CarPlay questions

[CoolHands]

I’m obviously a bit thick but anyway perhaps the younger / more tech savvy crowd can help.

• Why when I (ask Siri) does it play bbc radio Norfolk, but will utterly refuse to play radio 4, or 1. When I ask for radio 4 and it will play bbc Norfolk. I’m thinking if one bbc station is allowed then why not the others?
• It does find and play LBC and LBC News although it always insists it has found ‘music inspired by LBC’ and then actually plays the station. Why can’t I save these stations? There is no ability to save?
• Podcasts - I managed to follow (on my phone) a series Eg Serial. But in the car I have to scroll through all the series and then down all the episodes to get to (example) S1E4. It’s a real pain the arse with dozens of episodes. Why can’t it remember or store your current series / episode?

[somouk]

Are you sure you are asking Siri for the radio stations? Surely that is a function of the car radio unless you are using an app on your phone?

With regards to the podcasts, which app are you using?

[CoolHands]

Yes it’s siri ie I ask Siri and it does what I want Eg send a message to… or play radio station…

The app is the inbuilt iPhone app I think it’s a purple colour? That’s the extent of my knowledge lol

[Brainpox]

You’re not giving much in the way of info. If you want more radio stations on your phone try the Radioplayer app. It works with CarPlay.

[CoolHands]

Ok will look. When I ask it to play (a radio station) it says Apple Music is playing it. So maybe that limits which ones are available

[megaphone]

Can't you use the radio built in to the car? Just press the preset, really easy.

[Ham_and_Jam]

Carplay is very good, but I never considered using it to change radio stations, mainly because the traditional way is so easy and effective.

Spend 5 minutes tuning and pre-setting on your car’s radio / infotainment unit, which will br probably way less time than the time chasing this.

Most cars have steering wheel buttons that you can you use to change the channels when you’re moving.

[somouk]

CoolHands said:

Ok will look. When I ask it to play (a radio station) it says Apple Music is playing it. So maybe that limits which ones are available

That is the issue then. You are listening via an App and not DAB in the car.

What car is it?

[shtu]

Sounds vaugely like the OP is using the BBC Sounds app.

If I was listening to R4, I'd do it via the Actual Radio - odds are DAB is higher quality than the stream, and not chewing through mobile data for something that's in the air all around for free.

[Ham_and_Jam]

So I tried to use Siri as per the OP using the Apple app, and it doesn’t work. Maybe using a different radio streaming app would.

However, just messing about I found that the native Audi voice recognition software will do exactly what the OP wants using DAB. All radio stations I tried were found first time.

Not sure what car you have OP, but does your car have voice recognition?

[megaphone]

shtu said:

Sounds vaugely like the OP is using the BBC Sounds app.

If I was listening to R4, I'd do it via the Actual Radio - odds are DAB is higher quality than the stream, and not chewing through mobile data for something that's in the air all around for free.

Not all DAB broadcasts are better quality than streaming, R4 is, it is in stereo and a decent bit rate, most BBC channels are good, even local radio. However, many of the other stations, especially the lesser commercial ones, are really low bit rate and usually in mono. Often a stream is better quality, but less convenient and uses your data.

[CoolHands]

Apologies it’s a aftermarket CarPlay box that integrates between the original car radio and controller and the screen. So I switch from the car’s original satnav screen and dab etc to the new ‘box’ which is then on the screen with all the usual CarPlay icons etc.

Because it integrates with the original wiring loom I can use the oem steering wheel buttons to activate voice commands etc but it appears to me that it is Siri I am speaking to.

As I haven’t had a car with built in CarPlay I don’t know if it’s in any way different but my sense is it’s the same?

The cars a 2013 mini with large oem satnav screen etc. But the car of that age didn’t have CarPlay.

I’m not using the car radio when using this box as of course the main purpose is that I’m using waze or google maps etc so therefore I’m not in the car’s system im in the new box.

[Ham_and_Jam]

CoolHands said:

Apologies it’s a aftermarket CarPlay box that integrates between the original car radio and controller and the screen. So I switch from the car’s original satnav screen and dab etc to the new ‘box’ which is then on the screen with all the usual CarPlay icons etc.

Because it integrates with the original wiring loom I can use the oem steering wheel buttons to activate voice commands etc but it appears to me that it is Siri I am speaking to.

As I haven’t had a car with built in CarPlay I don’t know if it’s in any way different but my sense is it’s the same?

The cars a 2013 mini with large oem satnav screen etc. But the car of that age didn’t have CarPlay.

I’m not using the car radio when using this box as of course the main purpose is that I’m using waze or google maps etc so therefore I’m not in the car’s system im in the new box.

Two options really -

1. You should still be able to listen to the DAB radio using the cars inbuilt DAB, and display Waze / Google maps apps using Carplay.

2. Download another radio streaming app. You can do this away from the car and use Siri on your handset to see if it will do what you want.

[NumBMW]

Daft question possibly (regardless of the inbuilt DAB option to play that should be available)

are you telling where Siri is to play from?

“Hey Siri, play North Norfolk Digital on RadioPlayer/BBC Sounds/TuneIn Radio etc ?