Carplay blank screen after navigation app crash (Waze, Google Maps, Coyote etc)

[srabiller]

Description

Hi,
When Firebase is integrated (Firebase.configure() called) in an iOS app that supports CarPlay (CPTemplateApplicationScene), the CarPlay interface becomes fully transparent after the app relaunches following a crash. A post on apple forum talk about the same issue: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256152967

If Firebase is completely removed from the project, the issue disappears.

This happens regardless of:
Crash type (fatalError, abort(), EXC_BAD_ACCESS, etc.)
Whether FirebaseApp.configure() is delayed
Whether FirebaseCrashlyticsCollectionEnabled is set to false

The issue only occurs when Firebase is "configured" (started).

After a crash:
App relaunches correctly on iPhone.
CarPlay scene reconnects.
templateApplicationScene(_:didConnect:) is called.
setRootTemplate is executed.
UIWindow and root controller exist.

But the CarPlay screen is fully transparent (no rendering).

Even replacing the map with a basic UIView with red background still results in a transparent screen.

What Has Been Tested:
Removing Firebase entirely → ✅ Issue disappears
Delaying FirebaseApp.configure() → ❌ No change
Setting FirebaseCrashlyticsCollectionEnabled = false → ❌ No change
Different crash types → ❌ Same result
Forcing setRootTemplate again → ❌ Still transparent
Recreating MapView instance → ❌ Still transparent

This suggests the issue occurs due to how Firebase modifies crash handling and/or process termination, rather than initialization timing.

Reproducing the issue on iOS 26.x, no issue on iOS 17.6.1

Reproduction Steps with Sample:

• Add your GoogleService-Info.plist (add
• Install and run the sample on a real device.
• Connect to CarPlay.
• Launch the app.
• The app crashes automatically after 5 seconds.
• Relaunch the app.
• Observe that the CarPlay screen is fully transparent.

Expected behavior:
CarPlay should render the template normally after relaunch.

Actual behavior:
The CarPlay scene connects, but nothing is rendered (transparent screen).
If Firebase is removed from the sample project, the issue no longer occurs.
This sample isolates the problem and demonstrates that it is not related to app-specific logic.

Carplay+FirebaseSample.zip

Blank screen:

Basic map screen:

Firebase SDK Version

12.10.0

Xcode Version

26.3

Installation Method

Swift Package Manager

Firebase Product(s)

Crashlytics, Analytics

Targeted Platforms

iOS

Relevant Log Output

If using Swift Package Manager, the project's Package.resolved

If using CocoaPods, the project's Podfile.lock

No response

[rizafran]

Thanks for the report, @srabiller. I tried to reproduce the issue using the MCVE you shared, and the carPlay is showing the map but it crashes on this part:

I also tried removing the Firebase SDK but I still able to get the same behavior. Do you encounter the issue in a specific iOS version?

[srabiller]

Thanks @rizafran !
For remember the issue is not the crash but the blank screen after. The only way to recover is to disconnect and reconnect the iPhone to CarPlay.

The sample is to simulate the issue, because the issue appears after the app restarts automatically on Carplay (apple relaunch the last nav app known on Carplay)
So just run without xcode debug and after 1 or 2 restart you will see a blank screen.

You can simulate too on Waze Google maps and so on, like this:
Start Waze on your iphone
Display on Carplay
Kill Waze on iPhone
(Apple relaunch automatically the last nav app => Waze),
Tap on Waze icon on Carplay and you see the same blank screen.

Let me know if this is clearer now ;)

[srabiller]

@rizafran do you need more info about the issue ? Were you able to reproduce it ?

[rizafran]

Sorry for the late reply, @srabiller. I'm unable to reproduce the same behavior though I'm using the CarPlay simulator (Unfortunately, I'm having a difficulty in replicating due to device limitation). May I know if the issue is reproducible if you use the CarPlay simulator?

[morganchen12]

@srabiller this is a bit of a wild guess, but I wonder if this is related to the swizzling logic in Firebase. Can you try:

• Reproducing the crash with Crashlytics uninstalled (not just crash reporting disabled), but keeping FirebaseCore
• Reproducing the crash with swizzling disabled