Apple CarPlay Music Volume Too Low? (Let’s Fix It Fast)
Apple CarPlay music volume too low, and you’re frustrated? Well, this guide will help you!
If your Apple CarPlay music is too low, and you can’t hear it while driving, perhaps the volume is lowered through one of the many sources.
So, in this guide, we’ll show you how to make your CarPlay music louder and how to troubleshoot the quietness with quick and effective methods.
If your CarPlay music volume is too low, increase the volume from all sources, disable the Sound Check, and stop your notification alerts.
If that doesn’t help you, disable the headphone’s safety as well as “Reduce Loud Sounds.”
Let’s get in-depth, shall we?
How to Make Apple CarPlay Music Louder?
Well, increasing the volume is the only way to make your Apple CarPlay louder, so it’s important to check the volume levels from all sources.
Typically, when playing music through CarPlay, the sources are; Car Stereo, Apple Device, and In-App Music.
So, let’s learn how to increase the volume from all sources!
#1 Increase Your Car Stereo Volume
The first step is to ensure that your car stereo’s volume is not too low by going to the Settings and increasing the volume.
Some car radios might have a dedicated button on the panel, and on others, you’ll need to find the setting within the options.
So, verify that your car radio’s volume is at least 75% to be confident that your car stereo does not cause quietness of your Apple CarPlay.
#2 Increase the Apple Device Volume
The next step is to increase the volume from your Apple device, which is very straightforward as you only need to press the Volume Up button several times.
The button is located on the panel of your iPhone, so verify that the output volume is at least 75%.
Important: On iPhones, there is a mute switch on the panel, so ensure the phone is not muted!
#3 Increase the In-App Music Volume
At last, there is the volume from the music application that you’re using through Apple CarPlay.
In many Apple CarPlay-compatible apps such as YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music there is a separate volume controller, that you would need to turn up, to ensure your music is audible.
If this doesn’t work, continue reading!
Apple CarPlay Music Volume Too Low – Quick Solutions!
Tip: Try all solutions in chronological order!
1. Disable the iPhone Sound Check
Note: This method works only with the Apple Music application through CarPlay!
So, if you’re listening to music through Apple Music on your CarPlay stereo, but the sound is too quiet, disabling the Sound Check will solve your problem.
- The Sound Check feature is made to keep the music on the same volume whenever switching between tracks with different volumes.
Hence, if you were listening to a quiet track, when the next one comes on, even if it’s louder by default, it will sound as quiet as the previous one.
So, let’s learn how to stop the Sound Check!
Here’s how to stop the Sound Check on your iPhone:
- From the main screen, go to “Settings.”
- Scroll down and tap your “Music” app.
- Find and disable your “Sound Check.”
Important: You must reboot your iPhone for your CarPlay to start sounding louder!
2. Force-Close All the iPhone Apps
If CarPlay music output is very quiet, the next step is to force-close ALL apps on the iPhone, to prevent your car stereo from prioritizing another app.
You must only leave open the application from which you’re listening through your CarPlay, and your music output must become louder.
So, to force-close apps on your iPhone, swipe up and left from the home screen of your iPhone, and then drag all open apps upwards.
This will quickly clear them from the background tasks on your iPhone, and the music from the audio application should start sounding louder immediately.
However, if you wish, for example, to use navigation while listening to music through CarPlay, but the music is too quiet, the next solution will help you out.
3. Disable iPhone Notification Alerts
If your CarPlay music volume decreases and then increases automatically out of a sudden, this might be due to notifications that you’re receiving.
This happens because when you receive a notification, the iPhone temporarily decreases the music, so you can hear and notice the alert.
Sadly, the only way to stop this from happening is to disable the notifications for spammy apps, which constantly lowers your CarPlay’s volume.
- To stop notifications for a certain app, go to Settings → Notifications → select app → toggle off “Allow Notifications”.
Quick Tip: Repeat this for all applications that are constantly sending you unnecessary alerts!
4. Stop the Headphone Notifications
If you have the iPhone connected to your car stereo via cable, there is an option in the settings that can make your music sound quiet.
This feature is called “Headphone Notifications” and if the music is too loud, the option will send a notification, which will decrease your music volume.
The reason why this affects your CarPlay stereo, considering that it’s not headphones, is due to the cable connecting both devices.
So, let’s learn how to disable the feature and fix the problem!
Here’s how to disable Headphone Notifications on your iPhone:
- From the home screen go to “Settings.”
- Tap “Accessibility” → “Audio/Visuals.”
- Stop the “Headphones Notifications.”
That’s it. Again, reboot your iPhone and test your CarPlay volume!
Note: Skip this step if you’re using CarPlay wirelessly!
5. Disable the “Reduce Loud Sounds”
If you didn’t know, there is another option on your iPhone that can cause trouble with the music volume of your CarPlay, especially when using a wired connection.
This feature is meant for headphone safety, and can actively reduce the iPhone’s volume when your music is too loud.
Here’s how to disable the headphone safety on iPhone:
- First, go into Settings → “Sound & Haptics”.
- On the top, tap the “Headphone Safety” tab.
- Turn off the “Reduce Loud Sounds” toggle.
Once again, when you’re ready, reboot your iPhone and test the CarPlay’s volume!
Note: Skip this step if you’ve connected CarPlay wirelessly!
6. Update the iPhone Firmware Build
Considering the large number of people who reported that CarPlay volume became lower after a firmware upgrade, Apple has likely worked out the issue by now.
So, if your Apple CarPlay music volume low is still a thing, updating the iPhone’s firmware build, to a version in which the CarPlay issue is solved, might be the only fix.
Here’s how to update your iPhone in easy steps:
- From your main screen, go to “Settings.”
- Tap on “General” → “Software Update.”
- Finally, press on “Download and Install.”
That’s it. When your iPhone is updated, test whether the CarPlay radio volume is still too low.
Quick Tip: If you still face the same issue, try playing music from a different third-party app!
Quick Recap
Hence, if your Apple CarPlay music volume too low, you need to boost the sound levels from all sources.
If this doesn’t make a difference, disable your iPhone features “Sound Check” and “Reduce Loud Sounds”, which often interfere with CarPlay.
If nothing helps, update your iPhone!
Finn Wheatley, a Master’s graduate in Computer Science from UCL, London, honed his skills at small data science consultancies. There, he helped large corporations enhance their data capabilities by deploying cutting-edge machine learning analytics and resolving technical hurdles.