Apple CarPlay users experience weird goings-on when streaming music – now "under investigation"
This confirmed CarPlay bug doesn't sound great
Quick Summary
Spotify users are reporting that album art and track listings don't match the music played when on Apple CarPlay.
It's thought that a bug was introduced while Spotify updated its app with the new disco ball logo.
A recent Spotify update has done more than controversially drop a new disco ball logo onto the home screen of iPhone users – it also seems to have scrambled track information when using Apple CarPlay.
If you've been living under a rock, you might have missed the furore surrounding the new logo from Spotify. The change – to celebrate 20 years of Spotify – replaced the normal logo to a disco ball, but caused some to think there was a problem with the app.
While the change in logo design was purely temporary, the darker side to the update seems to be that the app isn't working properly with Apple CarPlay for some users.
The result is that the album art, song titles and artists don't match the song that's playing and that's drawn-out frustrated users on the Spotify community as well as on Reddit.
Multiple users have detailed that the previous song's artwork is shown, with others reporting that's it's completely mixed up with random artists listed against songs.
Fortunately, Spotify has replied to say that it is being investigated and it's likely that a software update will correct the error and everything will go back to normal. While the details on your phone might be correct, this problem seems limited to Apple CarPlay.
That change might come when Spotify decides to return the logo back to it’s regular design, something it has promised to do "next week".
Alright, we know glitter is not for everyone. Our temp glow up ends soon. Your regularly scheduled Spotify icon returns next week.May 17, 2026
As for Apple CarPlay, we've recently seen support for Dolby Atmos regardless of the speaker setup in your car, while new app support is expected, including ChatGPT and better controls for WhatsApp.
What's most surprising about Apple CarPlay recently, however, has been the slow uptake of CarPlay Ultra, the version that takes over all the screens in your car. While launched with great celebration, we're still waiting for support in more cars, with Kia and Hyundai said to be offering support with a new model later in 2026.
It's hardly the reception that we expected for CarPlay Ultra – a bit like Spotify's disco ball logo.
