Entune 3.0 and CarPlay Limitations While In Drive

Well, I'm flummoxed about a recent change in CarPlay behavior on my Taco. Which means it's a good time to poll my fellow 3rd gen owners. For reference, I have a 2022 Off Road with the JBL Entune 3.0 headunit.

As you all know, when you use the Toyota headunit natively without CarPlay, Toyota locks out various features while the vehicle is in motion for safety reasons. This has been true on mine since the day I got it 2 years ago, just like basically every Toyota. No surprise there.

Some of you may also be aware that Apple builds in similar functionality into CarPlay. When the vehicle is in motion, CarPlay can limit some of the things you can do. This feature, however, is not universal. It is not activated unless the manufacturer of the headunit/vehicle decides to implement it. Which is why you can use the same iPhone in multiple vehicles and come across different restrictions. Some manufacturers choose to enable it, and some don't.

You can tell it's enabled by accessing the Apple Music app. While in park, CarPlay displays full, scrollable lists of Artists, Albums, Playlists, etc. But when moving, those full lists are replaced by truncated lists of the most recently played Artists, Albums, Playlists, etc. You're forced to use Siri voice commands instead. If you get the truncated "recently played" lists, the motion restrictions have been enabled by the manufacturer.

Which brings me to my conundrum. I have used CarPlay heavily in my Taco for nearly 2 years. In that time, I have never once been hit with the CarPlay vehicle in motion restrictions. This is with multiple devices (iPhone 11 Pro and 12) and multiple iOS releases (15, 16, 17). CarPlay has been near flawless. Until today, that is. Starting this morning, CarPlay's motion restrictions appeared. There have been no changes in my devices. No software updates, nothing, either to Entune or my phones. I tried all the obvious stuff... I rebooted the headunit, restarted both phones, removed and reconfigured them in the headunit, reconfigured CarPlay, etc. and the behavior remains. Weird.

My suspicion is that Toyota has always enabled the CarPlay restrictions, but there was a bug or edge case that prevented my headunit from applying them. And now, out of the blue, it's reverting to the behavior Toyota intended from the start, but I somehow skirted for the past 2 years.

So here's the question for everyone: Are you seeing the same CarPlay motion restrictions in your Tacos? Have they always been there?

 

in for expanding my vocabulary! I had to look that one up.

 

It's a solid contender on the Scrabble board, too! One of them fancy two-dollar words.

 

The limitation is from software on the phone, not the head unit. Im an andriod user, and I turn off "Driving Mode" in my phone settings. When thats on, I'm limited in andriod auto while moving. Im not sure what the Apple Car Play equivalent is of that, I think its called "Driving Focus". See if you can turn that off. Maybe an update turned it on.

 

Thanks for replying, but this is not the issue on CarPlay. Driver focus mode is not enabled.

 

Bummer. If thats off, and you're still getting limits, maybe another Car Play / Apple user can weigh in. But its 100% in the CarPlay config, Entune OS doesn't know how to restrict mobile OS apps. Thats based on your phone knowing that you are moving and using the CarPlay app.

 

Sorry, but that's not correct. The head unit manufacturer can definitely dictate whether CarPlay takes vehicle motion into account and whether those restrictions are enabled.

EDIT: I thought it would be helpful to share the CarPlay Developer Guide, because it explains how CarPlay takes guidance from the vehicle on whether to restrict features while the car is moving. Emphasis mine:

 

Trying to help, and I think were both sort of right. My point is that IOS/CarPlay is enforcing the limitation. I didnt know it took input from the vehicle or the head unit, but you're right. IOS is using that input to then restrict your access. That sucks, and I haven't a clue how you change that.

 

Yeah, it sucks alright. Certainly waters down the benefit of CarPlay significantly.

I'm mainly curious whether the current lockout behavior is what everyone else has seen from day 1 on their trucks (and my past 2 years experience without it is a fluke). I suspect it is.

 

Are you sure your Apple IOS didn't auto-update recently?
Mine went from 17.4 to 17.4.1 just yesterday.

 

No auto updates.

Since you are an iPhone user, what behavior have you seen over the years? Are you seeing the CarPlay lockout? Did it change recently?

 

With the first 17.4 update it wouldn't connect but the solution was to re-enable CarPlay notifications on the phone.
Settings > General > Carplay > Select Vehicle > Enable "Show Notifications".

Otherwise no problems.

 

But are you seeing the CarPlay restrictions while in motion? Have you always seen them, even before 17.4.1?

 

Honestly, I haven't used my truck since the 17.4.1 update yesterday so will have to try it later and advise.

Too much Houston tourist traffic here in Galveston this Easter weekend and us locals just hole-up and let the tourists grid lock the island and have at it making fools of themselves. - ha.

 

Currently running iOS 17.5.1 with a wireless CarPlay adapter and have no restrictions at all using your full music library (Apple Music or Amazon Music) while in motion. I hate wires hanging down so have searched for the smallest adapter I could find. At only 1.63 inches, the CarPlayKits mini edition is barely there. Passing along for anyone looking for no restrictions using CarPlay with a super small adapter. A close second is the Xuda adapter which is just a hair larger. If you want wireless charging to accompany it, I recommend getting an armwrest organizer paired with a MagSafe charger (plugged in below it). The OEM Qi adapter is pretty bad. Here's a few links to the the stuff.

$70 Wireless CarPlay Adapter for Apple, Plug and Play Low Latency Mini Wilreless Carplay Adapter for iPhone Converts Wired to Wireless CarPlay Dongle for Cars from 2016 and iOS 10+ USB Type-A

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D38NP7L3?_encoding=UTF8

https://www.stickerfab.com/products...d-auto-plug-and-play-non-inductive-connection

$16 JKCOVER Center Console Accessory Organizer Compatible with Toyota Tacoma 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023, ABS Material Box Insert Tray (Black trim)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TYMN6PX

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/best-b...patible-devices-white/6483068.p?skuId=6483068

 

Hey man, I just got the wireless adapter and it connects and sounds good but now I cant switch songs on my steering wheel. Do you have any issues? I do have the Meso volume switch kit so that could be why. My volume buttons work but the seek track buttons kick me back to the menu. Strange, I might return.