Audio distortion/crackling when using wireless CarPlay with Apple Music

Hi everyone,

I’m experiencing an ongoing audio distortion/crackling issue when using Apple CarPlay, and I’m hoping someone here may have insight or a fix.

Whenever I play music through Apple Music via wireless CarPlay, I hear crackling/distortion, especially noticeable at moderate to higher volumes and during bass-heavy parts of songs. This happens whether the music is streamed or downloaded.

The issue only occurs when using CarPlay. If I play music through standard Bluetooth (without CarPlay), the audio is completely normal.

Set up details:

iPhone: iPhone 16 Pro Max
iOS version: iOS 26.2 (23C55)
Car: 2026 Toyota bZ
CarPlay type: Wireless CarPlay
Music app: Apple Music
Issue occurs with: Streaming and downloaded music

What I’ve already tried:

Restarting the iPhone
Restarting the vehicle’s infotainment system
Forgetting and resetting up CarPlay
Turning off Sound Check and EQ
Confirming the issue occurs across multiple songs and playlists

The distortion is intermittent but repeatable, making listening uncomfortable. Since it does not happen over regular Bluetooth, it seems related specifically to wireless CarPlay on iOS 26.2.

Has anyone else experienced this on newer iPhones or with Toyota’s wireless CarPlay? Is this a known iOS/CarPlay issue, or are there any workarounds?

Thanks in advance for any help.

iPhone 16 Pro Max, iOS 26

Posted on Dec 26, 2025 11:20 PM