Home How To How to use Apple CarPlay in your Toyota

How to use Apple CarPlay in your Toyota

By Jake Weaver
Apple CarPlay

Welcome to a beginner’s guide on how to use Apple CarPlay in your Toyota vehicle, as well as looking at the various features of the system and how to use them. Apple CarPlay is available on all current models. There is an Apple CarPlay upgrade available for Corolla and RAV4 models produced since 2019. Click here for more information.

To ensure CarPlay is switched on:

  • Menu
  • Setup
  • General – CarPlay is switched on

Only Apple-approved third-party apps can be used.

Connect your iPhone (5 or later) using a USB-Lightning cable, by plugging it into the USB data port.

The first time you connect, a message will offer you three options: Do Not Enable, which you might want to choose if all you want to do is charge your phone, not connect it to the multimedia system; Enable Once, if it’s a friend or relative’s phone that you only want to provide temporary access to the car’s infotainment system; or Always Enable, so your phone automatically connects to the car every time you plug it into the cable.

You’ll then get a message to say that all your Bluetooth devices will be disconnected.

Wireless CarPlay?

At the time of this article’s publication, Apple CarPlay only works through a wired connection in Toyota models except for GR Supra, which is available with a wireless CarPlay setup. To connect the wireless system, pair the phone to the Toyota multimedia system using Bluetooth, choosing Apple CarPlay as the primary function.

You’ll then get a prompt on your phone to check that you want to use CarPlay with this vehicle, so tap Use CarPlay.

Now, every time your phone is in your Toyota, the phone will automatically connect to the car.

If you want to connect to CarPlay through the display for your car’s infotainment system, just tap the Apple CarPlay icon in the main menu. You can also access it via the Media/Radio and Communications icons.

Once you’re connected, you’ll see a grid of app icons in the CarPlay display, a lot like those on the phone home screen. These will probably cover more than one page – especially if you use music streaming services such as Spotify, or alternative navigation apps such as Waze – so all you need to do is swipe between pages to find the app you need. However, there’s also a shortcut menu on the side of the main page of icons, so you can just jump to the most-used apps.

You can access apps by using Apple’s Siri voice control function. If you have voice control in your Toyota, just hold down the voice button on your steering wheel and Siri will respond by asking what you’d like to do.

1,039 comments

    1. Hi Nilo, thanks for your comment.

      All updates to our multimedia systems will be announced on our website or magazine.

      Please keep an eye on both for any more information!

      Thanks.

      Reply

  2. Hello, I’m having an issue with the brightness level on my car play. I have put my display setting down as low as possible but my CarPlay brightness does not seem to change and is at a dangerous level when at night? I see there is a CarPlay setting within the display setting but it is not illuminated and won’t let me select it to go into the next menu? Any help will be appreciated.

    Reply

      1. Hi I have Toyuta hilux invincible 2018, I always plug my phone via usb data port and can see my phone is connected as I listen to music by going to iPad option, however I don’t see any others apps. In fact my phone only works as a device to play sound. Is there anything wrong my my unit? Shouldn’t I be able to see all my phone apps when my phone is connected? I’m not even sure if I have noticed CarPlay option on the setting or never my car asked me to enable the connection.

        Thanks

      2. Hi Vahid, thanks for your question.

        Please provide your vehicle registration so that we can look into this for you.

        We will check if there is an issue for our Connectivity team to look into, or if this vehicle is not equipped with Apple CarPlay.

        Thanks.

      3. Hi Toyota Team
        Can I use an adapter to connect my chr excel 2018 to CarPlay? Or what are the options for using CarPlay with this model?

      4. Hi Ade, thanks for getting in touch.

        Please provide a vehicle registration so that we can look into this for you.

        Thanks.

    1. Hi Cheryl, thanks for getting in touch.

      Please provide a vehicle registration so that we can look into this for you.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  5. Hello I purchased a 69 rav 4 from a Toyota dealership and was told that I could pop into any Toyota dealership and have apple play installed for free as it was compatible to my 3 year old car. I recently went to the Enfield Jemca Toyota dealership for a full service £400+ and asked for the update only to be told I’d have to play £200+ for the maps and the OS update! Checking back even the original garage confirmed its should have been a free update with the full service! Bit of a rip off where do I stand on this?

    Reply

  6. Car play works in my car with an actual Apple lead however I have purchased a usb lead on Amazon and only my Bluetooth seems to work whilst charging my phone but no CarPlay. Why is this?

    Reply

    1. Hi Madison, thanks for getting in touch.

      Please provide a vehicle registration so that we can look into this for you.

      Thanks.

      Reply

    1. Hi Dan, thanks for getting in touch.

      This vehicle should be equipped with smartphone integration including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

      Please note, this will require a wired connection.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  8. Hi I’m having trouble listening to my music via Bluetooth. I can make and receive calls but when trying to listening to music it just come up loading

    Reply

    1. Hi Ade, thanks for your comment.

      This vehicle is not equipped with Apple CarPlay. However, it is equipped with the Toyota Touch® 2 multimedia system.

      Please let us know if you have any further questions.

      Thanks.

      Reply

    1. Hi Sanmeet, thanks for your query.

      Currently, Apple CarPlay retrofit is only available for certain models of the Toyota RAV4 and Toyota Corolla.

      Please let us know if you have any further questions.

      Thanks.

      Reply

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