There are two useful ways to turn off CarPlay on an iPhone. To stop CarPlay for one vehicle, go to Settings > General > CarPlay, select the car, and tap Forget This Car. To disable CarPlay across the iPhone, use Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps & Features, then turn off CarPlay.
For a one-time disconnect, you usually do not need to change either setting.
Choose the CarPlay Option You Actually Need
| What you want | What to do |
|---|---|
| Disconnect wired CarPlay once | Unplug the iPhone |
| Stop wireless CarPlay for the current drive | Disconnect it from the vehicle’s device menu |
| Stop one car reconnecting | Use Forget This Car |
| Disable CarPlay on the iPhone | Turn CarPlay off in Screen Time restrictions |
| Keep Bluetooth but stop CarPlay | Forget the CarPlay connection, then pair as Bluetooth only |
| Stop CarPlay while the iPhone is locked | Turn off Allow CarPlay While Locked if available |
| Remove your phone from a rental/sold car | Forget the car on both the iPhone and vehicle |
Make changes while parked rather than navigating phone settings while driving.
Turn Off CarPlay for One Car
This is the best option when you use CarPlay elsewhere but do not want your iPhone connecting to a particular vehicle.
- Open Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap CarPlay.
- Select the vehicle under My Cars.
- Tap Forget This Car.
- Confirm.
Apple uses this same Forget This Car option in its current CarPlay troubleshooting instructions.
For wireless CarPlay, the vehicle may also retain its own saved connection. If it continues prompting you to use CarPlay, open the car’s Devices, Connections, Phone Projection, or similarly named menu and remove the iPhone’s CarPlay profile there.
For ordinary Bluetooth calls or music, you can pair the iPhone again and decline a prompt to enable wireless CarPlay if your vehicle allows Bluetooth-only operation.
Disable CarPlay Completely on the iPhone
Use Screen Time when you do not want CarPlay available with any vehicle.
Open:
Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions
Turn Content & Privacy Restrictions on if necessary, then open Allowed Apps & Features and turn CarPlay off.
On some iOS versions, the menu may be labelled Allowed Apps.
This blocks the CarPlay feature rather than merely deleting one saved vehicle.
If Screen Time asks for a passcode, enter the Screen Time passcode. On a managed iPhone, a parent, school, or employer may control the restriction.
To use CarPlay again later, return to the same menu and enable it.
Disconnect CarPlay Temporarily
A temporary disconnect is simpler than forgetting the vehicle.
Wired CarPlay
Unplug the iPhone from the CarPlay USB port.
The saved CarPlay relationship remains, so it can start again when you reconnect.
If your car supports both wired and wireless CarPlay, unplugging the cable may allow the vehicle to switch to wireless CarPlay. In that case, disconnect the phone through the infotainment system.
Wireless CarPlay
Use the vehicle’s device or connection menu and choose an option such as:
- Disconnect
- Stop CarPlay
- Bluetooth Audio
- Phone Only
- Switch Device
The exact wording depends on the vehicle.
This is preferable to turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the iPhone because those radios may also be serving an Apple Watch, AirPods, hotspot, or other devices.
Stop CarPlay From Connecting Automatically
When the problem is automatic reconnection rather than CarPlay itself, first check the vehicle.
Many infotainment systems have an option for Apple CarPlay, Phone Projection, Smartphone Integration, or automatic projection.
Disable automatic launch for your iPhone if the vehicle offers that choice.
When it does not, Settings > General > CarPlay > your car > Forget This Car is the cleaner option.
For wireless CarPlay, Apple confirms that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth participate in the connection. Simply turning them off temporarily does not erase the saved CarPlay relationship, so the vehicle can reconnect later.
If your phone connects to Bluetooth but the CarPlay interface does not work correctly, see Bluetooth connected but CarPlay not working.
Keep Charging Without Starting CarPlay
Wired CarPlay normally uses a data-capable USB connection.
When you only want power, use a vehicle USB port intended solely for charging if your car has one. A USB charger connected to the vehicle’s accessory/12-volt outlet is another option.
Check the vehicle manual before assuming that every USB port performs the same function. Some connect directly to the infotainment system, while others provide power only.
If you must use the CarPlay-capable USB port, disabling CarPlay through Screen Time can prevent the feature from running while still allowing the phone to receive power.
When the opposite problem occurs and the phone charges but CarPlay will not start, see phone charging but CarPlay not working.
Turn Off CarPlay but Keep Bluetooth
CarPlay and ordinary Bluetooth audio are not the same connection mode.
To keep Bluetooth while removing wireless CarPlay:
- Go to Settings > General > CarPlay.
- Select the vehicle.
- Tap Forget This Car.
- Remove the CarPlay/profile connection from the vehicle if necessary.
- Pair the iPhone again through the car’s standard Bluetooth menu.
- Decline wireless CarPlay setup if prompted.
- Choose Bluetooth calls or audio instead.
Some vehicles bundle Bluetooth and CarPlay together more tightly than others. When CarPlay keeps returning, look for a Bluetooth only, Disable CarPlay, or Phone Projection setting in the infotainment system.
Prevent CarPlay While the iPhone Is Locked
Some CarPlay configurations provide Allow CarPlay While Locked.
Go to:
Settings > General > CarPlay > your car
Turn Allow CarPlay While Locked off if the option is present.
This is not a complete CarPlay disable switch. The connection can still work after the iPhone is unlocked and authorized.
Use Forget This Car when you want to remove the vehicle instead.
Remove CarPlay From a Rental or a Car You Sold
When you no longer control the vehicle, remove the relationship from both sides.
On the iPhone:
Settings > General > CarPlay > vehicle > Forget This Car
If you also paired ordinary Bluetooth and no longer need it:
Settings > Bluetooth > vehicle > Info > Forget This Device
Then use the vehicle’s infotainment settings to delete your iPhone and any personal profile associated with it.
The car may have stored information beyond the CarPlay pairing, including synced contacts, recent calls, or navigation history. Remove your own data using the vehicle’s controls before returning a rental or handing over a sold car.
Driving Focus Is a Separate Setting
CarPlay can automatically activate Driving Focus, but disabling Driving Focus does not disable CarPlay.
To change that behavior, open:
Settings > Focus > Driving
Adjust its automatic activation settings.
Apple also provides an Activate With CarPlay option in CarPlay’s Driving Focus settings.
So when your real problem is that notifications become silenced every time you enter the car, change Driving Focus rather than removing CarPlay.
For most situations, there is no reason to disable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Siri, or reset the iPhone. Forget This Car is the targeted choice for one unwanted vehicle, while Screen Time restrictions are the appropriate choice when you want CarPlay unavailable across the iPhone.
