How to fix Bluetooth audio glitches and stutters between your iPhone and car

Try these troubleshooting solutions to fix Bluetooth audio issues like audio stutter, lag, or sudden disconnections when listening to music in the car via your iPhone.

You may encounter playback glitches when wirelessly streaming music from your iPhone to the sound system in your car, like audio delay and stuttering. This can happen because of a variety of reasons, including minor software issues, faulty in-car speaker hardware, and interference from nearby Bluetooth devices.

Here are several troubleshooting tips to fix Bluetooth audio glitching or not working at all between your phone and your car.

Reset Bluetooth

The first thing to do is reset Bluetooth on your iPhone by turning it off and then back on, which will restart all Bluetooth connections like your car’s audio system.

Go to Settings > Bluetooth, and turn it off there. Wait about ten seconds, then turn Bluetooth back on, and the phone should reconnect to the in-car audio system. If not, try tapping your car’s name in the Bluetooth settings. Then, play music on your iPhone to check if the audio now streams without issues.

Restart your iPhone and the car’s infotainment system

Try restarting the phone and the infotainment system.

Turn your iPhone off and back on, and do the same with the infotainment system.

My car has a dedicated button in the infotainment area that I have to press and hold for 10 seconds to restart the software. If you don’t know how to restart your car’s media system, turn off the ignition, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on.

Update your iPhone

Be sure your iPhone is running the most recent version of the iOS operating system by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

Update or reinstall the music app

If the audio issues only occur within a particular iPhone app like Spotify or YouTube Music, update the app to ensure you have the latest version. If that doesn’t help, delete and reinstall the app.

For more help, reach out to the app developer.

Use audio-only mode in the media app

Streaming apps like Spotify and YouTube Music may play a music video for some tracks. Some people only experience these issues when the media app plays video or animation, slowing down Bluetooth playback.

• Switch to audio-only mode (YouTube Music has it), if available.
• Turn off video playback using in-app settings.
• Play another version of the song.
• Skip to a track that doesn’t have one or more accompanying videos.
• Exit the app, go to the Home Screen, and lock the iPhone.

Disconnect the iPhone from the vehicle’s charging port

If your iPhone is plugged into the car’s USB or auxiliary port (a big circular port with a deep hole), disconnect it before streaming music to the car. If you no longer experience stuttering or audio delay, your cable is broken. so buy a new one.

Forget and re-pair Bluetooth connections

Unpairing and re-pairing the iPhone with the car may fix the issue.

In Settings > Bluetooth, tap the info button ⓘ next to the car name, then hit Forget This Device and confirm.

Restart both your phone and the infotainment system, then activate Bluetooth pairing mode in the car and connect your iPhone.

Turn off Bluetooth on your Apple Watch

Posts on Apple Communities forums indicate that some people are experiencing audio stuttering, lagging, and constant millisecond disconnections of Bluetooth devices because of their Apple Watch. As soon as the watch, which connects to the iPhone via Bluetooth is turned off, the problem disappears.

Of course, Apple devices can connect to multiple Bluetooth accessories simultaneously. But in rare cases, Bluetooth in various devices can cause interference, leading to audio issues.

If you have an Apple Watch, go to Settings > Bluetooth to turn it off and then back on, and see if doing so fixes the audio issue.

Bluetooth issues when your car is near other vehicles

Quite a few iPhone owners reported stuttering audio or weird sounds when other cars pass by, causing temporary Bluetooth interference. If you’re only having sound problems when your vehicle is near other connected cars or Bluetooth devices, visit an official service center and ask them for help.

Reset all iPhone settings

Resetting all iPhone settings may fix Bluetooth audio problems.

This action won’t delete your apps, personal information, photos, media, and similar, but your Wi-Fi passwords, VPN, and app permissions will be cleared.

Check in-car infotainment

If you’re not experiencing Bluetooth audio issues in another vehicle, your car’s infotainment system may be having problems, so try these fixes:

• Reset the car’s infotainment system, if possible.
• Update the infotainment system.
• If your car uses Android, delete unneeded apps to free up storage space.
• Remove all paired devices in the car’s Bluetooth settings, then re-pair your iPhone.
• Take the vehicle to an authorized service center and ask them to check the speakers for loose wires and connections.

Some alternatives, if nothing helps

If the above tips didn’t help, you don’t need to replace the car’s infotainment system (which is unfeasible for many people anyway). Instead, consider these alternatives:

• Use wired or wireless CarPlay, if your car supports it.
• Consider an aftermarket CarPlay receiver if your vehicle doesn’t support CarPlay out of the box.
• Connect the phone to the car’s auxiliary 3.5mm port with a USB-C to aux cable or an aux cable with a built-in microphone.
• If your car uses Android and supports Google’s Play Store, download popular audio apps like Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, YouTube, and others to stream audio directly, no smartphone needed.
• Put some music on a USB thumb drive and plug it into the car’s infotainment system.
• Use FM/AM in your car.

Restore your iPhone

Erasing/restoring your iPhone and setting it up again can fix all sorts of temporary software issues. If your Bluetooth audio problems are rooted in software, erasing your device and setting it up from scratch may resolve them.

However, this can be time-consuming as you must back up your device prior to erasing. You can also wait until Apple releases the next iOS update, hoping it fixes Bluetooth audio issues. Or, take your iPhone to an Apple store to have it inspected by trained technicians. At any rate, send Apple feedback about the issue.

More tips for your car:

• 17+ tips for using your iPhone with your car
• What to do if you can’t make calls from your iPhone in your car
• How to hide, show, and move apps in Apple CarPlay

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/07/02/fix-bluetooth-issues-iphone-car/