This iPhone Shortcut Is a Must-Have for CarPlay | How to Autoplay Music

Apple CarPlay Apple Music Credit: Elijah Fox
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For those of us who love to drive (or at least need to drive), CarPlay has been an excellent addition to our infotainment systems – and the two CarPlay apps that you probably use the most are Apple Maps and the Music app. If you’re anything like me, you just can’t exit the garage without putting on some good tunes.

But of course, you have to get in, set all of your stuff down, plug your iPhone in with a Lightning cable, and then finally find some jams to rock out to.

It’s a bit of a process, but it doesn’t have to be.

Did you know that your iPhone can play music automatically using the Shortcuts app?

You no longer have to search for the right playlist each time that you get into your vehicle or ask Siri to play music (which can sometimes be a pain).

Instead, you can play specific playlists automatically just by plugging in your iPhone to your car’s connected Lightning cable. 

This is especially useful for those of us on a limited data plan who might not want to risk shuffling through songs that are not downloaded directly to the phone. Here’s what you need to do.

How to Autoplay Apple Music Just By Connecting Your iPhone to CarPlay

I’ll admit, the following list of steps looks like a lot of work, but it’s pretty straightforward – and once you do it, you’ll become a pro in no time. The best part is, it’ll save you plenty of time and energy in the future.

Your end result should look similar to the screenshots below, depending on which playlist you choose. For reference, Top 50 Most Played is a smart playlist I have downloaded to my iPhone and is the simplest way to listen to my favorite songs.

Here’s how to autoplay Apple Music in your car just by connecting to CarPlay.

  1. Open your iPhone’s Shortcuts app.
  2. Tap Automation in the middle of the lower navigation bar.
  3. Tap the + button at the top right of your screen.
  4. Tap Create Personal Automation.
  5. Find and tap CarPlay.
  6. Select Connects, then press Next.
  7. Tap Add Action.
  8. Next to Categories, switch to Apps.
  9. Press Music.
  10. Select Play Music.
  11. Tap the light gray text that says Music to make your selection.
  12. Here you can choose whichever playlist you’d like to hear. To select music that is downloaded to your iPhone, tap Library.
  13. Tap Downloaded.
  14. Select Playlists and tap your favorite.
  15. Press the small plus button at the top of your screen.
  16. On the next screen, it should say “Play [Your Selected Playlist].” Press Next.
  17. Now, be sure to switch OFF “Ask Before Running.”
  18. Tap Don’t Ask.
  19. Tap Done.
  20. Head to your vehicle, connect your iPhone to your car’s Lightning cable, and you should hear your favorite tunes automatically!

Remember, you can select a new playlist whenever you’d like just by going back into the automation, selecting Play Music, and finding the new playlist you want to hear. If you enjoyed this tip, please share and come back each week for more useful how-tos.

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