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Pioneer Releases Highly Anticipated Firmware Update with CarPlay Improvements

Pioneer is one of the most popular brands that customers turn to in order to enable CarPlay and Android Auto in their cars with an aftermarket head unit upgrade.
Pioneer DMH-W4600NEX 6 photos
Photo: Pioneer
Pioneer DMH-W4600NEXPioneer DMH-W4600NEXPioneer DMH-W4600NEXPioneer DMH-W4600NEXPioneer DMH-W4600NEX
But as far as CarPlay users are concerned, installing a Pioneer head unit in their vehicles was great until one point, as many complained of dropping audio regardless of the media player they used behind the wheel.

In other words, whenever you listened to music on CarPlay with a Pioneer head unit, there was a high chance that the audio just dropped all of a sudden, no matter the app that was used to stream content to the speakers.

The good news is that Pioneer has released a new firmware update for multiple head units that reportedly resolve these CarPlay issues, while also adding a bunch of other improvements for customers.

Firmware update version 1.3 is available today in the United States and Canada for the head units listed at the end of the article, and according to the official changelog, it includes multiple refinements for Alexa Auto. For example, it enables new media services like Deezer, Gimme Radio, and SiriusXM, while also adding Alexa Communication support or calls, drop in, messaging, and announcements. New features are also available, including Alexa Alarm, Alexa Timer, and Alexa Reminder.

There are also other minor bug fixes, according to the official changelog detailed in the PDF document here. Worth emphasizing is that Pioneer doesn’t specifically mention the CarPlay improvements in the official release notes, but it’s likely they are included in the “other minor bug fixes” section.

Updating the firmware update is easy, as you just need to download the latest version and then transfer all files to a USB storage device. Just plug the flash drive into your Pioneer head unit and then launch the update from the screen. Everything should be complete in a matter of minutes, after which the head unit reboots and you’re ready to use the new features.

The new firmware version is available for the following Pioneer head units:
  • DMH-W4600NEX
  • DMH-W4660NEX
  • DMH-WC6600NEX
  • DMH-WT76NEX
  • DMH-WT7600NEX
  • DMH-WT8600NEX
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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