distortion when connecting your iPhone via Bluetooth to your car? Let us know in the comments section available below. We’re curious to see how spread out this issue is and why not pinpoint the cause.

Related: iOS 14 expected to support new CarKey feature to iPhone and Apple Watch!

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