iOS 26 Carplay Podcast Audio Clipping (Distorted)

Same Issue for me, iPhone SE 2020, all music apps - podcast, Spotify, etc, lots of interference / noise on the audio. Bluetooth to car works perfect. Only have wired CarPlay as an option. Been broken since iOS26 update.

Same!!!!! I didn’t think anyone would notice that about the camera app. When I play audible books through carplay, it’s too loud and distorted. When i listen through my car’s bluetooth it sounds fine.

Has anyone had any speaker issues (in general) after listening to the distorted and clipping podcasts? I’ve noticed my music playback is not as good as it used to be in my new vehicle with harman/kardon speakers. Just like others, my music isn't distorted and clipping like the podcasts are..but something is just off sound quality wise. Is it possible that playing the distorted and clipping Podcasts for a number of days (before discovering it was an ios issue) damaged the speakers in my car overall?

Same for me. My wife has one if those Android Head Units in her car and uses Wireless CarPlay. She has an iPhone 11 and when listening to podcasts on Spotify, the gain seems very high and clips badly. I tried the podcasts app and it behaves the same. I have an iPhone 13 that sounds perfectly fine when we use it. I assumed I had changed a setting on her iPhone that caused the problem. I'm glad I found this thread.

Struggling a little bit with this suggestion that ageing battery can be the issue. Worked fine before the update and in most cases, users reporting issue is with car play specifically. At least it is for me.

why would sound be affected with wired car play connection but be absolutely fine with Bluetooth yet sound is okay when you activate the camera. Screams software related as opposed to hardware.

that being said, doesn’t surprise me that it’s just older phones that are affected to encourage maybe an upgrade. Been done before by Apple.

iPhone 12 Pro ios26.0.1 AirPod pros 1 6F21, and with apple podcast the audio starts crackling popping until eventually sounds like underwater, then audio completely disappears, until…. You turn the screen on the phone then the audio immediately comes back. Once the screen turns off it eventually starts the same process, sometimes takes 5 seconds sometimes takes 5 mins. So frustrating, only started doing this after the ios26 update

+1

iPhoneSE, iOS 26.0.1, USB-c connection to CarPlay.

all spoken word - Apple Podcasts, Spotify podcasts and audio books, Libby audiobooks, Audible.

Please help - it’s like nails on chalkboard. I spend a lot of time in the car, and this is driving me slowly mad.

Hi, has there been any update on this? I still have this problem - even after a recent "bug fixes" update on my phone. I'm on an iPhone 11. Have we heard/do we know anything from Apple re: when this may be fixed? This issue is for podcasts - when I listen to podcasts it sounds like speaker distorted when listening on CarPlay.

For those with the issue. The camera works but can overheat the phone if connected. I have found microphone (free app) https://apps.apple.com/app/id1070812067 to be helpful until we get a fix. (Just turn mic volume to 0 and lock phone

I have an iPhone 11 with the same issue. I have seen other iPhone models listed - maybe it is more of an issue with older phones.

Same issue. Nothing I’ve tried has fixed it. iPhone 11 and Apple CarPlay wired.

I'm having the same distorted audio issue using the Apple Podcast app too. Hope this can get corrected soon!

No, not unique to iPhone 11. I have iPhone 2020 SE and have the same issue.

I am replying to say I have same issue on my iphone 11. Camera trick works until it overheats the phone and everything crashes.

Same problem with iPhone 2020 SE