iPhone 16 Pro Max not auto-connecting to car Bluetooth

I noticed that after uploading to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the phone no longer connects to my car. Bluetooth automatically. I am now forced to manually. Connect my phone to the car. Bluetooth. How do I fix? This? Is this a software issue?


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iPhone 16 Pro Max, iOS 18

Posted on Nov 3, 2024 10:03 AM

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Posted on Dec 24, 2024 11:33 AM

I have the 16 plus and have so many issues with it compared to iPhone 14 Pro got over Black Friday and only good thing is the color I wanted 😅 notttt impressed at all

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12 replies

Feb 22, 2025 08:53 AM in response to brianna2719

The solution is to buy a new automobile. Take your iPhone to the showroom and when you find a vehicle that can connect and allow you to listen to music, you’re good.


This method will work, 100% guaranteed. You do not need to restart your device.


I’m being totally serious and my suggestion is sound. You’re only other choices are, no connection, or wait for Apple to address, which is effectively no connection.


I’m not breaking any rules. This is the only thing that works and you don’t have to reset your device or reset your car or any other silly workaround for broken functionality.


Everyone is welcome

Mar 19, 2025 10:14 AM in response to brianna2719

What's interesting to me is this:


  1. I can manually pair my iPhone (a 16 Pro Max, latest iOS) to my car stereo's Bluetooth kit via Settings, and it streams music just fine — no dropouts, no skipping/stuttering, etc. — for as long as the car is running.
  2. The phone and car will not reconnect automatically the next time I start the car, tho'. To stream music to the car radio, I have to first remove (forget) the car from my iPhone (16 Pro Max) Bluetooth settings, wait for it to reappear under "OTHER DEVICES," and return to Step 1.
  3. If I remove the car from my iPhone's Bluetooth settings before starting the car but leave the Bluetooth settings on-screen when I start the car, however, I get this modal indicating the car recognizes my phone and wants to pair with it — and if I tap "Pair," the devices will pair successfully (but still won't reconnect automatically next time):



I don't think I've ever noticed this modal before troubleshooting this issue. I'm not sure what it means, but it seems to indicate to me that the problem doesn't lie with the car's Bluetooth kit recognizing my iPhone — it must be that, for some reason, the iPhone isn't recognizing and reconnecting to the car kit.

Dec 24, 2024 11:49 AM in response to brianna2719

If you just upgraded to a 16 Pro Max from another iPhone, you need to pair the new phone to the vehicle. Even if you have done this once, I would suggest that you remove the phone from the vehicle's list of devices, then turn off the vehicle. Then go into the phone and remove the car from the Bluetooth group and restart the phone. Then go ahead and go through the pairing process again to pair the phone to the vehicle. That should take care of it, clearing the device from the car and the car from the device and starting from scratch.

Jan 15, 2025 06:56 PM in response to labiau79

Since you are new to this thread, we have no information about your problem or what troubleshooting you have tried? What year and model vehicle are you trying to connect to? Are you attempting just to connect via Bluetooth, or are you trying to use CarPlay? You mention plugging the device in? So that makes me ask which you are trying to do.

Myself or any of my friends or colleagues have had difficulty with CarPlay or Bluetooth. Have you checked with your car's dealer to see if there are any updates to their system?

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iPhone 16 Pro Max not auto-connecting to car Bluetooth

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