DiPlay Not Connecting? First-Connection Checks

Symptom

CarPlay never appears, or DiPlay returns to the home screen during setup.

Possible causes

Missing permissions, incorrect saved hotspot details, unsupported P2P APIs, and competing projection apps are different failure paths. Match the log to the stage.

Quick checks

1. Confirm Android 9+ for the APK and 10+ for Wi-Fi Direct. Close other projection apps.
2. Choose Built-in car hotspot, enable the real car hotspot, and save its exact name/password; keep iPhone Bluetooth/Wi-Fi enabled.
3. Pair through car Bluetooth settings, select the intended iPhone and accept CarPlay prompts. Review requested Wi-Fi/Location/Nearby permissions.
4. Try USB with a known data path. If one transport works, record it rather than calling the whole car incompatible.

Reported results & workarounds

For 0.2.0→0.2.6 loops, first re-check the migrated hotspot selection and saved details. #26 reports clearing app data as a workaround; it erases settings/pairing and should follow diagnostic export, not precede the basic checks.

In #98, the reporter relays the manufacturer’s statement that this auto_rk_t21 / RK3326 firmware lacks RFCOMM support; both secure and insecure connect() attempts time out. This is firmware-specific second-hand evidence, not proof that every RK3326 fails or that every RK3326S works. This report applies only to the described firmware; other setups need separate testing.

Version status

For Android 10 getNetworkName failure, #79’s maintainer says 0.2.8 includes a fix. Only a custom-build retest is confirmed in the captured thread. A successful connection with the public APK still needs to be confirmed on the affected setup.

Changes and checks in 0.2.13

0.2.13 adds firmware-dependent Android 9 Wi-Fi Direct using actual group credentials. Requested channels remain unverified on Android 9; Android 10+ verifies frequency. Cleanup retains persistent profiles (PR #282).

Wireless prefers usable IPv4 with scoped IPv6 fallback; Auto channel selection has no band or stutter guarantee. Interface mDNS avoids an unused NSD service; handoff fallback requires rendered video. Experimental hotspot join repair needs Android 13+, a user-configured 5 GHz-only hotspot, supported APIs, authorized localhost ADB and explicit confirmation while disconnected (PR #251/#258/#283/#309/#313).

USB attachment switches transport within the activity; permission grants are checked. Narrow USBMUX trailer handling covers payload replies. Wireless can start without Android USB service, but wired/CH341 still requires it; the separate black-screen/decoder fault remains unresolved (PR #268/#298/#300).

The APK signing certificate matches 0.2.12. Update the same package in place to retain settings/pairing. Reproduce failures on 0.2.13 and save a fresh diagnostic report: Android 10+ uses Downloads/DiPlay, Android 9 a picker; View report/Share and app/private-storage fallbacks remain. No automatic upload occurs.

Changes and checks in 0.2.12

Existing Wi-Fi / Same LAN connects the car and iPhone to the same external network. Join it in system settings, save its credentials, keep Bluetooth on and disable client isolation. DiPlay does not join Wi-Fi or change the default route (PR #223).

Hotspot startup checks the actual AP interface and bounds retries when AirPlay never connects. Optional automatic hotspot startup remains off by default; its fallback needs supported firmware commands, authorized local ADB and observed readiness, not just a successful command (PR #229/#235).

Apple-device USB attachment matching is corrected. Optional accessibility assistance confirms only DiPlay’s own system USB permission dialog; unrelated apps and dialogs are excluded. Normal USB authorization remains required (PR #170/#224).

Diagnostics add View report/Share fallback when the picker or Downloads provider fails. The confirmation shows Android/data/com.shihab.diplay/files/diagnostic-reports/ or private storage. No automatic upload occurs; export improvements do not prove startup fixed (PR #185/#219).

Changes and checks in 0.2.11

Reconnects use settled display geometry and normal readiness checks. The wired VPN must be scoped to DiPlay or startup aborts. A narrowly matched Android 10 P2P Builder failure gets one guarded Auto-mode recovery (PR #173/#168).

On Android 10, only the exact missing WifiP2pConfig.getNetworkName() framework-Builder signature before group creation permits one system-default attempt in Auto mode. Permission failures, timeouts and explicit channels do not use it. The old #15 report still needs a current-device retest.

Changes and checks in 0.2.10

USB handles bounded USBMUX control-reply padding and permits unfinished Manual hotspot settings for wired sessions (PR #114/#130).

Wireless startup can choose a free AirPlay port; Wi-Fi Direct handles unknown security reports, busy channels and bounded 5 GHz to 2.4 GHz fallback (PR #121/#143).

Fresh 0.2.10 logs are needed for wireless timeouts (#98/#134/#137/#142), rotation/reconnects (#119/#141), audio stutter (#131) and calls/Siri (#103/#115/#117/#138).

Reported setups

The following are source reports, not a universal affected-car list. Unknown fields remain unknown.

Related GitHub issues

Closed does not necessarily mean fixed. The source is authoritative for later updates.