If Apple Music isn’t working on your Tesla, go to Audio Settings on the touchscreen. From the Sources window, disable and then enable the Apple Music app.
Instead of starting a song from the Apple Music app, press your Tesla’s left scroll wheel. Once music plays, use the app to change songs or albums.
Tesla introduced a native Apple Music app in the 2022.44.25 software update.
If Apple Music on your Tesla has issues, such as songs stopping midway, loading icons spinning, or a “Choose Media Source” prompt, follow these troubleshooting steps.
Log out then scan the QR code
If you already set up Apple Music and it’s not working on your Tesla, you’ll need to log out from your account, and then sign back in by scanning the QR code with your mobile device.
First, log out from your Apple Music account on your Tesla.
Open the Apple Music app on your Tesla and scan the QR code with your mobile device. You’ll be prompted to authorize Tesla. Confirm and sign into your Apple Music account.
Your Apple Music account will be connected to the Tesla touchscreen. Once everything is approved, the Apple Music app will automatically refresh and you’ll be able to use Apple Music on your Tesla.
This is a temporary fix, and I’m sure you don’t want to keep signing out from your Apple Music account, so let’s explore other workarounds you can do.
Disable Apple Music from Tesla’s audio settings
If you can’t sign out from your Apple Music account and only see a “loading” sign in the middle of the screen, this solution is for you.
On your Tesla’s touchscreen, go to Audio Settings, tap on Sources, and turn off the Apple Music toggle. Wait for one minute, then turn on Apple Music. The app should now work.
Re-add Apple Music to your Tesla
You can remove and then re-add the Apple Music app on your Tesla.
Touch and hold the Apple Music app in the My Apps area to enter customization mode. Touch and hold the Apple Music icon, then tap the “X” to remove it.
Switch to another music source like Spotify and then restart your Tesla. After restarting, touch and hold any app in the My Apps area to enter customization mode.
Drag the Apple Music app from the tray to the My Apps area at the bottom.
Press the left scroll wheel to force Apple Music to play
If Apple Music doesn’t play a song on your Tesla’s touchscreen, short-press the left scroll wheel. The sequence of your actions matters.
Press the left scroll wheel to play a song, then use the Apple Music app to change tracks. Press quickly, especially if your Tesla has the newest scroll wheel controls.
A short press should fix the issue on the Tesla Model Y.
Reboot the Tesla’s touchscreen
You can reboot the Tesla’s Media Control Unit (MCU), which is the touchscreen.
Shift into Park to restart the touchscreen. Press both steering wheel scroll buttons until the touchscreen goes black. The Tesla logo will show up after a few seconds.
Wait for 30 seconds for the touchscreen to restart.
You don’t need to press the brake when holding the scroll buttons. Pressing the scroll buttons restarts only the touchscreen. It doesn’t affect other vehicle parts or turn your Tesla off and on.
Power cycle your Tesla
If Apple Music isn’t working on your Tesla or the touchscreen behaves oddly after a reboot, consider power cycling the vehicle.
To power cycle your Tesla, shift to Park and select Controls > Safety > Power Off.
After starting the power cycle, wait 2 minutes without touching the vehicle. Avoid opening doors or pressing the brake. After 2 minutes, press the brake or open a door to activate the vehicle.
Load up Apple Music before you hit the road
Reconnection issues with Apple Music on Tesla are a significant problem.
Apple Music on Tesla stops working when you exit a no-signal area. Start a song on Apple Music using Wi-Fi and let it buffer. Apple Music often switches to LTE by the next song.
For instance, my friend, who lives in a low cell coverage area, finds that Apple Music doesn’t work on his Tesla every morning until he’s a mile from his house.
Wait for the next software update
Like all software, glitches are inevitable.
When Apple Music first launched for Tesla, it played music upon opening a door, even if you had paused it earlier. That issue was fixed in a later software update.
I’m hopeful that any Apple Music problems on your Tesla will be resolved in future updates. Both Apple Music and Tesla are striving to improve their apps.
Often, waiting for the next update is the best approach.
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