CarPlay CarPlay disconnects and reconnects

[circatee]

With iOS26 when in my car, I have noticed that if I happen to pick up my phone and use it (opening any app, etcetera), CarPlay temporarily disconnects.

Once I put the iPhone down, or lock the device, it reconnects to CarPlay.
If I happened to have Waze running guiding me to a destination, it will ask if I want to resume the trip.

Is this a new 'safety' feature of some sort?

PS: I am connected wirelessly...

 

[Apple_Robert]

I don't believe I have experienced any disconnect / reconnect in the manner you described.

 

[Itinj24]

Wireless CarPlay user here. Have not experienced any of this at all. Try restarting everything, iPhone and car infotainment. I’d also unpair and re-pair CarPlay.

 

[rstark18]

I am experiencing this. I thought it started after 26.1. Definitely didn't happen on any of the 26 betas.
My car is an Ioniq5.

 

[circatee]

Update:
I disconnected my iPhone 17 Pro Max from my car, then I reconnected it.

Later that same day, I drove my car, and after picking up the iPhone and merely going to the home screen, it disconnected. Once I put the phone back down, it reconnected to CarPlay and CarPlay asked if I wanted to resume the trip.

A tad bit frustrating...

 

[rstark18]

Update:
I disconnected my iPhone 17 Pro Max from my car, then I reconnected it.

Later that same day, I drove my car, and after picking up the iPhone and merely going to the home screen, it disconnected. Once I put the phone back down, it reconnected to CarPlay and CarPlay asked if I wanted to resume the trip.

A tad bit frustrating...

What car do you have?
It works fine on my Chevy Bolt but not on my Hyundai Ioniq5

 

[circatee]

What car do you have?
It works fine on my Chevy Bolt but not on my Hyundai Ioniq5

Mach-E

 

[Pug72]

Both my wife and I are experiencing connection issues and badly pixelation with a Mercedes A Class. Me with a 17 Pro Max, her with the Air.

I didn't have no issues with any iOS26 betas. I tried the iOS26.1 beta but no change. Will see if the next public release sorts it for my wife, I'll stick with the betas to try.

 

[Pug72]

I should add, with the iOS26 betas I was using a 16 Pro Max and the wife a 15 Pro Max.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

My 16PM was working perfectly with Carplay on iOS26 beta and the actual release. But my 17PM is a different story.

The problem is not disconnecting. It's stable. The problem is everytime I start my car, it doesn't auto connect. After playing with it, it seems to be a bluetooth issue rather than wifi. Several times I had to delete the BT profile on my phone and reconnect just to get it going.