Summary
- Connecting your iPhone to car Bluetooth is the same as pairing any other device to your tablet, but you may need to do it with your car in park, since most cars disable pairing when the car is in motion.
- Here’s how to pair your iPad to a car with Bluetooth
Gone are the days when you had to make do with your car’s built-in radio. One of the great joys of modern technology is that you can pair your iPad with your car’s infotainment system and use it to play music, listen to podcasts, make hands-free phone calls, and much more. In this article, I’ll explain how to connect an iPad to car Bluetooth and show you how to troubleshoot connectivity issues when your iPad is not connecting to your car.
How to Connect An iPad To Car Bluetooth
- Make sure your iPad has Bluetooth turned on by going to the Settings app and tapping Bluetooth. Then, make sure the switch next to Bluetooth is green with the slider positioned to the right, which indicates that Bluetooth is on.
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With the iPad in your car, start the engine and leave it parked (most infotainment systems won’t let you change settings if the car is in motion).
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Start the car’s Bluetooth pairing mode. It’s usually located in the setup menu, but you might need to check your car’s user guide for details.
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On your iPad, start the Settings app and tap "Bluetooth."
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Look for the name of your car under Other Devices section, then tap on it to pair it with your iPad. You might need to enter a passcode and confirm the selection on the car’s display.
After your iPad pairs with your car, it will appear under My Devices. You’ll know your iPad is connected to your car when it says Connected next to the name of your car. When you set the car to the Bluetooth input, your iPad should connect automatically and play through the car’s speakers.
My iPad Is Not Connecting to Car Bluetooth! What Should I Do?
If your iPad is not connecting to car Bluetooth, there’s probably a connectivity issue that’s preventing your iPad from pairing with your car. However, we can’t completely rule out the possibility a hardware issue.
There’s a small antenna inside your iPad which helps it pair with other Bluetooth devices. This antenna also helps your iPad connect to Wi-Fi networks, so if your iPad has had trouble connecting to Bluetooth devices and Wi-Fi lately, then it may have a hardware problem.
Follow the steps below to figure why your iPad won’t connect to car Bluetooth!
How To Fix An iPad That Isn’t Connecting To Car Bluetooth
1. Turn Your iPad Off, Then Back On
Our first troubleshooting step when trying to connect an iPad to car Bluetooth is to turn your iPad off, then back on. This will allow all of the programs that run the software on your iPad to shut down so they can start fresh again when you turn your iPad back on.
To turn off your iPad, hold down the Power button at the top right corner of the iPad for three seconds. If you have an iPad Pro with Face ID, hold the Power button and either of the volume buttons for three seconds. Slide the red power icon that appears on the screen to the right.
Wait 30-60 seconds, then hold the Power button at the top right corner of any iPad model for about three seconds, until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
2. Turn Bluetooth Off, Then Back On
Turning Bluetooth off then back on will give your iPad a chance to try again and make a clean connection. A minor software glitch may have occurred the first time you tried to connect your iPad to a Bluetooth device, and turning Bluetooth off and back on may resolve that glitch.
To turn off Bluetooth on your iPad, open Control Center by swiping down from top right of your iPad’s display. Then, tap the circle containing the Bluetooth icon — you’ll know Bluetooth is off when the icon is black inside of a gray circle.
To turn Bluetooth back on, tap the Bluetooth icon again. You’ll know Bluetooth is back on when the icon is white inside of a blue circle.
3. Forget Your Car As A Bluetooth Device
Just like any other Bluetooth device, such wireless headphones or speakers, your iPad saves data on how to pair with your car the first time your connect it to your iPad. If at any point that pairing process changes, your iPad may not be able to make a clean connection to your car.
To fix this potential problem, we’ll forget your car in the Settings app. So, the next time you attempt to pair your iPad with your car, it’ll be as if the devices are connecting for the first time.
To forget your car as a Bluetooth device, open Settings and tap Bluetooth. Look for your car in the list under “My Devices” and tap the information button to its right. Then, tap Forget This Device to forget your car on your iPad.
Next, reconnect your iPad and your car by tapping on the name of your car under the list of Other Devices. Complete the setup process to pair your iPad to your car.
4. Update Your iPad
If you’re using an outdated version of iPadOS (your iPad’s software), it could lead to Bluetooth connectivity issues. New software updates may introduce new ways to pair your iPad to Bluetooth devices.
To check for a software update, open Settings and tap General -> Software Update. If your iPad is up to date, you’ll see a notification that says “Your software is up to date.”
If a software update is available, you’ll see information about the update and a button that says Update Now. Tap that button to download the update, which will install if your iPad is connected to a power source or if your iPad has more than 50% battery life.** **
5. Connect Your iPad To Your Car Using A Cable
If you can connect your iPad to your car via Bluetooth, most of the time you can also connect them using a charging cable). Though it’s frustrating that Bluetooth won’t work, you can usually get all of the same functionality from a wired connection. If your car has Apple CarPlay, you won’t lose any app integration by connecting your device to your car with a charging cable rather than connecting your iPad to car Bluetooth.
Just plug a USB cable into the car’s USB ports and the iPad’s charging port. In most cases, the car’s infotainment system will automatically switch to the USB input. If it doesn’t, manually switch to USB using the car’s source control. You’ll be able to play your iPad’s audio through the car speakers.
6. Visit Your Local Apple Store
If none of our software troubleshooting steps have fixed the problem, it may be time to visit your local Apple Store to see if a repair is necessary. Before you go, we recommend setting up an appointment to make sure you can get in and out in a timely manner.
Vroom, Vroom
Your iPad is connecting to your car’s Bluetooth once again. Now that you know how to connect an iPad to car Bluetooth, and what to do when things go wrong, I hope you’ll share this article on social media with your family friends. Thanks for reading, and drive safely!
