Play YouTube on CarPlay
How to add YouTube to Apple CarPlay
CarPlay doesn’t run the YouTube video app. To play YouTube on your car’s CarPlay screen, connect an Android device to the car’s CarPlay USB port. The ATCBridge Kit does this with a Raspberry Pi 5 running the open-source Pi2Carplay; the T-Box Lite S does it with no setup. Play videos only while parked.
Updated · Tested against Pi2Carplay v0.2.0
Why CarPlay won’t play YouTube on its own
Apple only allows a few kinds of apps on CarPlay, such as audio, navigation, messaging, EV charging and parking apps (see Apple’s CarPlay developer guidelines). Video apps aren’t one of them, so CarPlay can’t show YouTube on the screen, whatever iPhone you have. Newer iOS versions add AirPlay video while parked, but only in cars whose maker supports it.
The workaround is to plug a small Android computer into the car’s CarPlay USB port in place of your phone. The car sees a CarPlay device and shows its screen, and that screen can play anything Android can, including YouTube.
Two ways to play YouTube on CarPlay
| ATCBridge Kit | T-Box Lite S | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Raspberry Pi 5 running open-source Pi2Carplay | Ready-made Android AI box |
| Setup | About an hour, with our guide | Plug in and go |
| Your car needs | Wired CarPlay | Wired or wireless CarPlay |
| Best for | Tinkerers who want hardware they control | Anyone who wants it working today |
| Price | from $49 | from $89 |
How to add YouTube to CarPlay with the ATCBridge Kit
- Make sure your car has wired (USB) CarPlay. Pi2Carplay works over the CarPlay USB port only. Details
- Download the official Pi2Carplay release from GitHub and write it to the kit’s microSD card with Raspberry Pi Imager. Details
- Boot the Pi at your desk with a monitor and mouse, connect Wi-Fi and sign in to Google. Details
- Open YouTube on the Pi (install it from the Play Store if it isn’t there).
- If YouTube or the Play Store says the device isn’t Play Protect certified, register the Pi’s Google Services Framework ID. Pi2Carplay’s README gives the exact commands, and our setup guide links to them.
- Sign in to your Google account to get your subscriptions and history.
- Pin YouTube to the dashboard, connect to Wi-Fi or a hotspot, and play while parked.
- Connect the Pi’s USB-C port to the car’s CarPlay USB port with a data cable. Android appears on the screen in about a minute. Details
What to expect when you play YouTube
Picture quality
Pi2Carplay streams to the car at 4 or 8 Mbps and 30 or 60 fps, which you can switch live in its settings. Your car’s screen sets the ceiling. 8 Mbps / 60 fps looks best on larger screens.
Sound and touch
Audio plays through the car’s speakers and you control YouTube with the car’s touch screen, as Pi2Carplay passes both through.
Play Protect
The one known hurdle is Google’s “device isn’t Play Protect certified” message. It’s a one-time fix documented in Pi2Carplay’s README.
YouTube on CarPlay: questions
Can you play YouTube on Apple CarPlay?
Not with Apple’s CarPlay apps alone: CarPlay doesn’t allow video apps like YouTube. You can play YouTube on the CarPlay screen by plugging an Android device into the CarPlay port, such as the ATCBridge Kit (Raspberry Pi with Pi2Carplay) or the T-Box Lite S.
Is YouTube Music the same as YouTube on CarPlay?
No. YouTube Music already has an audio-only CarPlay app. To watch YouTube videos on the screen you need a device like the ATCBridge Kit.
Why does YouTube say my device isn’t Play Protect certified?
Raspberry Pi Android builds aren’t certified by Google out of the box. Registering the Pi’s Google Services Framework ID fixes it; Pi2Carplay’s README has the steps.
Can I play YouTube while driving?
No. Watch video only while the car is parked, and follow your local laws.
Add more apps to CarPlay
- Stream Netflix on CarPlay
- Play TikTok on CarPlay
- Stream Twitch on CarPlay
- Stream Plex on CarPlay
- Play Kodi on CarPlay
Built on open source
The ATCBridge Kit runs Pi2Carplay, an open-source project (GPL-2.0) that brings the CarPlay bridge to a Raspberry Pi 5. We didn’t write it, and we don’t modify or resell it. We supply the hardware, guides and support, and you install the author’s official release directly from GitHub.