Why Bluetooth iOS 8-8.1 & iPhone 6-6+ issues persist in cars

The most popular articles on AUTO Connected Car News concentrate on the latest snafu with Bluetooth connections and in-car infotainment systems from either the upgrade to iOS 8.1 or with fresh iPhone six or six Plus models.

When we last combed through the massive comments from our readers, it seemed like the 8.1 update helped with a few fresh model cars. However, there are still problems reported with BMW, Audi, Acura, MINI, GM(Chevy, GMC, Cadillac, Buick), Honda, Kia, Toyota, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, Lexus, Fiat, Hyundai and more.

For those drivers who can’t get their Bluetooth to connect, it has been a nightmare. It is also the very first time we’ve seen such rampant hatred for Apple products. Apple support forums proceed to showcase complaints of iPhone 6/6+ or iOS 8.1 issues.

At Telematics West Coast (Day 1, Day Two, Demo one Demo Two, Roundup), I asked almost every delegate who worked on in-car system design as well as car dealers and analysts why the latest snafu occurred. The car makers are as frustrated as the car owners with Apple.

UPDATE 8/Nineteen/2015: There are reports of Bluetooth problems with iOS 8.Four.1 and fixes in iOS 9.

UPDATE 7/05/2015: There are reports of music problems with iOS 8.Four Bluetooth in cars, while one user stated that he can now play music with his iPhone connected to a USB port.

UPDATE 6/07/2015: There are reports that shutting off “Handoff” features helps with Bluetooth connections and iPhones.

UPDATE Five/21/2015: There are now reports that Apple Observes have Bluetooth issues when in cars.

UPDATE Four/12/2015: It seems like it’s déjà vu all over again with the latest update to iOS 8.Trio for iPhone 5-6+ and in-car infotainment systems.

UPDATE Four/09/2015: Fresh problems and fixes have been reported for iOS 8.Two. Hey Siri functions will switch with iOS 8.Three. AUTO Connected Car News has now over 1,000 comments details the woes of iPhone owners and iOS 8.Xx.

UPDATE Trio/Ten/2015: Apple issued an update iOS 8.Two. It emerges to fix some problems with Siri and other USB issues. We have several comments that Siri issues and other Bluetooth issues have been stationary. However, there show up to be fresh Bluetooth issues. Commenters are telling that you must delete all your devices before reconnecting to Bluetooth again. Now there shows up to be an issue with Honda and iOS 8.Two…

UPDATE 1/30/2015: Apple issued an update iOS 8.1.Three it emerges to not have immovable issues with in-car infotainment systems. Mazda Handsfree compatibility websites showcase that iOS eight can’t receive incoming calling with Handsfree connections.

UPDATE 1/22/2015: We have scoured Apple Forums to find even more complaints from car owners and unstable Bluetooth Connections. We have also discovered more information about iOS 8.Two and Bluetooth.

UPDATE 1/20/2014: Your votes enabled Apple’s Bluetooth Snafu to win the Edsel Yugo Award for Fattest Snafu in Connected Car Technology 2014.

Apple Controls it All

iOS is a closed system. If you are a car maker and want to know Apple secrets, you have to pay big time. One delegate who works at a major car maker said, “If we ask for help from Apple the amount of the money we would have to pay would make it unlikely to make any car system at all.”

Apple also “hooligans” wireless carriers by setting prices and terms for which they can sell Apple products. This system worked fine when it was managed by Steve Jobs, people trusted him, now the Apple is demonstrating flaws. Apple makes hefty profits from people believing that Apple can do nothing wrong and that it offers excellent products.

“I’m sure our engineers are working on the Bluetooth issue right now,” said another HMI designer for a major Asian car maker.

Apple Doesn’t Admit Mistakes

It emerges that iOS 8-8.1 has instituted a version of Bluetooth that is not downward compatible. When Apple makes a mistake, they never admit it. The car makers, generally switch sides engineer Apple’s code to figure out what to do. It makes it very difficult for the car makers to fix a mistake if it is inherently wrong the Apple code.

Apple Was Pressured to Make a Larger iPhone Quick

Samsung and other Android smartphone makers were gaining market share by making devices with much larger screens. Stock analysts and investors pressured Apple to make the larger iPhone 6-6+ and added features so that Apple would not lose market share. The best season to release a phone is the fall to have products ready in time for the busy holiday buying season when many cell phone contracts are up for renewal. Apple had to release iPhone 6-6+ and iOS eight in time for the buying season. The due date may have caused it to be released before the code was fully tested and ready.

Car Makers Have Long Life Cycles

The car you buy today, was most likely designed three to four years ago. Cars are possessed for longer times than smartphones. The development cycle for phones can be as little as a year, if phones are not downward compatible, the car possessor suffers. Car makers are not psychic. They can’t design systems to work with future phones when the phone makers don’t even know what the phone will be like in a few years.

What Car Owners Can Do

Car owners should not assume if a product is made by Apple it will work with their cars. If your current phone works, don’t upgrade the software before checking that it will work with your in-car system. Unluckily, if you already updated to iOS 8.1, you can’t go back to the previous version of iOS.

Pioneer found some problems with AppRadio and iOS 8. It warned owners of AppRadio systems not to upgrade.

Most of our friends wait before upgrading and often wait six months before buying a fresh model smartphone, in order for compatibility glitches to be worked out.

You can keep your old phone and switch out the SIM for in-car use, which is anguish for now but will work as a improvised fix.

Depending on how old your car is, you can substitute the infotainment system and know for sure that your latest phone will work. Most smartphones are now in the sphere of $650-750 or more (an iPhone six is $649) . For around the same price as a smartphone, you can get a fresh infotainment system from Kenwood or Pioneer , Alpine or Harman. There are after market kits to make it look like the original.

Installation for a fresh car system usually around $100. If you have a low-end system already in your vehicle, Pioneer has low-end units for a little as $100 that suggest dual-device Bluetooth, when two people are in the car with Bluetooth both pair automatically and the very first one to be used, connects.

We also working with a device maker to see if we can find an inexpensive device that will help. See update 1/20/2014.

Apple’s reaction to Bluetooth problems is CarPlay that requires a connection with a lightning cable. The only in-car system that works with CarPlay right now is in the fresh Ferrari. Hyundai is expected to have CarPlay ready for the two thousand fifteen Sonata. Other car makers have postponed the delivery of CarPlay. Pioneer and Alpine make aftermarket CarPlay systems. In order for CarPlay to work, the aftermarket system makers have to pay extra for it. Many people don’t like having to plug-in their phones when they come in the car for features to work.

More Bluetooth Blues Tactics

Car owners can proceed to complain to Apple. The people who are the most effective at complaining to Apple are shareholders. If you know someone who has influence with Apple stock, they are the ones who carry the clout. Apple has turned into a phone iOS dictatorship, the best way you can combat it is with your money. Many believe that if you are going to pay $650 for a phone, it should work with your $65,000 car.

The only hope on the horizon is that there update is being tested by developer beta testers. Apple does not report what is in the update until it is released. With the last update, the wording stated “Fixes an issue that could prevent connections to Bluetooth hands-free devices.”

We thank our readers who have consistently wrote in the comments what car makes and models have problems with iOS 8.1 or iPhone 6/6+ and Bluetooth, the more people who write comments, the more we can document the problem. When we embarked the car makers were telling us that they were not aware of the problem. Fresh comments indicate that both car makers and Apple are aware of the Bluetooth problems.

We displayed the comments and talked with car makers at Telematics West Coast. We will proceed to go to bat for our readers at The Connected Car Expo at the LA Auto Display.

If you have updated to iOS 8.1 or iPhone 6-6+ and it immobile or fried your Bluetooth issues with your in-car infotainment system, please let us know in the comments below, be sure to note your make, model and year of your vehicle as well as the problem you are experiencing.

Reports from reader comments indicate that only some Bluetooth vehicle connection issues have been helped by iOS 8.1. We have comments that indicate Bluetooth connection problems with 2011, two thousand thirteen and even two thousand fourteen model vehicles. Read a summary of Bluetooth issues and fixes along with the fresh “audio-only” connection fix. Read the most popular nuke-it fixes. Consumer Reports rated Lexus and Toyota as the most reliable which related to its infotainment systems.

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two hundred sixty four thoughts on « Why Bluetooth iOS 8-8.1 & iPhone 6-6+ issues persist in cars »

I have recently upgraded to an iphone 6s and it seems to connect when it feels like it with the Bluetooth in my car. It is a two thousand ten Toyota Corolla and it has never had issues with previous phones. The only thing it turns down to do is permit incoming calls come through to my car whilst on Bluetooth, it goes straight to the phone and I can only use noisy speaker. What confuses me is my music will play through my Bluetooth, I turn off my car and when I get back in it doesn’t connect. Once I ultimately get it to connect again I press “play” and a disturbing gyrating noise goes via my car. it is enormously distracting to have this happen while I am driving, so I am just wondering if there are any solutions to solve this?

I just upgraded from the iPhone five to the iPhone six and I am ticked off to practice the same issue! My iPhone will not connect music audio via Bluetooth to my Toyota Sienna. If I had known this I would not have bought the iPhone 6. No longer s fan of Apple because of this. 2nd time I got screwed. Won’t be a third. (Bought expensive music dock station for iPhone ; years ago. Loved it. Updated that iPhone four and then the phone would not charge or play music.) I love my sienna and pisses me off Apple messes with their products which results in wasted money!! Guess what Apple. I thought we would be an apple family but this is a big deal to me. There are other wise phones out there.

I have just bought iPhone six outright and just bought a Chrysler 300c …..Samsung Galaxy S5 will permit for inboud and out strapped SMS (text messaging) to be heard and or viewed by the uconnect infotaiment system. iPhone6 here we go list goes on.

1. Lost text messaging functionality via the VR

Two. You play a song via Bluetooth, the same song repeats over and over and over and over and NO its not a device set to NOT shuffle infact I had the Album set to play and it wont even play the album.

Trio. You play a song as a USB device connected by the usb cable from the phone and only bits and lumps of some songs play

Four. Same as above but sometimes error three happens and then it reverts back to errer Three.

Five. Error three can become Error two but you have the usb cable connected.

6. You have the USB cabled connected to the car and the shuffle buttons are greyed out on the infotainment system.

seven You play via bluetooth and you lose sound quality

eight Both via Bluetooth and USB cable connected and when you select the next track using either the spanking paddle behind the steering wheel or the touchscreen >>NEXT button and the same song restarts.

There you go. Love.

Just upgraded my iPhone 4s to iPhone 6+. Very first time I attempted it in my car it connected beautifully with my two thousand twelve Scion xb and I was streaming music, answering calls, etc. After several days bluetooth no longer works. When I attempt to pair with the bluetooth in my car according to manufacturers directions, my iPhone says it’s connected but it resumes to search for other devices (like the iwatch). It also tells me my phone is “unregistered”. Going back to Best Buy to see if they can help me. If they can’t, I am trading it in for another brand.

Upgraded my iPhone six to IOS 8.Four.1, no longer connect via USB connection to my BMW Z4. Upgraded to latest BMW AUX/USB firmware, playback now possible but music gets drop every so often. Very frustrating. The last thing that switched before it fails was the IOS eight upgrade. I am moving on to an Android device next time.

I have the iPhone 6+ and a Honda C-RV two thousand thirteen model. Bluetooth worked just fine primarily but once I upgraded to the lastest version of the OS my Bluetooth connection would repeatedly drop out during calls. The call was still connected but the Bluetooth would disconnect and then re-connect over and over again. It has gotten so bad that I cannot even carry on a conversation any longer. My wifey’s phone is the same and she has the exact same problem. Music seems to be okay however. I am using an Apple Observe. Come to think of it, the problems got worse once I had the Apple See, so there may be a connection here. Very frustrating. I’ve deleted and reconnected the Bluetooth connect, with no apparent improvements to the connectivity drop-offs.

Just purchased a two thousand fifteen Honda Civic Ex with manufacture sticker stating all these built features and added cost for ordinary ex model car. With zero disclaimers about any compatibility issues with any cell phones.

Having closed deal on car paying cash is when the service rep very first question asked what cell phone do you have. Apple OS-6 model which is not compatible and hasn’t been since the day it flipped out

Comments from American Honda; “nothing can do about it deal with it”. ” There is a update in works”; “This is a Apple problem”; bottom line they hide the up front details and don’t share issues until they sale the cars.

Apple blames the car company stating they send out updates for fresh product, before the consumer gets it’s the car companies responsibility to update there products.

Two customer service providing companies that have left behind they are here for us, not the other way around.

To have a issue that effects so many consumers still to this date and have back in fourth finger pointing taking place, pathetic in every way one looks at it.

My phone will no longer connect to my nine Hyundai Genesis. It’s bee like this for a month. Attempted shutting off handoff and no luck. My phone doesn’t even emerge as a device to connect to, yet it connects to all my other bluetooth devices with no problem. Whomp whomp.

I have a two thousand fourteen Honda Odyssey. My iPhone six will no longer connect. It does not even locate my phone.

I have a two thousand twelve Mazda five with factory audio system. I couldn’t get ANY of the myriad tips online to get my iPhone six paired with the car’s bluetooth. I even attempted switching off Arm Off, which I love very much. Nothing. Numerous and all types of resets, still nothing. Then I came across a indeed odd peak: someone on some forum somewhere suggested using the voice prompts (accessible from the steering wheel controls) instead of the radio buttons to pair the phone. Much to my surprise, it actually worked!! My iPhone six is now pairing flawlessly (with Palm Off on), and is functional. I hope this helps!

I have a two thousand eleven Subaru Impreza with the factory stereo. Ever since Os eight on my iPhone Five, pairing the phone to make a call takes up to five attempts. And it will NEVER permit u to receive a call mitts free anymore. Used to work fine

Just got 6s and paired fine with two thousand fourteen Subaru Forester but doesn’t remain connected. Have to reconnect every time I restart car. Music will cut off in the middle all the time. With my 4s it always stayed connected but music and calls would cut off randomly all the time. Maddening. Permanently seeks for other devices too.

Iphone six + iOS 8.Trio + two thousand eleven Toyota Venza . I was incapable to sync my phone. The following worked while on the phone with Toyota but they don’t know why. Turn radio on to an fm stations. Delele Car Multi-media from iPhone if it shows. Use selector nob to choose pair an audio players (not a phone). Give it the name of the iphone when requested but when the phone shows that it is attempting to connect to the Car Multimedia Player, touch that icon. The pass code box should emerge. Give it the pass code for the phone (0001) NOT the audio player. This worked for us. Good luck!!

There have been other reports that you have to connect the iPhone through the infotainment system on other makes also.

iPhone six plus running current iOS . Have to permanently repair connection to Mazda3 2015.

iPhone six OS8.Three, cant connect via USB to a Mitsubishi ASX3 two thousand fourteen – iPhone4 fine bfore

The car industry is a maize of contractors and sub contractors that develop and manufacture head units. The problem is that the auto OEM, your BMW, Audi, Ford, GM…has no idea how to develop a car infotainment system, they have never did it before and they wil never do it in the future.

There are a dozen of third party companies that are subcontracted by the car maker for various parts of the so called infotainment system, different companies develop different parts of the software, that goes on a head unit, other companies develop the firmware, than other companies develop the electronics, others the corset, others the CD/DVD/ satnav, others the Display(s) others the cables, USB hubs, fascia plates….

And so on. In the development of an infotainment system there are involved over twenty different companies. The development takes over twenty four months, and that if all goes according to plan.

Who puts together all these developers are a handful of companies. These companies are the ones responsible for manufacturing the end product.

The car manufacturers are OEMs( look it up) they have no idea what’s going on in the development stage of a infotainment system. They just come up with the concept and third party companies make it happen. Well here lies the problem: as I said there are a handful of these head unit developers/ manufacturers/ suppliers, in the world.

Your readers might be astonished to find out that the radio in their cars is developed and manufactured by the same company, in many cases. For exple: all non Ford American cars have their radios/ head units/ infotainment systems manufactured by one or two companies such as Delphi or Bury. For Ford owners, you surely heard about Panasonic? These are the people responsible for your ” infotainment systems “, not the car maker or Apple.

Europe car makers, you ask? Do you indeed think your car radio is developed and manufactured by BMW, Audi or Ferrari? Have you heard of Bosh or Harman? Yes people, there are less than ten companies in charge of development and manufacturing of auto head units in the entire world! These guys gather together hundreds of subcontractors in order to bring you that thing you call car infotainment.

Besides, you might be astonished to learn that most electronics inwards each head unit, the PCB, are very similar and are manufactured in the same place, very often, irrelevant of the car company or the head unit these parts are going to be used in. The PCB, in most cases, is where the Bluetooth chips are located! These Bluetooth chips are often the exact same ones in all cars, irrelevant of the car brand. That’s because there are only a forearm total of Bluetooth chip suppliers. Anybody familiar with Texas Instruments, Broadcom or Nordic?

If the BT chip is the same in all of these cars and development takes more than a few years, surely when there’s a problem with one chip, the influence will be greatly enlargened and noticed on various cars.

Bluetooth is not an Apple proprietary technology and that Bluetooth is an ever evolving tech. Apple, with their updates are only keeping up with the latest Bluetooth org releases( look it up ). What is clear is that car manufacturers are futile at developing software And are hiring armies of companies that fail to communicate with eachotherand that take way too long to come back with a finished product that works.

So unluckily, for the problems you have, right now, you’re out of luck, Apple won’t be able to solve your problems because it’s indeed out of their palms and your car manufacturers won’t be able to solve it either because it’s been out of their palms for some time now already.

Regarding communication inbetween car manufacturers and Apple. There is the MFi Program.

Both auto EMs and head unit devs and manufacturers are part of this program in order to always have access to the latest technical specifications and technical support. Surely you have looked this up and know that the MFi program is a free development program.

NOTE: The content of this comment has been edited due to our rigorous policy “We have a policy of not degrading any race, hookup, author or product. We do not publish swear words.”

Please be advised I actually met and talked with in-house developers from some of the major OEMS in the world. Phil Abrams at GM said “We didn’t switch anything, Apple did.”

In fact, Apple in its updates did fix some Bluetooth problems. We have confirmed that the updates did resolve issues for some car owners, mainly newer vehicles.

To go after up my post of November sixteen 2014, the problem proceeds. I spent hours on the line with an Apple technical advisor and he ultimately agreed that IOS eight does not communicate fully with the Subaru (a fresh two thousand fifteen model). The music playlist from the phone will not emerge on the car’s screen and songs cannot be selected. He spoke to the Apple programmers and relayed to me that they would not commit to fixing the problem.

I have a two thousand six BMW 650i, and have never had a problem connecting my iPhone Five, then I accidentally did a software update and now the phone won’t pair. I’ve since updated again, now on 8.Three, and still no connection. It recognizes the car, but the connection attempt keeps failing when I attempt to inject the PIN. WTF. Any suggestions?

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