Is Your Apple CarPlay Siri Not Working? (Fix In Minutes)

If your Apple CarPlay Siri not working, then this guide will help you out in solving the problem!

If the car stereo is compatible with CarPlay, the connection is intact, but only Siri is not working, you’re most definitely looking at a permission problem.

Sometimes Siri is deactivated, or your microphone access is “disallowed” so let’s walk you through the solution to see what’s wrong.

If Apple CarPlay Siri is not working, verify Siri is enabled, allow access to your iPhone’s microphone, and update your iOS.

If this doesn’t help, forget your vehicle and reconnect, inspect the connection and factory reset your iPhone.

Some of the steps might be unnecessary so let’s go chronologically!

Apple CarPlay Siri Not Working – Quick And Easy Fixes!

Tip: Try all steps consecutively!

1. Enable Siri in the Settings

The first and critical step if your Siri is not working with your Apple CarPlay is to ensure that the voice assistant is enabled in your settings.

If disabled, your iPhone won’t respond to “Hey Siri”, therefore Apple CarPlay won’t have access to the assistant when connected to your car radio.

Here’s how to enable Siri on your iPhone:

1. Go to the Settings from the main screen.
2. Scroll down and press on “Siri & Search.”
3. On the top, enable “Listen for Hey Siri”.
4. Also, turn on “Press Side Button for Siri.”
5. Finally, enable “Allow Siri When Locked.”

You might be prompted to set up Siri by narrating a couple of on-screen texts, which is important for you to undergo.

When ready, test whether Siri is working on your iPhone by saying “Hey Siri” or pressing the side button.

So, if Siri is working, go ahead and try the Siri CarPlay integration.

If something is still not quite working, keep on reading…

2. Update your iPhone’s iOS

The method that has proven to help most users with non-working Siri on CarPlay is updating the iOS version of their iPhones.

On one hand, there is a known CarPlay-related problem with older software versions such as iOS 16, so updating to the most recent iPhone firmware is a must-do!

• So, go to Settings → General – Software Update!

Wait for a bit, and if a new update pops up, install it now!

If no update appears, press “Beta Updates” and select the most recent “iOS N Public Beta” to install it on your device.

Apple’s iOS beta versions are relatively safe and secure to install on the iPhone, so you shouldn’t encounter major bugs, but the CarPlay Siri problem should disappear. 

Hot Tip: Please review the changes that come with the Beta iOS software!

3. Allow the CarPlay and Siri

Sometimes, the reason why Siri not working on Apple CarPlay is because either CarPlay or Siri is restricted by your iPhone’s “Content & Privacy” settings.

Luckily you can allow both of these features with a single press, so let’s go through the steps to enable them both and fix the issue.

Here’s how to allow CarPlay and Siri on your iPhone:

1. Go to “Settings” and enter “Screen Time.”
2. Tap on “Content & Privacy Restrictions.”
3. Press “Allowed Apps” to review your list.
4. Enable “CarPlay” and “Siri & Detection”.

When you’re ready, test whether Siri is now functioning on your CarPlay-connected stereo!

4. Lift Essential Restrictions

For Apple’s CarPlay to pair with your stereo and listen to Siri’s commands, your iPhone needs to have no restrictions.

If your Bluetooth Sharing, Microphone, or Speech Recognition is somehow blocked by the system settings, your device’s Siri will not be able to integrate with your CarPlay.

Here’s how to lift restrictions for the essential iPhone functions:

1. From the “Settings” go to the “Screen Time.”
2. Again, tap “Content & Privacy Restrictions.”
3. Scroll down, and allow the following features:

• Bluetooth Sharing
• Microphone
• Speech Recognition

When ready, we recommend rebooting your iPhone, and checking whether Siri is now working with your CarPlay connection.

If not, perhaps something else is causing the issue, so read on…

5. Forget the CarPlay Vehicle

Sometimes, even if rarely, the reason why Siri is not working with Apple Carplay is due to the connection with your vehicle.

This is quite rare, but apparent in many cases so “Forgetting” your vehicle and reconnecting can’t do harm and can only help you in resolving the problem.

How to Forget Apple CarPlay Vehicle?

1. Go to “Settings” and enter the “General” tab.
2. In there, locate and tap on the “CarPlay” tile.
3. Select your connected vehicle from the pane.
4. Press on “Forget This Car” to disconnect it.

How to Pair an Apple CarPlay Vehicle?

1. Verify that your iPhone’s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi is on.
2. Ensure the stereo is in Bluetooth or Wireless mode.
3. Select the CarPlay network from the respective tab.
4. Then head to “Settings” → “General” → “CarPlay.”
5. Tap on your vehicle to connect with your car stereo.

Note: If you’re using a wireless connection, connect the cable and skip the steps #1, #2 and #3.

6. Check CarPlay Connection

If your Siri still won’t work with your CarPlay, it’s time to reset the connection between the Stereo and the iPhone.

Based on whether you use a wireless or wired connection, you need to reset the connection differently, so let’s quickly go over this.

• For Wireless Connection: Toggle off the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your iPhone for 30 seconds and then re-enable both.
• For Wired Connection: Unplug the cable connecting the iPhone and car stereo on both sides for 30 seconds and reconnect it.

That’s it. When ready, wait until your car stereo automatically reconnects and if not, jump back to the previous step to establish the connection.

When ready, tell Siri what to do and check if the voice assistant is finally working. 

If not, continue reading…

7. Reboot the iPhone and Car

So, if nothing helps, we strongly recommend rebooting your iPhone and vehicle to restart all the services related to the car stereo and your iPhone. 

Rebooting your iPhone is easy so we’re going to skip the instructions, but rebooting your vehicle can be challenging, based on the way your stereo is connected.

Here’s exactly what to do to restart your car stereo completely:

1. Switch off the ignition key off, to turn off your engine.
2. Switch off your car’s master switch to stop the power.
3. If the stereo is still on, you must dismount the battery.
4. To do so, open the car’s hood and locate the battery.
5. Then, disconnect the battery leads from the polarities.
6. Wait for 60 seconds and reconnect your car’s battery.
7. In the meantime, “Shut down” and turn on the iPhone.

When you’re ready to restart the vehicle and iPhone, test whether Siri is now working with the connected CarPlay.

If not, perhaps the issue comes from your iPhone and not the car radio.

8. Reset the iPhone to Default

Quick Tip: Before resetting, if you have another iPhone to test Siri CarPlay on your stereo go ahead and try, otherwise reset your current iPhone.

All odds until now are showing that your iPhone is having trouble with connecting Siri with the stereo’s CarPlay, so as a last resort we recommend a factory reset.

This method, however, will affect everything on the iPhone, and restore the device to default settings, resulting in data loss.

• To prevent data loss, make sure to create an iCloud backup, by going to “Settings”, tapping on your name, choosing “iCould” and enabling “iCould backup.”

When ready, here’s how to factory reset your iPhone:

1. Go to “Settings” and enter your “General” menu.
2. Scroll down, and tap “Transfer or Reset iPhone.”
3. Press “Reset” and choose “Reset All Settings.”

The process may take longer than expected, and your iPhone must be above 75% battery, but when ready, Siri should work with your CarPlay.

If not, then your car stereo might have some compatibility issues, so it’s advised to test with another iPhone before rushing to conclusions.

Note: For more help, contact Apple Support!

Final Thoughts

Hence, if Apple CarPlay Siri not working, enable Siri, and allow access to essential features such as your iPhone microphone and Siri’s recognition.

Additionally, restart your car stereo and your iPhone, re-establish the CarPlay connection, or perform an iPhone factory reset.

We hope this guide was helpful so follow us for more car audio guides!