Deezer will not load in Apple Carplay. 2 years ago 5 February 2019. 29 replies; 3002 views R Rocco171 1 reply All apps on Apple Car Play work perfectly, except Deezer. When selected the message appears 'loading' and nothing ever happens. I have the premium version and expect better. Deezer App Update Returns Apple CarPlay Support – But With A Catch. CarPlay Life is a blog dedicated to Apple’s CarPlay platform. We cover the latest CarPlay news and announcements, new CarPlay Apps on the App Store, to covering firmware updates and new hardware releases from manufactures and aftermarket head-units.
And while Apple does allow users to configure what apps they want to see in the CarPlay interface, many just stick with the basics, and these include the navigation app of their choice (Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze) and a music app like Spotify, Deezer, or Apple Music.
But what Apple doesn’t clearly say is that you can automate CarPlay so that the experience is even more straightforward. For example, CarPlay can automatically launch an app like Spotify every time you connect the iPhone to the vehicle, all without you tapping the app’s icon manually.
Doing this doesn’t take more than a few seconds and comes down to an automation script configured in Shortcuts.
Pre-loaded on all iPhones running iOS 13, Shortcuts allows you to create automations for a wide variety of activities and apps, including CarPlay.
So before anything else, just launch Shortcuts on your iPhone and look for the Automation icon in the bar at the bottom of the screen. Next, tap the “Create Personal Automation” and then in the “Travel” section, tap “CarPlay”. On the next screen called “New Automation” choose the “Connects” option and hit the “Next” button in the top right corner.
You are now able to configure actions that will run when CarPlay connects, so tap “Add Action” and then the “Scripting” icon in the first row. Choose the “Open App” option in the “Apps” section – this should take you to the “Actions” screen, so just tap “Choose” and then pick one of the apps installed on your iPhone that you want to run when CarPlay launches.
Click “Next,” then “Done” and that’s pretty much it. Make sure you save this automation and the next time you connect the iPhone to the car Spotify should fire up all by itself. As a TL; DR, here is a summary of all steps:
Shortcuts > Create Personal Automation > CarPlay > Connects > Add Action > Scripting > Open App > Choose > Spotify > Next > Done
So what is Apple CarPlay? Think of it as a way of mirroring some of the key features and functions of your iPhone and its iOS operating system on an in-car display.
In theory, it's a marriage of convenience and safety: you can tuck your iPhone away, but still safely access and use a decent selection of key apps, including Messages, Phone, Music and Maps. The number of compatible apps is constantly expanding and with every new version of Apple's iOS comes a tweaked interface and a sprinkling of new features to keep the system feeling as up to date as your shiny new iPhone 12.
So how can you get it? And which car manufacturers are supporting Apple CarPlay? Read on for all the details...
What do you need for Apple CarPlay?
An iPhone, for starters. CarPlay supports all iPhones since the iPhone 5 that run on iOS 7.1 or later. You'll also need access to an in-car system or head unit that supports CarPlay. Both the system and your phone need to handshake before you can start using all the various elements of CarPlay.
You're probably going to need a Lightning-to-USB cable too unless your car happens to work with CarPlay wirelessly, a feature that doesn't have particularly wide support from manufacturers at the time of writing.
Siri, Apple's voice-controlled assistant, is another piece of the jigsaw - you can't access CarPlay unless Siri is activated on your phone. This is because voice-control has a big part to play when it comes to making calls, sending messages and navigation, especially where safety is concerned.
Which car brands support Apple CarPlay?
Currently, there are over 40 manufacturers with CarPlay-compatible cars, with the system available on well over 500 models. Cars with CarPlay are available from Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Seat, Volkswagen and Volvo.
When CarPlay initially rolled out, it tended to be an optional extra, so you'd need to factor in additional funds. When CarPlay was introduced by BMW back in 2016, it had a subscription model. You could either pay a lump sum as a one-off fee for lifetime CarPlay support, or you were charged an annual subscription. Thankfully, most manufacturers are now providing CarPlay support as standard and BMW finally ditched its subscription model in December 2019.
If you're going down the second-hand route, you might be able to retrofit CarPlay for a fee if it's not in the spec of the car. It really depends on the car manufacturer and model.
Another route for adding CarPlay to an older car is to go for an aftermarket installation - manufacturers such as Pioneer, JBL, Kenwood and Alpine all offer their own CarPlay head units.
How do you connect Apple CarPlay?
CarPlay primarily works through a wired USB connection to any iPhone with a Lightning socket, so from iPhone 5 all the way to the current iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X.
BMW's 2017 5-series was the first car to offer a wireless CarPlay solution, so you don't even need to take your iPhone out of your pocket.
If the only Apple device you own is an iPad, then we're afraid you're out of luck - CarPlay isn't compatible with any iterations of the Apple tablet.
How does CarPlay work?
All the action happens through the main in-car display. Once you've connected your iOS device via Lightning (or wirelessly if you own a compatible BMW) all compatible apps stored on your device are presented as they would be on the screen of your iPhone. CarPlay can adapt to various screen configurations, whether they're in portrait or landscape.
The basic layout remains the same across car manufacturers. The main Apple apps dominate the first page - swipe across and you'll see all the third-party apps available on your device.
Many (but not all) of your iOS apps will be at your disposal. Apple Music, Podcasts, Maps, Messages, Phone and even Calendar are only the press of a touchscreen away.
The iOS 13 update, which rolled out in September 2019, added Dashboard which gives the home screen a new alternative look, splitting out areas for maps (including third-party map apps), media information, Calendar or Siri suggestions.
Wireless Apple Carplay
At launch there wasn't a huge number of compatible third-party apps, but the numbers are slowly rising and some of the most popular streaming services to have made the leap are Spotify, Tidal, Deezer and Amazon Music.
Besides the app icons, you can also see the time, bars to indicate the strength of the available network signal - and there's even an icon that mirrors the 'home' button found at the bottom of iDevices. This stays visible irrespective of the app you're using, so you can quickly jump back to the home screen.
The arrival of Apple's iOS 10 operating system did bring some changes to the layout, including the ability to customise your home screen as you would on an actual iPhone. You can drag and drop compatible apps in the CarPlay setting on your Apple smartphone. You can also see how CarPlay will look on your vehicle's display. If Spotify is the best music streaming service for you, it can be bumped up to the top spot in CarPlay.
iOS10 also introduced icons for the three most recently used apps at the edge of your display. There's a slot for navigation, one for communication, and one entertainment app - you can't have Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal up there at the same time, but you can have Messages, Maps and Apple Music, say.
You can switch apps by tapping on them using your car's touchscreen or you can cycle through them using physical controls. Obviously, this depends on your car's particular infotainment layout.
The arrival of Apple's iOS 10 operating system did bring some changes to the layout, including the ability to customise your home screen like you can on an actual iPhone. You can drag and drop compatible apps in the CarPlay setting in your Apple smartphone. You can also see how CarPlay will look on your vehicle's display. If you've always wanted to bump Spotify to the front of the queue, now you can.
You can also now see icons for the three most recently used apps at the edge of your display. There's a slot for navigation, one for communication and one entertainment app - you can't have Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play up there at the same time, but you can have Messages, Maps and Apple Music, say.
You can switch apps without going via the main home screen, which you had to do on the previous version of CarPlay. It's done by tapping on them using your car's touchscreen or you can cycle through them using physical controls. Obviously, this depends on your car's particular layout.
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