iOS 26 Carplay Podcast Audio Clipping (Distorted)

Extreme clipping.. Broken for me too. iPhone 11, CarPlay through usb, audible gain is like +10db and is clipping bad. Opening the camera app solves it while the camera is open, when I close it, it goes back to extreme gain.

I'm having this very issue with podcasts on Carplay via usb! iPhone 11, installed iOS 26 on Saturday night. Connected to my car via USB port and using Overcast to listen to podcasts. The voices are distorted from unwanted audio gain. I switched to Apple Podcasts, same problem. I changed some settings, didn't fix the problem. When I am connected to the car via bluetooth, I have NO problems. Also no problem when listening with the phone's built in speaker. I hope that Apple fixes this bug soon!!

I have the same issue with 2020 SE. About the camera work-around, it seems that any app that uses the microphone will get rid of the issue. So I found an app that can run in the background, uses the microphone, and thus normalizes the CarPlay sound for Audible. The app that I use is called "Microphone Live". The orange background for the time display on my car's display indicates that the mic. is used, also the phone similarly uses the orange color for the same reason.

Same problem - iPhone 11, since upgrading to iOS26, using YouTube music in Carplay, only a podcast seems to get unwanted audio gain and distortion. Opening the camera app whilst in the car put it back to normal. Music in the same app seems unaffected.

This worked for me (@starwebb443). I have an iPhone 11 and while the podcast is playing, opening the camera app will immediately cause the audio to improve. Very weird.

Same issue here. iPhone 11 Pro and iOS26 when connected to CarPlay.

Mostly notice using PocketCasts app.

Opening the camera also 'fixes' the issue for me as others have suggested.

Audio via Bluetooth is perfectly OK.

I found a workaround that works for me. Go to Apple Music setting, go to EQ, turn OFF. This helped reduce quite a bit of distortion. It’s still there but not nearly as much.

This is crazy! As long as the camera app is open, audio quality goes to normal. When closed or pushed to run in the background, audio quality goes bad!

Same problem, iphone11 on CarPlay, wired and unwired. Tried PocketCasts and Apple Podcasts

Ok with straight Bluetooth connection to the car.

This is happening to me as well on both vehicles using my 11 Pro Max. I have found that for some reason, when you turn on the camera app while playing the podcast, the volume will go back to normal. You just have to ride around with the camera on.

ArchanglMichael wrote: "iPhone SE second generation, I’m experiencing the same issue after downloading ISO 26 updates."

Your iPhone SE 2 could be 5½ years old and the long process of applying a major iOS upgrade to an iPhone with a weak, aging battery can be the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back." (And a degraded battery can cause various issues.) So...

Does your iPhone SE 2 still have its original battery?

And what's the Maximum Capacity % here?...

Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging

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I'm having the same problem with distorted audio. It's not just the podcast app. I'm also experiencing it with my library audiobook app – Libby. The camera work around works with Libby as well, but you have to leave the camera on the whole time. It needs to be fixed.

Yeah same here. iPhone 11 CarPlay via usb. Podcasts are most noticeable and really over clipped. Music is also noticeable when cranked. Feels like it’s pushing bass really hard and clipping the rest of audio. It’s pushing the amp way harder than before and when I bring my car volume up to where I would listen loud before (with no noticeable distortion) now it’s really compressed and when a bass tone hits (like a bass note or bass drum) the audio ducks really hard.

Same issue here with IPhone 11. Leaving the Camera app on is a workaround, but the IPhone gets very hot and slow.

Should be fixed quickly!

I can also confirm that the Clipping / distortion goes away with the camera app open.