T6.1 Connecting Apple CarPlay

[JamesS]

My 6.1 worked using a usb-c cable. And I’ve just plugged in a carlinkit module which connects phone to Apple CarPlay wireless. Really impressed and it’s quite small. Cost £56, so not too bad. I’ve got the small screen with out Nav. But now I’ve got google maps via CarPlay and it auto connects to my phone.

Any chance if a link to this? Be good to have a first hand recommendation!

 

[Andpopse]

 

[mattyc]

Depends which HU you have ... if it supports wireless CarPlay (which will mean turning the WiFi in the HU settings on) you can connect multiple devices over Wireless and switch between them on the screen - if this function is of use to you. With USB you can only connect one device at a time - Apple USB requirements are that the Apple device be the host of the USB bus it is connected to, there can only be one host on a USB bus.

Apple have also made transfer of the vehicle GPS and dead-reckoning data optional on USB CarPlay but mandatory on Wireless connections, indicating a preferred shift towards wireless. The new stuff, which was made public around 2019 includes things like support for multiple displays, odd shaped displays with "safe" areas, basically stuff that improves the integration of CarPlay with the vehicle - how much VW have implemented on their devices I can't say.

The vehicle manufacturers have to adhere to these requirements in order to get Apple CarPlay certification, so will tend to follow the direction both Apple and Google are taking with CarPlay and Android Auto ... both are going wireless.

Android Auto and Carplay function wirelessly in parallel and without issues on my 22MY Ocean.

You are clearly a Wi-Fi fan boy but I am having on going problems with CarPlay clashing with the on board wi fi.
The phones wifi is dominant to the mobile data.
If connected to the VW Wi Fi the phone no longer works independently and so data dependent apps no longer work.
If the VW Wi-Fi is turned off then CarPlay no longer works.
???

 

[Oceanis]

You are clearly a Wi-Fi fan boy but I am having on going problems with CarPlay clashing with the on board wi fi.
The phones wifi is dominant to the mobile data.
If connected to the VW Wi Fi the phone no longer works independently and so data dependent apps no longer work.
If the VW Wi-Fi is turned off then CarPlay no longer works.
???

There are two WiFi connections possible in the VW.

A WiFi HotSpot and a WiFi direct connection.

The WiFi HotSpot is a function designed to use the vehicle external antennas and a VW data plan to provide a WiFi HotSpot to vehicle occupants so they can connect their WiFi devices to the internet - eg. if your kids have a WiFi only tablet. This type of connection is not necessary for CarPlay.

The second option, a WiFi direct connection, is more like bluetooth and allows the WiFi devices to exchange data without any expectation of an internet connection.

If you turn the VW WiFi HotSpot on and then connect directly to it over the WiFi menu of your phone then you have a WiFi Hotspot connection - so the phone will expect an internet connection. If you have not got a data plan from VW, then there is no internet data plan, and no internet. CarPlay will work, but you are basically also connected to a VW WiFi HotSpot with no Internet Plan. You can change you phone settings to continue to use cellular data while connected, but it is not really the solution.

In order to get everything to pair and work properly, you need to delete the VW hotspot info from your phone (delete or forget network?) so you have no connection to the VW HotSpot, but leave the phone WiFi turned on.

Leave WiFi on the VW head unit turned on.

Then pair the phone as normal over BlueTooth ...

On the VW main menu choose App-Connect.



If there are more BT devices paired that offer Android Auto or CarPlay then you will get a menu with a list showing all paired Android Auto/CarPlay capable phones - select the phone you want to use. If you have used CarPlay before with the current vehicle key (driver profile) then once the phone has established a BT connection, instead of App-Connect you will see CarPlay.

Select CarPlay and the vehicle and phone will then do a Bluetooth to WiFi handover and start CarPlay - and your phone will retain its cellular data connection.

I think the problem you have is that you are using the HotSpot function with no data plan, which is not needed for CarPlay.

 

[Chris2020]

Lasted IOS upgrade doesn’t allow the CarPlay to work if you are running a VPN connection, turn it off and it works again. Assume Apple will sort out…

 

[Peazodemontri]

CarPlay works way better over WiFi, and USB connections are now deprecated by Apple, which means all new CarPlay features will only be supported by Apple on the WiFi interface, not the USB one. This may well be a problem depending on the version of your Apple device and the version of your vehicle HU. .... the newer it is the more likely it is that WiFi will provide a far better experience.

I have a 22MY Ocean and connect CarPlay wirelessly to the Access Point provided by the Discover Media head unit. See below.

View attachment 175987

USB is a dreadful data interface for use in cars. The reason is that normally a USB connector is soldered directly to a circuit board in a PC or Laptop and it is a matter of millimetres from the USB connector to the USB Host/Hub hardware in the PC/Laptop. Then the USB device either plugs directly into the USB socket or it has a single cable, usually no longer than about a meter (dependent on required bandwidth).

This is not the case in a vehicle. There is an extension cable in the vehicle wiring harness from the host device (the head-unit) to the USB connector in the car. Then there is another cable between the vehicle USB connector and the mobile device.

For the high frequency communication required to get the video data from the iPhone to the Head unit this is a very sub-optimal solution, to put two cables together, where the customer chooses one cable, and the vehicle manufacturer chooses the other - you end up with impedance mis-matches and multiple connections in this setup which the USB protocol works round with re-try mechanisms. This slows the throughput of data and can cause the USB connection to reset - hence the advice to use a high quality cable, usually from the auto manufacturer.

New CarPlay features, particularly the support of multiple screens (Main display, Instrument cluster and head-up if fitted), require data throughput that this USB setup simply can't provide reliably, hence the move to wireless.

Part of my job was the introduction of USB to vehicles and when you put the USB signal up on an oscilloscope it is very evident that the communication can be severely disrupted by the cable, device connector condition, the quality of the connectors, and the quality of the attachment of the cable to its connectors.

In short, USB is yesterday for in-vehicle connection to smart-phones.

PS: I plug my phone into the charging socket on the end of the kitchen block and put the phone in a pocket on the back of the seat - run everything wirelessly on both my Android(Samsung) and iPhone.

Hello Oceanis

I have a Tiguan with the same problem, the USB port doesnt work with Iphone but Android works properly.

My question is...is it possible that with a Inalambric Carplay dongle the system could work without any USB port change?

Thanks in advance for you response.

Saludos

Paco

 

[RossBlue]

Here is a how-to video.

i have a T6 2024 - have been linking my iphone to infotainment via USC to run appleplay

when i try to link via BT/wireless (ie no cable) it does not see the iphone to launch appleplay

any suggestions?

 

[Alster]

What head unit do you have- if it’s the composition colour (the basic one with no built in sat nav) you only get wired CarPlay.

 

[RossBlue]

What head unit do you have- if it’s the composition colour (the basic one with no built in sat nav) you only get wired CarPlay.

thx
it does not have sat nav - that explains why

will get a carlink unit

 

[Alster]

I found the carlink unit quite good but it does crash occasionally especially on longer journeys.

 

[Oceanis]

Hello Oceanis

I have a Tiguan with the same problem, the USB port doesnt work with Iphone but Android works properly.

My question is...is it possible that with a Inalambric Carplay dongle the system could work without any USB port change?

Thanks in advance for you response.

Saludos

Paco

Sorry, don't know this dongle, so not sure if or for how long it will work.

 

[paradigm]

Picking up new (to me) caravelle tomorrow, does anyone know if this head unit has wireless carplay or just wired (image on screen suggests just wired).
Need to know if i'll be buying a carlinkit in the not too distant future

 

[roadtripper]

Picking up new (to me) caravelle tomorrow, does anyone know if this head unit has wireless carplay or just wired (image on screen suggests just wired).
Need to know if i'll be buying a carlinkit in the not too distant future


View attachment 241459

Given there is no NAV button the answer is likely the one given a few posts above USB only

T6.1 Connecting Apple CarPlay

My 6.1 worked using a usb-c cable. And I’ve just plugged in a carlinkit module which connects phone to Apple CarPlay wireless. Really impressed and it’s quite small. Cost £56, so not too bad. I’ve got the small screen with out Nav. But now I’ve got google maps via CarPlay and it auto...

www.t6forum.com

 

[paradigm]

Given there is no NAV button the answer is likely the one given a few posts above USB only

T6.1 Connecting Apple CarPlay

My 6.1 worked using a usb-c cable. And I’ve just plugged in a carlinkit module which connects phone to Apple CarPlay wireless. Really impressed and it’s quite small. Cost £56, so not too bad. I’ve got the small screen with out Nav. But now I’ve got google maps via CarPlay and it auto...

www.t6forum.com

Having picked up the van today, can confirm you are correct. God bless AliExpress and their £25 carlinkit 5.0!

 

[LudovicoVan]

Hi all,
Great post, super informative

Can I ask to the Carlinkit x.0 owners if your devices are still working reliably?
Reading around, seems like after just a few weeks/months, they start crashing so much that CarPlay ends up being almost unusable…

 

[Millstone]

Been using iPhone 13Pro and Carlinkit 5 for 2 months without any issues. Yet? Purchased from Ali Express for about £20.

 

[Alster]

I’ve had the carlinkit about 7or 8 months now and it does crash quite a bit,especially on longer journeys so i am inclined to use it for work as I’m a service engineer doing lots of shorter journeys but if I travel any distance I use the cable.( Still getting the crackle every couple of months so have to do a factory reset )