Wireless CarPlay Won’t Connect?

[Boggs]

22 1500 with 12“ Uconnect. Have been unsuccessfully trying to get CarPlay to connect wirelessly To my iPhone 12. It connects and functions wired.
I’ve tried all the generic suggestions in online articles. Anyone experiencing this or have a tip?
One thing I’ve noticed is that some of the articles suggest making sure that the iPhone is set to “always connect” to the vehicle’s WiFi. I do not find any WiFi channel from the vehicle for my iPhone to connect to!?!
Also, I‘ve been trying to update the Ram’s Uconnect firmware, thinking that might be the issue. The website downloads are not functioning. According to Uconnect support, it’s been down for a while. I connected the UConnect WiFi download option to my home system, but nothing happens.
Since I’ve only owned this vehicle for a few weeks, I have not seen any automatic downloads, either. Anyone know the current version number?
What am I missing here?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
-Tom in Tucson

 

[likes2build]

I didn't know that RAM had advanced to wireless CP/AA capability. I thought it was still just in the BT stages, did I miss something?

 

[Boggs]

Article in Cars.com states Ram 1500 is among vehicles with wireless CarPlay added for 2022 model year.

 

[crash68]

^^^ what he said, wireless AndroidAuto/CarPlay was addy for the '22 model year.

As for connection issues, delete all the pairings on both radio and phone for both Bluetooth and WiFi. Cycle power on the phone and check all the permissions on the phone.

 

[RamDiver]

The Uconnect website should win the ambiguity award. AFAIK, Uconnect version 5 supports Wireless connectivity for both Android Auto and CarPlay yet they don't directly say that anywhere on this page, or perhaps my filter glasses are preventing me from seeing it.

One thing they do say though is, to activate the connection, is to connect to the USB port.
Maybe, it just requires a wake-up slap and then the Wireless will function properly.

Phone Features | Ram Uconnect® | Carplay, Android Auto & More

Ram Trucks Uconnect® systems contain a number of phone features. Explore hands-free calling & text reply, wireless music streaming & more.

www.ramtrucks.com

.

 

[Travelin Ram]

Wireless CarPlay works on my 22. Sorta.

Which is to say it has glitched more than a few times, and in my case it depended on what apps were in use. In particular Gaia maps which I use often are buggy on wireless.

I have resorted to using only wired CarPlay and that fixed my issues.

Do as recommended above, delete all pairing in truck and in the phone and start fresh.

You do not need to connect the phone to the vehicle WiFi yourself. It’s not like a conventional WiFi access point connecting. It’s a peer to peer WiFi connection made behind the scenes automatically by the devices.

Step one, the phone pairs to the car. Then it asks if you want to use CarPlay.
Step two the devices automatically switch over to WiFi communication to increase the bandwidth to support CarPlay.

 

[Boggs]

^^^ what he said, wireless AndroidAuto/CarPlay was addy for the '22 model year.

As for connection issues, delete all the pairings on both radio and phone for both Bluetooth and WiFi. Cycle power on the phone and check all the permissions on the phone.

Oddly, there is no Wi-Fi connection to my iPhone. Makes me wonder if it is functioning properly.

 

[crash68]

Oddly, there is no Wi-Fi connection to my iPhone. Makes me wonder if it is functioning properly.

Some phones may or may not show the WiFi connection for AA/CP. From what I've read people usually find permissions that are not granted on iPhones, or even battery optimization settings.

 

[Boggs]

Some phones may or may not show the WiFi connection for AA/CP. From what I've read people usually find permissions that are not granted on iPhones, or even battery optimization settings.

I haven’t found any permissions or battery settings that jump out at me. Will look some more…

 

[RamDiver]

I haven’t found any permissions or battery settings that jump out at me. Will look some more…

Try plugging it into the USB port, to see if it gets recognized, then unplug it after it's working.

The Uconnect site I linked above is pretty clear about the process, regardless of what we might expect or might have heard from other users.

It's your time to spend, have fun.

.

 

[Boggs]

Yes, CarPlay works when plugged in. However, if I then unplug the phone, the CarPlay screen disappears, the CarPlay logo at the bottom of the screen reverts to “Phone,” and it goes back to basic Bluetooth phone functions.

 

[RamDiver]

Yes, CarPlay works when plugged in. However, if I then unplug the phone, the CarPlay screen disappears, the CarPlay logo at the bottom of the screen reverts to “Phone,” and it goes back to basic Bluetooth phone functions.

Thanks for the update. The more info you provide, the better.

Now we know the system is functional and just have to figure out why the Wireless portion is failing to connect.

I wonder if your difficulties are related to my recent connection problems with my truck.

The version of Uconnect on my truck doesn't support Wireless connection for AA or CarPlay but does for text/SMS messaging and phone calls.

Since day 1 and originally connecting my Android phone via Bluetooth, it has always connected automatically when I start the truck but ever since I recently removed all the Bluetooth connections from my phone, the Wireless connection is completely hit or miss without manually opening the Bluetooth connections on the phone and tapping the Uconnect connection.

Sometimes, I require to tap the Uconnect several times to make the connection. Other times, it connects automatically or only takes a single tap.

Are you able to locate the Bluetooth connections in your phone and tap the Uconnect?

I did make 1 other change recently, I disabled the contact access on the Uconnect Bluetooth connection on my phone.

I'm going to try enabling contact access again and see if that solves my automatic Bluetooth connection for SMS messaging.

Are you able to locate a similar Uconnect Bluetooth connection screen on your iPhone and is the contact access enabled?




.

 

[RamDiver]

Thanks for the update. The more info you provide, the better.

Now we know the system is functional and just have to figure out why the Wireless portion is failing to connect.

I wonder if your difficulties are related to my recent connection problems with my truck.

The version of Uconnect on my truck doesn't support Wireless connection for AA or CarPlay but does for text/SMS messaging and phone calls.

Since day 1 and originally connecting my Android phone via Bluetooth, it has always connected automatically when I start the truck but ever since I recently removed all the Bluetooth connections from my phone, the Wireless connection is completely hit or miss without manually opening the Bluetooth connections on the phone and tapping the Uconnect connection.

Sometimes, I require to tap the Uconnect several times to make the connection. Other times, it connects automatically or only takes a single tap.

Are you able to locate the Bluetooth connections in your phone and tap the Uconnect?

I did make 1 other change recently, I disabled the contact access on the Uconnect Bluetooth connection on my phone.

I'm going to try enabling contact access again and see if that solves my automatic Bluetooth connection for SMS messaging.

Are you able to locate a similar Uconnect Bluetooth connection screen on your iPhone and is the contact access enabled?

UPDATE:

Last night I completed a bit more testing on my Uconnect-Wireless connection to my Android phone.

The first 2 attempts were with the Bluetooth settings the same as my post above with only Message access enabled.

The Calls option (on phone BT options) was automatically enabled when I started my truck but the Messages icon on the Uconnect stayed grey until I tapped the Uconnect Bluetooth options on my phone several times. This happened again on the next truck start.

Next, I enabled the Contact access (on the phone Bluetooth options) before starting the truck.
The next 2 starts, after Uconnect completed downloading the phone contacts, a few seconds later, the Messages icon on Uconnect was activated.

The final test was disabling the Contact access again, the same as the above post. Each time I started the truck after that, the Messages icon on Uconnect would activate after a few seconds.

In my mind, this supports the idea that Uconnect often fails to fully connect Wirelessly to my Android phone unless the phone's Bluetooth options are configured to support Contact access.

The Uconnect software is built to interrogate the phone contacts and when that is not allowed,
the Wireless connection is incomplete and doesn't include my text messages.

This inability to fully connect Wirelessly, could be blamed on the Android OS but I suspect is more likely a Uconnect fault because a similar behaviour occurs with iPhones running an Apple OS.

I will leave the phone's Bluetooth options as shown above and see how long it takes before the partial Wireless connection (no text Messages on Uconnect) starts happening again.

So, one more time for @Boggs.

Are you able to access the Bluetooth options on your phone and confirm or configure it to allow Contact access? And then, test to see if you obtain a Wireless connection for CarPlay?

.

 

[Boggs]

So, I have turned off “Synch Contacts” in the Bluetooth settings for the UConnect.
The CarPlay actually connected wirelessly!
I’m not totally sure if that was the cause, as I’ve been changing various settings as suggested here.
So, I will have to see if it continues to connect.
Thanks to all here for your input!

 

[crash68]

The version of Uconnect on my truck doesn't support Wireless connection for AA or CarPlay

Wireless AA/CP was a feature added for the '22 model year UConnect.
You can add a module to add wireless capabilities for either, I run the AAWireless (Android) module to my UAQ, works great.

 

[RamDiver]

So, I have turned off “Synch Contacts” in the Bluetooth settings for the UConnect.
The CarPlay actually connected wirelessly!
I’m not totally sure if that was the cause, as I’ve been changing various settings as suggested here.
So, I will have to see if it continues to connect.
Thanks to all here for your input!

That's odd.

Mine seems to successfully connect Wirelessly when I have Contact access enabled and intermittently when that option is disabled.

.

 

[RamDiver]

Wireless AA/CP was a feature added for the '22 model year UConnect.
You can add a module to add wireless capabilities for either, I run the AAWireless (Android) module to my UAQ, works great.

Yes, I'm aware of both.

I still have mixed feelings about using AA.
I detest the GUI and when Uconnect is using AA, I have no access to my 3rd party SMS app.

Google doesn't support my SMS app so it's locked out when I use AA.
I'm considering adding my TomTom GPS for navigation and then SMS will function through Uconnect.

I'm also considering at this option;

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C1GHF1L9/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3TCYN5ZI283UQ&th=1

.

 

[Complete Turf]

I have a 2022 Ram2500 with the 12” screen. Recently my CarPlay would not connect. I reset my uconnect and restarted my phone several times

Nothing worked. Finally I connected to the usb port with the wire and CarPlay was there and connected. When I unplugged the cable, CarPlay went away again so I gave up

The next morning when I started my truck, CarPlay connected wirelessly and has worked properly since then.

I don’t know what I did, if anything to fix the issue.

 

[RedRAM21]

Less than year ago I put an aftermarket Alpine stereo system in my Ford Ranger (SOLD the Truck) with an Apple XS !
It claimed Wireless Connection for Apple Car Play but the connection was never made unless connected to the USB.
I searched and supposedly, no wireless connection is available for the CarPlay.
When I got the '21 RedRAM I got the same response from the RAM I did with the Ranger... No Way !
And yes both worked great with the cable connected.

I know this response is similar to others but more of a support thing.
p.s. Also got a response from Apple Support about a year back, stating the Wireless connection is not available yet.
Who's kidding who ?

 

[Boggs]

I think the ‘22 model year was the first wireless capability.