Connect iPhone to the car radio - how it works

There are several ways you can connect your iPhone to the car radio. In this practical tip, you can read which these are and what the advantages are.

Connect iPhone to car radio via Bluetooth

The prerequisite for this method is that your car radio supports the connection via Bluetooth.

First activate Bluetooth in your radio if it is not already activated.
Open the settings on your iPhone and tap on "Bluetooth". Activate Bluetooth here.
When you connect to the car radio for the first time, you must select the appropriate radio signal from the list.
Then follow the instructions on the radio display and iPhone to pair the devices.
If you have connected the devices, the music from your iPhone is automatically played through the car speakers.
You can also make calls via Bluetooth, provided your car has a hands-free system.
If the Bluetooth signal is activated on both devices, your iPhone and the radio will automatically connect from now on.
Advantage: You can also use the corresponding buttons on your car radio, for example to skip a song.

If your radio does not support Bluetooth but has a 3.5mm jack port, you can connect your iPhone in this way.

For this you need a 3.5mm jack cable (see picture). You can order this from Amazon, for example.
Plug one end of the cable into your iPhone and the other end into the radio.
Then select the jack cable on your radio as the input source and you can enjoy your iPhone music through the car speakers.
Advantage: The playback via jack is particularly reliably stable and at the same time convinces with high sound quality. In addition, this does not use an additional battery like Bluetooth technology.

With the FM transmitter, you can connect your iPhone to any popular radio.

For about 20 euros you can find Amazon FM transmitters that enable a signal between the iPhone and the radio.
Connect your iPhone to the FM transmitter via cable if you have connected it to the power supply.
Set the same frequency on the car radio and the transmitter, for example 87.5.
Advantage: The FM transmitter works with any radio. However, the connection is sometimes not optimal and you will hear a crackle.