Apple CarPlay is a fantastic system that brings your iPhone’s interface directly to your car’s infotainment screen, making navigation, communication, and entertainment safer and more accessible while driving. It’s a feature many drivers appreciate for its convenience, allowing seamless iPhone integration with their vehicle. However, there are times when you might want to disconnect from CarPlay. Perhaps you’re using someone else’s car and don’t want your phone to automatically connect, or maybe you simply prefer to use your car’s native system for a while.
Fortunately, disconnecting from CarPlay is straightforward. There are two primary methods to achieve this on your iPhone: either by “forgetting” a specific vehicle or by disabling CarPlay through your iPhone’s Restrictions settings. Forgetting a car is ideal when you want to prevent CarPlay from automatically launching in a particular vehicle, like a rental car or a friend’s car, while still keeping it active for your own vehicle. Disabling CarPlay in Restrictions, on the other hand, turns the feature off entirely across all vehicles.
This guide will walk you through both methods, ensuring you can disconnect from CarPlay whenever you need to with ease.
Method 1: Forgetting a Vehicle to Disconnect CarPlay
This method is perfect if you want to stop CarPlay from automatically connecting in a specific car but still want to use it in others. It essentially tells your iPhone to no longer remember the CarPlay connection for that particular vehicle.
Step 1: Begin by opening the Settings app on your iPhone. This is the app with the grey gear icon, usually found on your home screen.
Step 2: Scroll down and tap General. This section in Settings manages various iPhone settings, including CarPlay.
Step 3: Look for and tap CarPlay within the General settings.
Step 4: You will now see a list of “MY CARS,” displaying all the vehicles your iPhone has been synced with for CarPlay. Tap on the name of the vehicle you wish to disconnect from.
Step 5: On the vehicle’s settings screen, you’ll find several options. Scroll down to the bottom and tap the blue Forget This Car option.
Step 6: A confirmation pop-up will appear at the bottom of your screen asking if you are sure you want to forget the vehicle. Tap the red Forget option to confirm your choice.
By completing these steps, you have successfully disconnected CarPlay for the selected vehicle. Your iPhone will no longer automatically initiate CarPlay when connected to this car. However, CarPlay will remain active and functional for any other vehicles you haven’t forgotten.
Method 2: Disabling CarPlay Entirely in Restrictions
If you want to completely turn off CarPlay on your iPhone, preventing it from working in any vehicle, you need to disable it through the Content & Privacy Restrictions settings. This is useful if you want to temporarily or permanently stop using CarPlay altogether.
Step 1: Start by opening the Settings app on your iPhone, just like in the previous method.
Step 2: Scroll down in the Settings menu and tap Screen Time. This section allows you to manage your device usage and set restrictions.
Step 3: Within the Screen Time settings, tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
Step 4: At the top of the Content & Privacy Restrictions page, you’ll see a toggle for Content & Privacy Restrictions. If this is turned off (grey), tap the toggle to switch it on (green). You need to enable this feature to access app restrictions.
Step 5: Once Content & Privacy Restrictions is enabled, tap Allowed Apps. This section lists the apps that can be restricted.
Step 6: You will see a list of allowed apps, including CarPlay. Tap the toggle next to CarPlay to switch it from green to grey. This will disable CarPlay entirely on your iPhone.
With CarPlay disabled in Restrictions, it will no longer activate in any vehicle you connect your iPhone to. To use CarPlay again in the future, you will need to return to these settings and toggle the CarPlay switch back to green.
Conclusion
Disconnecting from CarPlay is a simple process, whether you need to do it for a specific vehicle or disable the feature entirely. Forgetting a vehicle is a handy option for temporary disconnections in cars you don’t regularly use, while disabling CarPlay in Restrictions provides a complete turn-off for all vehicles. Choose the method that best suits your needs and enjoy greater control over your iPhone’s connectivity in your car.
