CarPlay Multiple Drivers and Wireless CarPlay

[eddjedi]

This seems like an obvious question, but surprisingly I can't find an answer to it so am asking here.

I share my car with my wife, and we both have iPhones. I have just bought a new aftermarket car stereo with Wireless CarPlay, and it works great with my phone. She would also like to use it with her phone, which I assume won't be a problem if we're not in the car together. But what if we are in the car together? How will the stereo decide which phone to connect to? Can you set priority somewhere? Ideally it would connect to my phone only if we are both in the car. Any help appreciated.

 

[AZhappyjack]

This seems like an obvious question, but surprisingly I can't find an answer to it so am asking here.

I share my car with my wife, and we both have iPhones. I have just bought a new aftermarket car stereo with Wireless CarPlay, and it works great with my phone. She would also like to use it with her phone, which I assume won't be a problem if we're not in the car together. But what if we are in the car together? How will the stereo decide which phone to connect to? Can you set priority somewhere? Ideally it would connect to my phone only if we are both in the car. Any help appreciated.

In my previous car I had the Alpine ILX-103 with wireless CarPlay. It connected to the first device it found. Not sure what the algorithm was, or how it determined which it saw 'first'... typically, though, it would usually connect to my phone in that situation... but I drove almost all the time, so I was in the car first to back it out of the garage.

All I can suggest for your use would be to test it and see what happens. Obviously, YMMV.

 

[CTHarrryH]

Not with wireless car play but similar issues with bluetooth connection in my car. However, the system allows me to "switch" phone to be connected and in use. See if your system allows choice of phone?

 

[rp7777]

I have installed a Kenwood DDX9019DABS in my 2008 Mazda 3.

Two drivers - both with iPhones. The Kenwood does Wireless CarPlay.

When entering the car and starting, the Kenwood connects to the previous connected iPhone. If it cannot "find" it - it attempts to connect to the other one (both iPhones originally added to CarPlay on the Kenwood).

So - I drive - CarPlay connected.

My partner gets in - CarPlay tries to connect to my iPhone - then tries (and connects) to partners iPhone,

If we both hop in the car - it will connect to whichever was last connected. If this is not wanted, there is a menu option (3 or 4 button clicks/icon touches) to select the iPhone you want it to connect to.

Has been reasonably seamless in practice. Only a few occasions where I have hopped into car after partner drove and it did not connect. Fixed by manually connecting via menu (10 seconds).

Only other time there was an issue was after an iOS update on my iPhone - would not connect at all. Had to remove my device from Kenwood and delete in iPhone bluetooth and then re-pair the 2. No issues after that.