[kenny-mv]

I have a 2022 Crosstrek Limited, updated the HU firmware to Rel_UG.22.13.70 recently and Carplay stops working with "Smartphone Connection Error" - Please unplug, wait a moment and re-plug your device...
No problem connecting my iPhone 13 with iOS 16.1 to two other rental cars, so the problem is with the Crosstrek HU. I tried forgetting the vehicle in the phone's Carplay setting, reboot the phone but none works. Also the phone is charging when plugged in, but somehow couldn't connect to the HU. Should I try to reboot the HU? Or reset the HU back to the factory setting? Thanks.

 

[subyrubyroo]

Did your phone work prior to the update? You may already be doing this but be sure to plug the phone into the USB ports in the dash cubby and not the ones in the arm rest area.

 

[kenny-mv]

Did your phone work prior to the update? You may already be doing this but be sure to plug the phone into the USB ports in the dash cubby and not the ones in the arm rest area.

The connection worked beautifully before the HU firmware update.

 

[Dudecris]

Might be worth trying another cable. I've used a cable before that works fine connecting my phone to my computer, but using same cable, my crosstrek wouldn't pick it up (same connection issue, but could charge still).

Replaced the cable, and it works now.

 

[kenny-mv]

Might be worth trying another cable. I've used a cable before that works fine connecting my phone to my computer, but using same cable, my crosstrek wouldn't pick it up (same connection issue, but could charge still).

Replaced the cable, and it works now.

I have tried that to no avail :-(

 

[kenny-mv]

I have tried that to no avail :-(

I tried with the cable that worked with the rental cars.

 

[AmyME]

I have a 2021 Crosstrek Limited - last year this happened and I replaced the cable with an actual Apple cable and it fixed it. Last month with the OTA update something glitched, car play stopped working, though the phone will charge when plugged in. Bought a new apple cable, still doesn't work. Also, it says update complete when in the garage connected to wifi, but when I leave the house it says update failed would you like to try again? So frustrating! I called the dealer who acted as if they'd never heard of this issue. Does anyone know if you can "undo" an update like you can with a computer?

 

[AstroKats]

I have a 2021 Crosstrek Limited - last year this happened and I replaced the cable with an actual Apple cable and it fixed it. Last month with the OTA update something glitched, car play stopped working, though the phone will charge when plugged in. Bought a new apple cable, still doesn't work. Also, it says update complete when in the garage connected to wifi, but when I leave the house it says update failed would you like to try again? So frustrating! I called the dealer who acted as if they'd never heard of this issue. Does anyone know if you can "undo" an update like you can with a computer?

Perhaps you can redo the update with firmware downloaded onto a USB drive? They used to be available on MySubaru.

 

[FOXM]

This is currently happening to me now and I have 2021 crosstrek limited. CarPlay literally worked a few days ago. I only use apple cables for my phone and I only ever unplug to replug for the same issue. Did you update your phone? I wonder if that might have something to do with is as I need to update my phone. Keep me posted if you find a solution!

 

[FOXM]

-

 

[sas-XV]

This is currently happening to me now and I have 2021 crosstrek limited. CarPlay literally worked a few days ago. I only use apple cables for my phone and I only ever unplug to replug for the same issue. Did you update your phone? I wonder if that might have something to do with is as I need to update my phone. Keep me posted if you find a solution!

Do you have the MySubaruApp installed on your iPhone?

"The StarlinkApp had links to a NavigationApp and a BirdsApp and a few others that were all pretty useless.
The only useful operability that it 'did' have was that CarPlay worked much easier when you had the starlink.app running on your phone before you plugged in your phone to the HU.
That operability seems to have been given to the MySubaruApp now."

 

[Raleighmclemore]

My HU has become a continuous source of entertainment that was unintended by the Harmon folks. I practically never know what I'll be listening to! The HU is the main problem I feel with the purchase in my five years of ownership, but frankly the rest of the car is pretty nice so I learned to relax and go with the Harmon flow. Oh yeah, the other thing is that the radio comes back on when you restart the car after leaving with the radio off...don't like that too much.

 

[AstroKats]

My HU has become a continuous source of entertainment that was unintended by the Harmon folks. I practically never know what I'll be listening to! The HU is the main problem I feel with the purchase in my five years of ownership, but frankly the rest of the car is pretty nice so I learned to relax and go with the Harmon flow. Oh yeah, the other thing is that the radio comes back on when you restart the car after leaving with the radio off...don't like that too much.

The Harman HU has also been a continuous source of posts here, LOL! I just turn the volume down to zero rather than turning it off.

 

[Jen J]

This is currently happening to me now and I have 2021 crosstrek limited. CarPlay literally worked a few days ago. I only use apple cables for my phone and I only ever unplug to replug for the same issue. Did you update your phone? I wonder if that might have something to do with is as I need to update my phone. Keep me posted if you find a solution!

Having same issue in my 2021 Forester Sport & also just started a few days ago. Cord will charge my phone but get the Smartphone Connection Error message on my screen.

 

[KansasRef]

Same issue with my 2023 Ascent. Prior to the last entertainment system upgrade, CarPlay and Bluetooth worked fine. Now CarPlay doesn't work at all (Smartphone Connection Error) and Bluetooth playback "skips" badly most of the time (some kind of time synchronization error, maybe?). Swapping to an Apple cable doesn't help. So now I am without iTunes and Maps from my iPhone. On the bright side, my CD player now remembers where it left off when I turn the vehicle off, when it used to jump back to the beginning of the disc about 4 times out of 5.

 

[gudentyte]

So everything that interfaces your iPhone with Subaru HU's craters unless you use the proper "certified" cable and you stick out your tongue just right when you plug it in?

And yet we claim to have the technology necessary to receive radio communications and radio telescope images from the edges of the universe ... without a cable.

Pull my finger.

 

[qjsmama]

Having same issue in my 2021 Forester Sport & also just started a few days ago. Cord will charge my phone but get the Smartphone Connection Error message on my screen.

I also have the same model Crosstrek and updated my phone last week and have repeatedly had this issue this week. Everything is the same except the update. It does occasionally work, mit more often it doesn’t. Has anybody found a fix?