"Does Tidal work with Apple CarPlay?" Yes. With Tidal Apple CarPlay integration, you can listen to Tidal music with Lossless Hi-Res FLAC directly in cars that have a radio compatible with Apple's car system safely while driving. Plus, you can also make phone calls, send messages, use turn-by-turn navigation and more through the Apple CarPlay.
In this article, you can learn how to use Tidal on Apple CarPlay with or without Tidal subscription. Besides, you can learn some solutions to fix Tidal not working on CarPlay.
Part 1. How to Play Tidal on Apple CarPlay Online with a Subscription
In recent years, Tidal has become increasingly popular for playback on CarPlay. You can listen to your favorite Tidal music in your car by paying for a Tidal subscription. To achieve optimal results, you need to ensure that both your hardware and app settings are optimized for high-fidelity output.
What you need to use Tidal on Apple CarPlay:
- Device: Your iPhone should be an iPhone X or higher model running at least iOS 7.1 (iOS 19 or the recent iOS 26 beta).
- Vehicle: Your car stereo is equipped with the Apple CarPlay in-car system.
- Account: You have an active Tidal subscription.
- Tidal App: You have the latest Tidal application on your iPhone (version 2.187+).
- Connection: A high-quality MFi-certified USB data cable, or a vehicle that supports wireless CarPlay.
First, check the list of compatible Apple CarPlay cars to find out if your car is compatible with Apple CarPlay. Then follow the steps below to use Apple CarPlay Tidal in your car.
Method 1: Play Tidal on Apple CarPlay Wirelessly
Step 1. Turn on Bluetooth and WiFi on your iPhone.
Step 2. On your car's head unit, head to 'Discovery' or 'Pairing' mode.
Step 3. Go to the 'Settings' app on your iPhone. Then tap 'General' > 'CarPlay' > 'Available Cars'. In the list of available cars, tap your car.
Step 4. On your car's touch screen, start to browse and play Tidal music in the car via Apple CarPlay.
If Tidal does not appear on the Home Screen, go to Settings > General > CarPlay > [Your Vehicle] > Customize, and drag Tidal to the top of the list.
Method 2: Get Tidal on Apple CarPlay via Wired Connection
Step 1. Start your car, then go to your iPhone's Settings > Siri Search to enable Siri.
Step 2. Connect your iPhone to your car via a USB cable. Then the 'Apple CarPlay' icon or a 'smartphone' icon will show up on the car's built-in display.
Step 3. On your iPhone, a prompt may appear requesting permission to use CarPlay while locked. Please tap "Allow".
Step 4. On your car's touch screen, tap 'Tidal' and begin streaming.
To ensure that you are indeed listening to Tidal HiRes FLAC (24-bit, 192 kHz) on Apple CarPlay, you must adjust the streaming quality settings in Tidal app. Just open Tidal app on your iPhone, go to Settings > Audio & Playback > Streaming, then choose Max under Mobile Data and WiFi.
Although Wireless CarPlay offers immense convenience, it typically uses the AAC compression format. To achieve the purest lossless audio experience, a wired USB connection remains the only method capable of ensuring that full bit-depth data is transmitted to the vehicle's DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter).
Part 2. How to Stream Tidal on CarPlay Offline without a Subscription
Although Apple CarPlay supports the Tidal app officially, there are some limitations: it stops working if your Tidal subscription expires, it requires a stable network connection, and it consumes high cellular bandwidth for 'Max' quality. Besides, many users have reported a variety of Tidal CarPlay issues.
If you want to get around all of these limitations, you can try to play Tidal offline on Apple CarPlay without paying Tidal. All you need to do is download Tidal music locally with the AudFree Tidal Music Converter. Then, you are able to play the downloaded Tidal songs on your CarPlay via a USB drive, iPhone, or the Apple Music app.
The smart AudFree Tidal Music Converter allows you to convert Tidal music to MP3 and other 6 universal formats. You can use it to get Tidal audio files that are compatible with your different devices not just the Apple CarPlay. Thus, you are able to listen to Tidal music on any device even if it doesn't support Tidal.
With advanced technology, AudFree preserves the 100% original quality of Tidal tracks (up to Max). Additionally, ID3 tags such as artist, title, album, etc. are fully preserved in the output files. This is really convenient to check the information of the songs on your Apple CarPlay anytime.
AudFree Tidal Music Converter
- Losslessly download Tidal music as local audio files permanently
- Convert Tidal to MP3, FLAC, WAV, M4A, M4B, Lossless, and AIFF
- Get Tidal on Apple CarPlay offline without a subscription
- Preserve 100% original sound quality
- Work at 37X faster speed and support resetting output parameters
How to Download Tidal Music for Apple CarPlay
Simply click the 'Try It Free' button above to install the AudFree Tidal Music Converter. Then follow the steps below to convert and use Tidal on Apple CarPlay without any hassle.
- Step 1. Add Tidal music to AudFree Tidable
- Launch AudFree Tidal Music Converter on your desktop. Pick up any song or playlist in the built-in Tidal web player. Then hit the "+" > 'Add to list' button to load the track.
- Step 2. Customize Tidal output settings for Apple CarPlay
- For the Mac computer, go to the Mac's menu and find the "AudFree Tidal Music Converter" option. For the Windows computer, head to the "menu" icon on the top in AudFree. And go to "Preferences" > "Conversion". There you can edit the output settings. You can choose FLAC or WAV and choose a sample rate of 192kHz for the best car audio experience.
- Step 3. Convert Tidal music for Apple CarPlay
- Click the big "Convert" bar of "Converting", and it will start the conversion process. When the conversion is over, please follow the on-screen red spot to locate the "Converted" folder to find the downloads.
In addition, to download Tidal songs for Apple CarPlay, you can use AudFree Streaming Audio Recorder. It supports to download and convert music from Tidal, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, etc. as high-quality audio files locally.
How to Play Tidal on Apple CarPlay Offline
Now, you can transfer downloaded Tidal songs to your USB drive, the Apple Music app, or iPhone to stream on the Apple CarPlay.
Way 1: Use Tidal Music on Apple CarPlay via a USB Drive
Find the converted Tidal songs in your computer's local folder. Then plug a USB drive into your computer and copy & paste the Tidal files to USB drive. Finally, you can insert this USB drive into your car and stream Tidal on CarPlay offline without a subscription.
Way 2: Get Tidal on Apple CarPlay via the Apple Music/iTunes App
Open the 'iTunes' app or 'Apple Music' app on your computer. Select 'Menu' > 'File' > 'Add File to Library'/'Add Folder to Library' to transfer Tidal music to iTunes. Then, connect your iPhone to the Apple CarPlay by a USB cable and open the Apple Music app on your phone to play Tidal on Apple CarPlay.
Way 3: Stream Tidal Songs to CarPlay via iPhone
Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable. Next, import Tidal downloads from your PC to your mobile. Then, you can use the USB cable to link your phone to your car so you can directly play Tidal on CarPlay.
View also: How to Listen to Tidal on iPhone Online
Part 3. How to Fix Tidal CarPlay Issues
"Why is Tidal not working on CarPlay?" There are many reports of Tidal CarPlay problems. If you also encounter some issues, try the fixes below.
1. Restart your iPhone and your car's infotainment system
Most software "handshake" errors between an iOS device and a vehicle's infotainment system can be resolved with a simple power cycle. Please completely shut down your vehicle, then force restart your iPhone (press and release the Volume Up button, press and release the Volume Down button, and then press and hold the Side button).
2. Check your USB cable and port
Please ensure that you are using an MFi-certified ("Made for iPhone") cable. While many "charge-only" cables can supply power, they are unable to initiate the data handshake process required for CarPlay.
3. Unpair and forget your car
Go to iPhone's Settings > General > CarPlay, choose your car and tap 'Forget This Car'. Also, delete your iPhone from your car's Bluetooth settings. After that, re-pair them from scratch to clear cache.
4. Update the Tidal app
You can go to your App Store on phones or Tidal's official website on computers to find the latest version.
5. Update your iPhone device
On the 'Settings' app, find the 'General' > 'Software Update' section to update.
6. Enable Siri and 'Allow While Locked'
You can enable Siri on 'Settings' > 'Siri & Search', and turn on 'Listen for Hey Siri' and 'Allow Siri When Locked'.
7. Check Content & Privacy Restriction
If the Tidal icon not showing on Apple CarPlay, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps and enable CarPlay.
8. Disable VPNs and Background Ad-Blockers
Recent reports indicate that active VPNs (such as NordVPN or ExpressVPN) may interfere with the local Wi-Fi handshake process required for wireless CarPlay. Please disable them before connecting.
9. Enable Cellular Data for Tidal
If Tidal not loading music, you should go to 'Settings' > 'Cellular' > 'Cellular Data' to switch on the button for Tidal.
10. Clear Tidal App Cache
If the app stutters or displays "Content Not Available", please open the Tidal app on your phone, go to "Settings" > "Account" and then select "Clear Offline Cache".
11. Use AudFree Tidal Music Converter for a 'Zero-Error' playback
When bugs within the Tidal official app persist, such as the 50-song playback limit or issues with random track skipping, the most reliable solution is to bypass the app entirely. With AudFree Tidable, you can convert tracks into local FLAC files. Then you can play these files via a USB drive or the native Apple Music app, ensuring a smooth and high-fidelity offline listening experience.
Part 4. FAQs about Tidal on CarPlay
Why Can't I See My Full Tidal Playlists on the CarPlay Screen?
For driving safety reasons, Apple CarPlay limits the display of scrolling lists to a maximum of 50 songs. To access songs located further down the list, please use Siri voice commands or start playing the playlist on your phone before you begin driving.
Can I Use Siri Voice Commands to Control Tidal on CarPlay?
Yes, for safety while driving, you can control Tidal music playback on Apple CarPlay with a few commands from Siri. You can go to iPhone's Settings > Siri Search > enable 'Allow Siri When Locked' > find Tidal > enable 'Use with Ask Siri'. Then you can use commands like 'Hey, Siri. Play [the name of songs] on Tidal', 'Hey, Siri. Play the next song', 'Hey Siri, skip this track', etc.
Does Tidal Support Dolby Atmos on CarPlay?
No. Currently, CarPlay downmixes immersive audio to high-quality two-channel stereo. To experience native Dolby Atmos, you need a vehicle with the Tidal app built in (such as a Tesla or Mercedes-Benz).
Why Does Tidal Keep Pausing or Skipping Tracks on CarPlay?
Please check whether 'Low Power Mode' is enabled on your iPhone, as this mode restricts background data activity. Additionally, please ensure that you are using an MFi-certified USB cable, as low-quality cables often lead to interrupted data connections. Also, go to iPhone's Settings > Apps > Music to turn off Song Transitions (Crossfade).
Is Tidal Better than Apple Music on CarPlay?
Tidal owes its widespread popularity primarily to its library of HiRes FLAC audio sources; in high-end car audio systems, it delivers a soundstage that feels slightly more expansive compared to Apple Music's ALAC format.
View also: Tidal vs Apple Music
Why Is Tidal on CarPlay Quieter than My Car's FM Radio?
This is typically caused by the 'Loudness Normalization' feature. Please disable it in the 'Audio & Playback' settings within the Tidal app to ensure that the volume output remains consistent with other media sources.
View also: How to Make Tidal Louder
Part 5. Summary
With a Tidal CarPlay integration, you can simply stream Tidal on Apple CarPlay online with a Tidal Plan. But this will cunsume heavy data. For the most reliable and high-fidelity experience, you can use AudFree Tidal Music Converter to get Tidal audio as local files. In this way, you can use a USB drive, the Apple Music app, or an iPhone to play Tidal music on CarPlay offline without any limits.
Miley Swift
Staff Editor
