Photo: Apple forums
iOS 16, which is actually the biggest iPhone software update in a long time, is slowly but surely turning out to be a major fiasco for CarPlay users.
After app crashes and all kinds of other errors, some of those who update their smartphones to the most recent version of the iPhone operating system end up being unable to run Google Maps.
And it’s all because of an uncanny issue that causes a glitchy screen and pixelated maps in Google Maps, essentially making the world's number one mobile navigation app impossible to use.
Here’s everything we know so far.
First and foremost, while this seems to be a glitch mostly impacting cars coming from brands that are part of the Volkswagen Group, the pixelated maps are actually happening on various other vehicles as well. At first glance, this could suggest that it’s an error carmakers themselves would have to address, but the most recent updates shipped for Volkswagen cars, for instance, don’t produce any improvement.
Then, the glitchy screens occur with both wired and wireless, so it’s not something caused by a bad cable. At first glance, all signs seem to suggest that the connection between the phone and the head unit, be it wired or wireless, doesn’t have the required bandwidth to transfer the entire data, so eventually, the image ends up corrupted when it’s rendered on the screen. This is just an assumption, though, so don’t take anything for granted right now.
Third, it’s quite a widespread bug that users have been complaining about for several months already. No workaround has been discovered so far, except for temporary solutions like rebooting the phone or reconnecting the iPhone to the head unit.
And last but not least, Google Maps and Waze are most often the apps that are impacted by the pixelated screen bug. Switching to Apple Maps seems to be working properly, so at some level, this could be an indication that Google itself is the one that must come up with a fix.
In the meantime, however, despite the continuously growing number of Apple users complaining of Google Maps problems on CarPlay, the Cupertino-based iPhone maker is still tight-lipped on the whole thing. Some accuse the company of ignoring reports because more often than not, the Google Maps users who jump ship end up using Apple Maps, pretty much because there is no other navigation app that works properly.
Customers who have already reached out to Apple claim the support staff is only offering generic fixes, though it looks like nothing is bringing things back to normal. Some users have decided to go as far as fully resetting their iPhones, all to no avail because the pixelated screens keep plaguing Google Maps on every connection.
And it’s all because of an uncanny issue that causes a glitchy screen and pixelated maps in Google Maps, essentially making the world's number one mobile navigation app impossible to use.
Here’s everything we know so far.
First and foremost, while this seems to be a glitch mostly impacting cars coming from brands that are part of the Volkswagen Group, the pixelated maps are actually happening on various other vehicles as well. At first glance, this could suggest that it’s an error carmakers themselves would have to address, but the most recent updates shipped for Volkswagen cars, for instance, don’t produce any improvement.
Then, the glitchy screens occur with both wired and wireless, so it’s not something caused by a bad cable. At first glance, all signs seem to suggest that the connection between the phone and the head unit, be it wired or wireless, doesn’t have the required bandwidth to transfer the entire data, so eventually, the image ends up corrupted when it’s rendered on the screen. This is just an assumption, though, so don’t take anything for granted right now.
Third, it’s quite a widespread bug that users have been complaining about for several months already. No workaround has been discovered so far, except for temporary solutions like rebooting the phone or reconnecting the iPhone to the head unit.
And last but not least, Google Maps and Waze are most often the apps that are impacted by the pixelated screen bug. Switching to Apple Maps seems to be working properly, so at some level, this could be an indication that Google itself is the one that must come up with a fix.
In the meantime, however, despite the continuously growing number of Apple users complaining of Google Maps problems on CarPlay, the Cupertino-based iPhone maker is still tight-lipped on the whole thing. Some accuse the company of ignoring reports because more often than not, the Google Maps users who jump ship end up using Apple Maps, pretty much because there is no other navigation app that works properly.
Customers who have already reached out to Apple claim the support staff is only offering generic fixes, though it looks like nothing is bringing things back to normal. Some users have decided to go as far as fully resetting their iPhones, all to no avail because the pixelated screens keep plaguing Google Maps on every connection.
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