iOS 18.4 Apple CarPlay messaging malfunction on Lexus NX350

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Level 1

35 points

iOS 18.4 Apple CarPlay messaging malfunction on Lexus NX350

This is a recurring problem when there are major updates to iOS. When trying to send or reply to a text using Apple CarPlay, Siri hears itself and interrupts itself, sometimes inserting its own words into the text ("What do you want"), rather than waiting for a response from me. A previous work-around solution provided in a similar thread by jonas.lood on a Dec. 10, 2024 suggested going to Accessibility>Siri and switch on 'Require "Siri" for interruptions', which fixed the problem and Siri no longer interrupted and all worked great. With the iOS 18.4 update, the problem has returned and I can't find any settings or solutions to fix the problem. My wife's iPhone 16e updated last night and discovered the problem this morning. I tried my iPhone 15 and it still worked for texting, but then I had it update to 18.4 and now it doesn't work either, so it is definitely something that changed with the latest update.

That said, the problem root cause appears to be that the microphone in the Lexus NX350h isn't completely compatible with CarPlay. If I cover the overhead microphone completely with the palm of my hand, Siri can't hear itself, finishes what it is saying ("What do you want to say") and waits for a response. If I uncover the microphone, I can give my response, then cover it again each time Siri talks, and it will send the text like normal. Obviously, not a "hands free" solution while driving, but just to demonstrate that if Siri hears itself at all, the system malfunctions.

I'm hoping this new thread provides a forum for a new solution. Thank you!

iPhone 15, iOS 18

Posted on Apr 3, 2025 12:30 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 12, 2025 01:00 PM in response to GCM317

Thank you! this worked... I was considering trading in my vehicle but this stopped me. I am a real estate agent and get tons of texts while I am out in showings so truly need it to work. This helped me so much today.

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Answer 2

GCM317 Author

Level 1

35 points

Apr 12, 2025 07:28 AM in response to Rachel9519

Here is a solution on our Lexus: DON’T TOUCH THE SCREEN to send or reply to any texts! No idea why that causes the problem, but here is what works for us. Press and hold the button a second on the left side of the steering wheel with the “speaking head icon” on it to wake up Siri, which will make a tone and show a small orange dot on the screen to indicate Siri is listening. Then say “Send a text to…” whoever and Siri will interact as normal. When you receive a text, again, press and hold the button a second and say “Read my latest text…” or something similar, and Siri will read it, ask if you want to reply and interacts as normal. If you tap the screen to select a person to text or reply, it will go back to interrupting itself. So the good news, true hands-free from the screen works (which may be why some people never discover the problem). Note, that if you only quickly press the button on the steering wheel, you will get the Lexus assistant rather than Siri.

Alternatively, if you have Siri set on your phone to listen for “Siri” or “Hey Siri”, you don’t have to press the button on the steering wheel, just say “Hey Siri” and you will hear an “uh huh” acknowledgement from Siri, so then you say “Send a text to…” and go from there. If you’d prefer this, on your phone, go to Settings>Siri (or Apple Intellegence, Siri on 16)>Talk to Siri> then select option.

And as described in original post, you must also go into Settings>Accessibility>Siri>Require “Siri” for Interruptions turned on.

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Answer 3

Win W

Level 1

13 points

May 4, 2025 09:45 AM in response to GCM317

Thanks for this tip. I'll see if I can get it to work on both my Acura (wired) and my Chevrolet (bluetooth). It's a pain to not have "Did you want to reply" automatically. Sometimes I think that Apple could screw up a two car funeral. iMessage was working just fine before the iOS 18 update!

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