How can I fix Wi-Fi and CarPlay issues on iPhone 17 Pro Max?

Hi, for those who thought that ios 26.0.1 (released today) fix the problem... Nope still same with CarPlay. For my lucky I have new module which is working perefctly fine (Adapter Ottocast Play2Video Pro Android Auto CarPlay).

MY gears: 17Pro+Apple Watch 7 (LTE+GPS)+ IDCORE carplay module

Previously I tried turn off Watch (power off, not just disable WiFi/BT) and remove VPN. It did help to work for more minutes (Say from 10-min to 40 min) but eventually it will disconnect and freeze my Carplay again.

Once it is frozen, it will not connect again until next drive.

I do not see other WiFi connection issue yet (Or I didn't notice it because I use mobile phone network in most cases)

This morning I update to the new fresh iOS 26.0.1, hoping it will improve or fix the annoying carplay issue.

The answer is NO. It did not help a bit. Carplay freezed in 5 minutes.

I have tried all the said approaches, removing the VPN(I have Tailscale VPN installed), reboot, forgetting the network, remove all known devices and re-connect the carplay. Nothing help.

Shame on Apple.

I was having problems with my ProMax 17 and CarPlay which was disconnecting every few minutes with a wired connection (only option) on 2020 Jeep Cherokee. Tried a different cable, no help. Updated to iOS 26.0.1 still no help. Tried using the car’s other USB port and that seems to have fixed the problem. Just drove for an hour and it didn’t disconnect at all. I guess the primary USB port is failing. We also have a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Drove for 2-1/2 hours and it worked perfectly with both a wired and a wireless connection. Hope this helps those of you with a wired connection.

Oddly enough as of 10/6/2025, the iPhone 17 Pro Max isn’t listed as being compatible with CarPlay, according to https://www.appie.compos/carplay

FYI I’m also having the same issue with my iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Only working solution I’ve found so far is to leave my Apple Watch SE at home

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Quick update:

There is no point. Ordered iPhone 17 replacement. CarPlay continues to freeze, disconnect and connect every 15-45 seconds on the replacement unit as well. Mine is an aftermarket portable head unit. Guess the issue is with old head units in wireless mode. Read in some Audi maintenance bulletin that the CarPlay uses 5 GHz band. My phone sometimes does not even detect my home WiFi’s 5 GHz signal. All other phones in my home including iPhone 13 and SE 1st gen are working perfectly fine.

This was a my big…really BIG MISTAKE to switch to iPhone this year. My vehicle does not have an inbuilt CarPlay unit nor any option for wired connection. So all those wireless USB dongles are useless for me. Only a new head unit is an option it seems or does Apple expects us to change our vehicles every time a new iPhone gets launched? Sad!

I purchased a wired to wireless adapter CPLAY2air when I purchased my car 5 years ago. When I also upgraded my iPhone a week ago to 17 Pro Max, CarPlay would drop out every few minutes. I ordered an Ottocast wireless car adapter a couple of days ago (I don't think the brand matters so much as it is more recent) and CarPlay is now fine. I guess that doesn't help vehicles with an in-built wireless facility given vehicle manufacturers are hopelessly slow at updating this sort of thing.

CarPlay not reliable with ios26 and iPhone Air. Wireless connection constantly dropping. Unusable. Using USB connection for now. Hopefully a software update coming soon. No Apple Watch involved.

My iPhone 17 Pro would not pair, but the USB port was providing energy for charging. I disconnected the actual car battery and let my car’s computer reset, and voila. It works

Use the cable that came with the phone, you may need an A to C adapter for one end. My wife and I did.

Having the same issue with my 17 Pro. Setup continuously failed as it tried to run an update before transferring anything. Update continuously failed due to connection issues. Tried skipping it and same thing for the transfer. Ended up just plugging into my Mac and updating and restoring from there.

Now the phone is “usable” but doesn’t work on wifi. Refuses to connect most of the time and if it does shows less than 1mbps download. My 13 Pro right beside it has around 500mbps on the same network.

No idea if this is a software bug or something wrong with the phone itself. Debating just returning to avoid the hassle and sticking with the 13 Pro.

Many people are posting on Reddit and other sites that they have this issue as well, and you can easily replicate it.

Just lock your phone, then unlock it after 10-15 seconds. The device will turn off the WiFi and then turn it back on.

KuriousKat wrote:

I had no issues with iPhone 15 pro and CarPlay connectivity. Just got my 17 pro Friday and can connect but intermittently drops out then reconnects over and over…what’s the story here Apple?

Apple isn't here on this user to user only forum. So asking a question of Apple here won't get you anywhere. It appears you're not alone and people are reporting it may be resolved in a future update, but if you want to share your thoughts with Apple, this isn't the place to do so. You can use this link --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

Problem solved by buying new wireless modul and it running using Bluetooth only. Wifi can be connected as well but only for internet use from that module which is connected to wifi into car. Setup: Mercedes S-class 2020, IP 17 Pro Max, Watch Ultra 3.

Shame on you Apple. Those are exepnsive toys and it has been reported week ago and what, nothing.

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My Experience with iPhone 17 Pro, iOS 26, and Wired CarPlay (Ford Kuga 2021, Sync 3.4)

With my previous iPhone 13 Pro running iOS 26, I always used a cable for CarPlay (mainly because of Apple Music Lossless). It worked flawlessly – no issues at all, not even on earlier iOS versions like 17 or 18.

Now, after switching to the iPhone 17 Pro, I am facing constant problems with wired CarPlay. The connection is unstable and breaks down within a few minutes (usually 2–5). Either the entire CarPlay app on the iPhone crashes and restarts automatically, or it completely freezes. When that happens, the only way to recover is to physically disconnect the cable and plug it back in. Then it works again for a few minutes before the same problem repeats.

What I have tried so far (without success):

1. Tested with different cables → No improvement
2. Updated from iOS 26 to iOS 26.1 → No improvement
3. Updated the Ford Kuga Sync 3.4 system to the latest version → No improvement
4. Bought a new wireless CarPlay dongle (Ottocast Mirror Touch) → Will be testing, but this is not a real solution since I want wired CarPlay for Apple Music Lossless
5. Deleted all VPN profiles and VPN apps from my iPhone 17 Pro → Will test with cable later today

At this point, I honestly believe Apple has a major issue here. Not only does the new Liquid Glass design look questionable, but iOS 26 seems to have introduced a significant number of bugs and stability problems.

I sincerely hope this is not a hardware-related defect with the iPhone 17 Pro itself.

I will continue testing and report back with updates.

I'm quite displeased with my Iphone 17 Pro Max, which ended up being a functional downgrade from my 12 Pro Max. Car Play does not work, despite endless resets, restarts and fiddling with settings. I have a 2019 Ford F150. Carplay worked fine with the 12 Pro Max.

I can only get Car Play to work for a few minutes at a time, by resetting the network settings on the phone. It always disconnects, and can only be reconnected by resetting the phone network settings.

The F150 doesn't have wireless/bluetooth Car Play capability, cable only. The cable seems fine, as it powers the phone. There's no VPN installed on the 17 Pro Max. Bluetooth is stable and works fine, so I have music and phone. But without Car Play I have no navigation.

Separately, Siri continues to suck for basic queries while driving. The AI seems limited, when I have access at all. Half the time it will respond with "I can't give you that information while you are in the car."

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