According to feedback from the Reddit community and MacRumors forum posts, iPhone 15 users encountered incompatibility issues with CarPlay and were unable to connect and pair for use.
Note: One of the changes in Apple’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro series models is the use of USB-C ports. The official USB-C cable is included, but if users want to use CarPlay after purchasing the new phones, they will need another one. Buy a data cable or converter.
Mainstream cars mainly connect to CarPlay through USB-A ports. Although Apple officially provides a wireless CarPlay solution, in order to meet the charging needs during driving, wired connection is still the best solution.
However, Apple does not provide an official USB-A to USB-C cable, and first-tier accessory manufacturers such as Belkin and Mophie do not provide such cables.
The official solution provided by Apple is to purchase a “USB-C to Lightning Adapter”, which currently sells for 243 RMB in China.
But not all USB-A to USB-C cables work properly, and in some models, the iPhone 15 series cannot enable CarPlay through the cable.
One Reddit user reported:
I was using a USB-A to USB-C cable this morning, planning to use CarPlay with my iPhone 15, and found it wouldn't connect.
Once connected, you can charge your iPhone 15, but you won't be able to enable CarPlay. In the Carplay settings on my phone, my car's name is displayed as if it is connected, but nothing is displayed on the screen.
I checked with the dealer but got no substantive response. The car I'm driving now doesn't have a USB-C port, but I tried the Apple-supplied USB-C to USB-C cable in a 2023 car and had no issues.Another user reported:
I have tried 2 high-quality cables from first-tier brands, but both showed that they are not supported. I called Apple customer service for this. They offered various solutions, but none worked. Finally, customer service recommended me to use Apple’s official adapter solution.
I later tested 4 more cables and 3 from Sony, Samsung and Nintendo worked fine.
The three cables that cannot support CarPlay can be used for fast charging and can also be connected to high-speed PCs and VR headsets.Another user reported:
I have the exact same problem. Tried (and purchased) several different high quality cables, have gone through all the troubleshooting and AppleCare+, nothing works.