How to run CarPlay at the same time as Starlink or a hotspot
A phone WiFi radio can only be on one network at a time, so a phone doing wireless CarPlay cannot also stay on Starlink or another hotspot. Plug the phone in and run CarPlay wired over USB instead. Wired CarPlay does not use the phone WiFi at all, so the phone stays on the other network.
What this gives you
A vehicle with satellite internet in it and a phone on the screen at the same time, which is the normal setup on a long trip and the one that quietly does not work if CarPlay is left wireless. It costs a USB lead and no settings changes.
Before you start
- A USB lead that carries data, not a charge only lead. A charge only lead is the most common reason wired CarPlay does nothing.
- The phone already paired to the unit.
- The Starlink or hotspot network details, if the phone is not already on it.
Step by step
- Work out whether you actually have the conflict
If the phone drops off Starlink the moment CarPlay starts, or CarPlay drops when you join a network on the phone, this is it. Both cannot use the same radio.
- Plug the phone into USB Port 1
USB Port 1 is the CarPlay and Android Auto port. Both run wired over USB as well as wirelessly.
- Stop the phone rejoining the head unit network on its own
On an iPhone, go to Settings, then WiFi, tap the information icon next to the head unit network and turn off Auto-Join. Without that the phone keeps drifting back and taking the radio with it.
- Put the phone back on the other network
With the WiFi radio no longer being used by CarPlay, join Starlink or the hotspot on the phone as normal. Turning WiFi Assist off temporarily helps if the phone keeps switching back to mobile data.
- Give the head unit its own connection as well
The head unit can join Starlink itself under Settings and WiFi, or run a SIM. Then the unit is online regardless of what the phone is doing, which is how most touring setups end up running.
If it does not work
- Wired CarPlay does nothing at all: try a different USB lead first. A charge only lead is the usual cause.
- Phone keeps reverting to wireless: turn off Auto-Join for the head unit network at the phone rather than changing anything at the head unit.
- Both connected but the phone has no data: check the phone is on the right network, not that it merely shows a WiFi icon.
- On Android, open the PVS Link app and confirm the unit is in Android Auto mode rather than CarPlay mode.
Worth knowing
This is about what a phone WiFi radio can do, not about a limit in the head unit. Only the PVS unit behaviour is described here.
Related guides
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