Victron on CarPlay: your SmartShunt and MPPT while you drive
No, VictronConnect does not work with Apple CarPlay: Victron’s own manual says “Apple CarPlay is not currently supported” (source). Deeck does. It shows your SmartShunt, SmartSolar MPPT and chargers on the car’s screen as one live dashboard, read over Bluetooth, with nothing to set up on the head unit. CarPlay is part of Deeck Pro.
There is no Cerbo GX, no cable and no extra box involved. The iPhone you already carry receives the Bluetooth Instant Readout broadcast of your Victron devices, and CarPlay shows what the phone receives. Below: what you see on the dash, how it works, what you need and where the limits are.
What you see on CarPlay
Deeck on CarPlay is not a mirror of the phone screen. It uses the glanceable layouts Apple designed for driving and splits your system into four tabs, five if you have tanks or sensors.
| Tab | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Deck | One row per reading, the number big, a colour-coded tile beside it: battery, starter battery, solar, DC-DC, mains, loads and autonomy. A tile turns red only when something needs you. |
| Energy | Now, today and the solar forecast, plus the last seven days produced and consumed. |
| Levels | Tanks and sensors: water, LPG, diesel, fridge and temperatures. It is a tab of its own when the head unit takes five; otherwise the levels sit at the top of Devices. |
| Devices | Every device with its live status. Tap one for its key numbers: state of charge, volts, amps, yield, panel voltage. |
| Siri | Three questions ready to tap: battery charge, autonomy and solar production. The answer, with the current value, appears on the screen as text; to hear it, ask Siri out loud. |
On top of the tabs, a battery alarm pops up on the car display the way navigation alerts do, so a low state of charge reaches you without you looking for it. The numbers are the same as on the phone, refreshed at the cadence Apple sets for driving.
How it works
Victron Smart devices with Instant Readout broadcast their key readings over Bluetooth, encrypted, to any phone nearby. It is a one-way broadcast: nothing has to connect to the device to receive it, which is why Victron lists “better range than a regular Bluetooth connection” among its advantages (VictronConnect manual).
Deeck needs the device’s key to decrypt that broadcast. You don’t copy it by hand: you type the device’s Bluetooth PIN once, the same PIN you use in VictronConnect, and Deeck reads the key by itself, then closes the connection. The key is stored in your iPhone’s Keychain and is never sent to us.
From then on the iPhone just listens. The CarPlay app draws what the phone receives, so the car’s screen, the phone and the Apple Watch show the same numbers at the same moment. Deeck never keeps a connection open to your devices, so VictronConnect and a GX device, if you have one, keep working as before.
What you need
- An iPhone with iOS 15 or later.
- A car with CarPlay. Any compatible head unit works, and there is nothing to install on the car.
- Victron devices that broadcast Bluetooth Instant Readout and that Deeck reads today: SmartShunt, BMV-712, SmartSolar MPPT, Orion XS, Orion-Tr Smart, Blue Smart IP22/IP65 chargers, Phoenix Smart inverters and DC energy meters (see the compatibility list). Not supported yet: Smart Lithium, Lynx Smart BMS, Multi RS and Inverter RS, Smart BatteryProtect and VE.Bus systems (MultiPlus).
- Instant Readout switched on for each device. It is off by default; you enable it once in VictronConnect (see the steps below).
- Deeck Pro. CarPlay is part of Pro: yours for life with the pre-order until 31 October; from 1 November it's part of Deeck Plus, an annual App Store subscription. The free version covers the live deck on iPhone, widgets and Siri.
Setting it up
- 1
In VictronConnect, connect to each device, tap the three dots at the top right, open Product info and switch on Instant readout. VictronConnect often offers it the first time you connect.
- 2
Open Deeck near your system. Every Victron Smart device in range shows up on the radar.
- 3
Tap a device and type its Bluetooth PIN once. Deeck reads the key and closes the connection. Repeat for each device.
- 4
Connect the iPhone to the car, by cable or wirelessly if your car supports it. Deeck appears on the CarPlay screen with your deck already on it.
That is the whole setup. There is no CarPlay-specific configuration: the dash follows what you already see on the phone.
Honest limits
- Bluetooth range. Over Bluetooth, the phone has to be within range of your Victron devices. In a van or a motorhome, where the batteries sit a few metres behind the driver’s seat, it usually is. If the devices are far from the cab, or behind metal walls and battery boxes, the signal may not reach the front. The only way to know is to try it in your own vehicle.
- Refresh rate. On CarPlay, Apple decides how often the screen may change while you drive, so the dash is not necessarily as quick as the phone in your hand. For a battery that hardly matters: state of charge moves over minutes, not seconds.
- Watching, not configuring. CarPlay is for reading the system. Device settings and firmware updates stay in VictronConnect, which is where they belong while you drive anyway.
- iPhone only. Deeck is built for iPhone first and an Android version is planned, so there is no Android Auto app yet.
Siri and Apple Watch, in step
The Siri tab on CarPlay has three questions ready to tap: battery charge, autonomy and solar production. Tap one and the answer, with the current value, appears on the screen as text. To hear it, ask Siri out loud: “Deeck battery charge”, “Deeck autonomy”, “Deeck solar production”, “Deeck summary” or “Deeck climate status”. Siri answers with the last values Deeck saw, and your eyes stay on the road. The phrases work in English, German, Italian, French and Spanish.
The Apple Watch app shows the same data: a Deck page, an Energy page and a Devices page, plus a complication with the state-of-charge ring that turns grey when the data is older than 30 minutes. Battery alarms reach the wrist like any iPhone notification. Like CarPlay, the Watch app is part of Deeck Pro; it needs watchOS 10.
Away from the vehicle, Deeck Bridge or a VRM account keeps the same deck available from any distance. How that works without a GX: monitor your Victron system remotely without a Cerbo GX.
Questions people ask
Does VictronConnect work with CarPlay?
No. Victron’s manual states that “Apple CarPlay is not currently supported”; VictronConnect supports Android Auto (source). To see Victron devices on CarPlay you need a separate app such as Deeck.
Can I see my SmartShunt on CarPlay without a Cerbo GX?
Yes. Deeck reads the SmartShunt’s Bluetooth Instant Readout broadcast directly through your iPhone. No GX device, no cables and no internet connection are needed for this.
Do I have to set anything up in the car?
No. Once your devices are set up in Deeck on the iPhone and Pro is active, Deeck shows up on the CarPlay screen with the same deck.
Is the Victron CarPlay app free?
CarPlay is part of Deeck Pro: yours for life with the pre-order until 31 October; from 1 November it's part of Deeck Plus, an annual App Store subscription. The free version, with the live deck on iPhone, widgets, Siri and basic alarms, never expires.
Is there an Android Auto version?
Not yet. Deeck is built for iPhone first; an Android version is planned.
Does Deeck interfere with VictronConnect or my GX?
No. Deeck never keeps a connection open to your devices, so VictronConnect and a GX device keep working as before.