Why Bluetooth issues with iPhone 7, iOS 10 and cars will cause problems – what to do

iOS10comingEver since the update to iOS 8, there have been issues with Bluetooth pairing and cars, especially late-model cars. Bluetooth is a favorite experience of car owners because the phone automatically connects to the car and then when the phone rings, the driver can answer the phone through the steering wheel button or the infotainment system. The driver can also make calls using voice or the car’s built-in methods. Bluetooth is tricky technology in that updates can corrupt the Bluetooth signatures. Bluetooth connections are also dangerous when renting a car because your contacts and data can remain in the vehicle’s system.

Update 7/8/2018:. We have compiled a new list of Bluetooth fixes to try and have more models with problems reported by our readers.
Update 10/18/2017 –  We have some information about the good and bad features of Bluetooth with  iOS 11 along with a list of cars that feature wireless iPhone Qi charging.

Update 03/02/2017We have a new long list of possible fixes for Bluetooth problems in cars with iOS 10.2.1 and later.

Update: 9/28/2016: We were told by one of our readers that there is an issue with GSM interference that can be fixed by setting the iPhone 7 (AT&T T-Mobile) to Airplane Mode and then turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Please report if it works in the comments below. It would also help to know your carrier. We are working a new report with new fixes.

On September 7, Apple will announce the iPhone 7. We expect that the new iPhone will offer dual cameras, more storage (up to 256), increased cloud service, different colors, 3GB of RAM memory, a faster processor, iOS 10 upgrade, different screen size, water-resistant, SIM card waterproofing, thinner/lighter and removal of the headphone jack/aux port for space to add extra speakers.

The main reason for incompatibility with new smartphones and iPhones with vehicles is that the design cycle for cars is much longer than for smartphones. Cars typically have a five-year design cycle while wireless devices can be designed in one-to-two years. Ownership of cars is much longer than wireless phone ownership which is around three years while cars can be five years or more.

AUX Angst?

The loss of the AUX jack also known as the headphone jack in the iPhone 7 will affect car owners who have late-model cars that do not have a Bluetooth or USB connection for playing music.  If you are currently connecting your iPhone via an AUX port for playing music, you may have to do some research before buying an iPhone 7. Some suggest the best option is to use a Bluetooth to AUX device. The iPhone 7 connects via Bluetooth to the device which is connected to the AUX port.

The better and or additional speaker will mean, that drivers can hear the iPhone 7 better while driving. However, the multiple speakers in cars will trump the sound of the iPhone 7.  Having sound coming from two devices is confusing. The best option is usually building something into the car when possible. Before buying an iPhone 7, you may want to consider your connection options with your car. If you have a USB option it is a lot easier, you can copy your music onto a USB drive and play your music from the drive if you are currently using an AUX port for music.

Bluetooth Blues?

Some predict that instead of the AUX port there will be a lightning to audio earbuds, that will preclude listening to music with headphones while charging the iPhone 7, which can be inconvenient at best. Many believe that Apple will push Bluetooth headphones for the iPhone 7 which could be a double-edged sword. We are hoping that Apple will improve its Bluetooth capabilities. However, past updates have shown some cars are just not compatible with the new iPhone Bluetooth specifications. Apple does what Apple wants to do.

The Bluetooth earbuds are rumored to use Bluetooth LE (BLE or Bluetooth Low Energy) that will ensure great battery life. The protocol is different from Bluetooth specs and will not be compatible with older model cars. In most states you can wear one earbud while driving. A conventional Bluetooth earpiece may be an alternative, if Bluetooth does not work your vehicle after your new iPhone.

iPhone 7 & CarPlay

iOS 10 offers many great features for drivers, improved maps, better Siri communication and CarPlay that will have updated maps with traffic and directions can that be displayed in the instrument cluster. Maps will be updated with parking and places along the route.

If you are fortunate enough to have a newer vehicle such as a 2016 GM any model or many of the 2015/2016 Hyundai’s, or 2016 Kia, etc, the changes in CarPlay should make you happy. You have nothing to worry about because almost all of CarPlay is processed on the iPhone itself and the iPhone connects to the USB port via a lightning connector.

If you do have problems with Bluetooth, CarPlay seems to be an answer although it expensive and tricky. Not all cars are compatible with CarPlay aftermarket infotainment units.

Suggestions for Updating to iOS 10 with iPhone 5-6 + for Car Owners with Bluetooth Connections:

  • Don’t update on the first day when network servers are stressed, there is more of chance that one o many, many files will be corrupted.
  • Update your iPhone over Wi-Fi or through iTunes to ensure fewer chances of software glitches.
  • Wait until you have time to spend diagnosing your vehicle’s Bluetooth settings and  backup your apps via iTunes and keep your password someplace safe in case you need to re-install the software.
  • Check with your automaker or aftermarket maker for compatibility. With previous updates, Pioneer and other aftermarket suppliers showed on their websites that there was not a software patch available, yet.
  • If your iPhone 5-6 S+ is working fine with your vehicle, wait at least a few weeks even as much as a month to upgrade because sometimes there are bugs that are discovered by other car owners.

Through the years we have discovered multiple ways to deal with Bluetooth glitches and cars from all makers.

The first fixes are the “nuke-it” fixes which involve deleting settings and starting over again from scratch. People have gone as far as disconnecting the car’s battery to get Bluetooth functionality to return.

The next possible fixes are shutting off Handoff and to set the car as a headset.

    1. Enable Airplane Mode, then turn back on Bluetooth & Wi-FI. The bug for music streaming is caused by interference with GSM cellular signals. A reader reports that this works. However in theory in Ariplaine Mode, you won’t be able to make phone calls.
    2. Disable Handoff on iPhone- Launch the Settings app from your Home screen ▸Tap General. ▸Tap Handoff & Suggested Apps ▸Toggle Handoff to Off.
    3. Change Bluetooth Settings– Go to General ▸ Accessibility Car Audio Routing ▸ Select “Bluetooth Headset” instead of the default Automatic.
    4. Restore iOS 10 – some believe that iOS 10 was not installed properly on iOS 7 by restoring iOS 10 through iTunes it may help.
    5. Downgrade to iOS 9.3.5 – some users have reported that Bluetooth works after downgrading. You must download the IPSW file first before the downgrade. It is kind of tricky, but may work.
    6. Connect through USB or AUX – for playing music in BMW or other vehicles, you can connect with the AUX adapter or through USB to play music.
    7. Replace iPhone 7 through warranty – we have one report that when a car owner returned the iPhone 7 and received a new one it worked with his car. However previous reports with early iPhone 7 manufacture dates, there was no difference.

We have comments from readers that there are still Bluetooth problems reported with BMW, Audi, Acura, MINI, GM(Chevy, GMC, Cadillac, Buick), Honda, Kia, Toyota, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, Lexus, Fiat, Hyundai, Chrysler, Acura, Mazda and more.

If you have updated to iOS 9.0-9.3-10.00 for iPhone 5/5S/5c 6-6+ 6S/6S+ – 7+ and it fixed or fried your Bluetooth connection or music streaming 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. Ift is alos nice to know your cell phone carrier. We also welcome any solutions you have found worked with your car.

We have a newsletter dedicated to looking for Bluetooth fixes and in-car audio systems, you are welcome to subscribe to that newsletter, weekly news updates or email news when published. We can not send newsletters to Microsoft, Hotmail or MSN email addresses.

108 thoughts on “Why Bluetooth issues with iPhone 7, iOS 10 and cars will cause problems – what to do”

  1. Same problem with my Hyundai Santa Fe 2011 and a Samsung Galaxy J3 Prime that I bought last month, never had any problem with the old phone. The phone as no problem with my smartwatch or wireless headset.

  2. iPhone 6s+ and VW GTI MkVI (2013).
    Since IOS 11.2 Bluetooth doesn’t steam audio after connecting. It comes from the iPhone speaker instead.
    Fix: Make a call and hang up. The audio works again.

  3. Hi I have Iphone 7 and Mazda 3. It used to work great until latest Apple update. I have 500 contacts on phone and I used to be able to see them in my car but now I can only see 114 and it wont let me add or delete them. I get A to E then it is blank. What did the update do to ruin my great Mazda bluetooth iphone experience? Anyone know how to fix this. Ihave removed and repaired and even updated the Mazda SD navigation card.

  4. I just purchased an iPhone7 three weeks ago. I have had problems with the car bluetooth not recognizing the commands, specifically the names from my phonebook. If it does recognize the name, then it will freeze the bluetooth system while sending text. I was told today that it is because the software between the iPhone and my car were not compatible. Car software is not update as phone software is. However, the iPhone uses Siri. You can tell Siri to send a text or make a call and Siri carries out that function. On my car, the audio does go through the bluetooth so that it is heard on the car speakers, but Siri facilitates the text and the call. So just say Hey Siri and give her the directions.

  5. I have a 2014 Honda Touring Elite. My iPhone 6+ updated to iOS 10.3.2 pairs ok for music and will send/receive Bluetooth calls, except that my contacts won’t sync to the car phone book. This means I am limited to calling the few numbers I manually program myself. I’ve tried all the fixes above and many more to no avail. Anyone else have this issue and find a fix??

  6. Hello, this is just a note to tell you how difficult it has been to connect my iPhone 6s plus (ios 10.3.2) to my 2013 Buick Enclave AWD. After many attempts, it finally connected when I used the Enclave’s “New Device” option on the console. Prior to this I was using the Onstar voice prompts with no success. And I had to toggle the iPhone’s Bluetooth and confirm prompts on both the iPhone and Enclave as fast as they popped up. I just purchased this iPhone so only time will tell if this is gonna continue to work. By contrast, my much older Samsung Galaxy S4 connected without problems.
    Also, I had just played music using the car’s front USB jack and the phone was still plugged in when I tried setting up the Bluetooth.

  7. Brand new iphone 7 plus (april 17). Wouldn’t pair with 2016 Mazda 3 Maxx. Followed one of the above suggestions – deleted “Mazda” off car blue tooth. Started pairing process again and it worked!! Beauty!

  8. Since I got my iPhone 7plus in Dec, when I’m in the car… my txt notification doesn’t alert me. (No sounds) how do I fix that I cn be notified or transfers into my monitor when I receive txted?

  9. What do you think about bluetooth headsets?

    My bluetooth headset keeps disconnecting and it makes me mad. Sometimes i can’t answer a call, sometimes it disconnects during a call…

    Any solution?

  10. Just bought a 7+ and I have a 2016 Ford Escape. I can connect the Bluetooth just fine for calls and no problems. But since I got the iPhone I can’t play any music through the Bluetooth, it only comes through the phone speaker. Anyone else have this issue or know a fix??

    • I have the same exact issue a same car, same phone. It played music for 5 mins once then stopped. So frustrating!

    • Same thing is happening to me in my 2014 Ford Escape. It drops calls every single time. Never fails. Why is this not being addressed Apple?!?!

      • I even had the APIM MODULE replaced (which is the brain of the car’s computer basically) and i thought surely it would have fixed this problem…NOPE! The ball is in Apple’s court now. Replacing the APIM was a last resort option and did not work.

  11. Have a 2010 Mercedes S550 and the IPhone7 does not recognize the car’s bluetooth, but the car recognizes the IPhone. My IPhone6s worked just fine. I did delete all of the devices on my car. I also tried turning on the Airplane mode, bluetooth off / then on. Also turned off the phone and rebooted. Spoke to Apple senior support and was suggested that I take the car to the dealership to update the radio, then call back if I still have the problem. Wow, an expensive dealership visit to “possibly” fix the problem with the IPhone7. Remember, my 6s worked just fine. If anyone has any suggestions, please forward them along.

  12. I have the same issues with 7+ and it drops my calls into neverland for 20-30 seconds and then reconnects. It is the most frustrating thing. I did the Airplane Mode and that did not work. I also have the 6+ as a work phone and the 6+ has no issues whatsoever with the Blue Tooth. This is definitely a issue with the 7+ and not my vehicle. I have a 2016 Lincoln MKX and there are serious issues with Blue Tooth. I need a fix that will work.

  13. I followed steps 2 – 3, disabled handoff and placed iPhone in headset mode and it works now in my GMC Sierra 2015. I started Pandora, called my wife, when she hung up it came right back to the music. Thanks !

  14. First if you just disable LTE Data & Voice on the GSM version of iPhone 7 Plus this may resolve all your issues. A new SIM card will not correct the issue. I also noticed that if I take my iPhone from the phone mount the issue will go away. Not sure if this will fix everyone’s issues.

    As my last resort I simply moved my service to Verizon and the issue has been cleared up. I believe it has something to do with the new Intel Cellular Radio.

  15. I constantly have trouble with my iPhone 6s Plus and iOS 10.2 (and previous versions) connecting to my Prius Entune Suite and Mazda CX-5 Mazda Connect. Pandora is unreliable in both cars when used with my iPhone. I get connectivity issues as well. I tried using my android Galaxy Note Edge in both cars, and it’s been perfect with no issues in either car. Pandora works perfect with android and Samsung. As soon as the Galaxy S8 comes out, I’ll be getting rid of my iPhone.

  16. 2014 Honda CR-V, iPhone 7 Plus running iOS 10.1.1, AT&T. I couldn’t get the phone and car to pair. Phone showed up on car, but car didn’t show up on phone Bluetooth menu. I had already deleted my old phone (which had the same name as my new phone) from the car, tried the Airplane Mode fix, tried changing the phone’s accessibility auto setting to Bluetooth headset, all with no success. I went into the car’s Phone menu, said no when it asked me if I wanted to add a phone, then scrolled through the menu options. At the bottom was one that said Delete all phone data? (or something to that effect). I said, yes, what the hell. I also set up a pairing code in that same phone setup menu, just messing around with stuff. Chose an option in this menu to add a new phone, and this time the car voice walked me through the whole process, gave me a code to enter on my phone, and voila, success! Maybe this will work for someone else. It has been a very frustrating week without my hands-free!!!

    • Yes, this is the main fix for the problems. Same thing I did, delete all old phone settings from the car and set it up again. Otherwise it has part of the settings, but not the new part so it cannot recognize it as the same phone. Once you clear it out it sets up fine. Actually had the same problem connecting my iPhone 7 plus to my old Apple Watch, had to do the same thing…

    • Followed these exact instructions with an iPhone 7 plus and 2014 Honda Pilot and success! Thank you for the helpful post!

    • Thank you for posting this. I was having the same issue with my new 2016 Dodge. It was so frustrating that I was ready to return the iPhone 7. Thankfully I googled it and found this and tried it last night and I’m back in business. 🙂 Thank you.

    • I am not technical at all. Took car to dealer and phone to “genius” bar. Ha. Could you please provide a little more detail on the steps to follow for this fix?

      • There is no one utimate fix. There are several. See our new article here. Our readers have provided many tips that sometimes work.

  17. iPhone 7 plus and audi RS7. I thought those two would work as they are top of the range toys but no no no. No way I can connect these two. What a shame

  18. I was having issue pairing bluetooth with Mercedez c200 and my new iphone 7(ios 10.11). I used the tip mentioned above “Enable Airplane Mode, then turn back on Bluetooth & Wi-FI. The bug for music streaming is caused by interference with GSM cellular signals. A reader reports that this works. However in theory in Ariplaine Mode, you won’t be able to make phone calls.” It works!! I After the pairing is done you just need to turn off Airplane Mode. Your car will recognize the iphone7 from now on. Thank you!

  19. Just upgraded to an iPhone 7 from a 5 and it won’t pair with my 2007 Acura TL. What a joke. Worked just fine with my iPhone 5. Was told it’s a problem with Acura, not Apple. No, maybe Apple needs to figure this one out. Apple had no answer for me other than the only Acuras that the 7 will pair with is the NSX. Fabulous, just fabulous. One would think that buying a $650 phone, this would not be an issue. Guess my phone will be going back to AT&T. Thanks for nothing Apple (other than blaming the issue on Acura).

    • 2009 Mercury Mariner, iPhone 7 ios 10.1.1., no bluetooth devices to pair with on iPhone. Switched iPhone to airplane mode, then went to connect new device on Sync. Handsfree appeared and paired within moments. After pairing, turned airplane mode off and iPhone remained paired to Sync. Was able to make phone calls, download phone list, and play music from iPhone playlist via bluetooth. Turned ignition off then on a few moments later and Sync found and paired with the iPhone.

      • I have the exact same problem, it is very frustrating, I have tried pairing, unpairing, deleting resetting nothing works. I have been on the phone with apple technician, I have set an appointment with apple genius to reinstall the SW and have gone to Honda dealer nothing helped the problem is exactly as everyone is describing. I know it is an iOS 10.1.1 problem, I am a new iPhone user, I have a Honda CRV 2013, I bought an iPhone SE one month ago, paired it and worked fine for 2 weeks then I kept getting constant messages to update my iOS, finally I gave in and did the upgrade I wish I had not done it, since then I have the problem described, I receive the phone call I can see who is calling, I have full bars but I can not hear the person calling and they can not hear me, I am very very angry, paid a lot of money for this iPhone and it is not working, my dinky old phone used to work fine, someone almost suggested that my car was too old and I should get a new one to match with the phone well. Please someone come to the rescue.

        • 2013 Honda Accord EX I have the same problem. I always play Pandora and now it only locks up. I have deleted and reinstall Pandora on my iPhone 6S and it might work once. The next morning Pandora just quits working. Pandora works with my home network and devices. I have tried many of the Nuke It options to no avail. It will work once then lock out Pandora. It is an Apple problem as this has worked for 2 years and it just started in the last few weeks.

    • I have a 2015 Honda Odyssey. Would not pair with iPhone 7 even in “Airplane Mode’.
      I went into car menu and used the “Pair with Bluetooth device” paired and works fine (phone functions. Have not tried music et c. J0dy McCann

  20. Ios10.1.1 on my iphone7 will connect whenI first pair it until I turn car off.. then it says pairing failed on my 2011 Elantra.. my 6 worked fine and wifes 6S works fine.. Ive done factory network reset and no fix.. seems like ios defect… any word if ios10.2 beta 2 has a fix?

    • Any with with 3-5 year old Elantras??? It will connect, but I get a “pairing failed” the next time I go in the car

  21. I have upgraded iPhone 6 to iPhone 7. Now I am having a problem to connect the new phone via Bluetooth to my car Hyundai Santa Fe 2011. When I make first time pairing with the phone it works fine. Next time I turn on the engine my car says that pairing failed. I have to delete my phone from the car list of connected devices and pair it again until next engine start.
    My iPhone 7 which has has the issues has IOS 10.1.1 installed.
    My iPhone 6 which works fine has the same IOS version installed.

    • Same here! I pair the iPhone 7 Plus to my Hyundai Santa Fe and it works until the engine is turned off. Then, it says “Pairing failed” every time I get in to the car after restarting the engine. This is real annoying and needs to be fixed. People need their hands-free ability to answer the phone while driving.

  22. 2013 Santa Fe – have iPhone 7plus and my Bluetooth will not work properly. When receiving calls the caller can hear me, but I cannot hear them. I have tried removing device and adding back with no luck

  23. I have an iPhone 7 (my first smart phone!). It pairs to Bluetooth in my 2013 Hyundai Elantra fine for phone calls (interrupts music but comes back fine after the call ended). It will NOT produce audio for driving directions. I have tried the built in Apple maps, Google maps and Waze. Each works fine if Bluetooth is off on my phone. The minute I turn Bluetooth on, I lose the audio directions while the on screen map continues to work. I have started the car with the phone Bluetooth off as well as on. No audio!! Frustrating! I can get directions only at the cost of losing hands free answering of calls!

    • Additional point: I called Hyundai support to speak about it. The guy thought that the problem was that it was an older version of bluetooth. He was going to research it and call me back but, of course, did not. He suggested starting the car and having bluetooth working in the vehicle before entering the route. The final indignity is that if you do that with Google maps, you get a popup that says “connected with bluetooth” but then no audio. In essence, the app is working (you can see the screens work) and is “throwing” the data at bluetooth, but bluetooth is not catching it to pass it thru the speakers.

    • Richard,
      I’m not sure this helps
      but in my mini ’15 (iphone 6s/ios9), i MUST have my car radio on & set to “iphone music” to hear the maps audio.
      if i want to run the gps (and hear it), i cannot listen to any satellite or AM/FM radio, car’s sound system must be set for my itunes setting

  24. I have a 2014 Honda CRV. This car does NOT have Carplay. With iphone 6 and iOS 9 (of all varieties) everything worked great. Pandora through USB, and at the same time using Waze through Bluetooth for directions. NEVER had a single problem. Now, same car, iPhone 7 with original iOS 10, I get Pandora on USB, Waze through Bluetooth.. every direction callout lowers music volume and never returns to normal. By the time I get 4-5 direction call outs, I have no more volume on music. Using both Pandora and Waze through bluetooth, seems OK till I have to charge the phone, then problems again. Next update iOS 10.0.1 same issues. Next update iOS 10.0.2 Wasz OK on Bluetooth, Pandora does not work at all on USB. If I turn waze off, still no Pandora. If I unplug from USB I get Pandora back. Just updated phone to iOS 10.1.1 we’ll see what happens. Phone on T-Mobile.

  25. BMW model 2015, iPhone 5s IOS 10.1. inbound calls are not routed via Bluetooth since update to IOS 10.1 (worked fine until 10.0.2) . Outbound calls work fine.

    • I also have a 2015 BMW (X5). I can answer calls via BT but neither I nor the caller can hear each other. Switching from BT to iPhone or the phone speaker and then back to the BMW seems to fix it. Annoying and intermittent. I believe the issue started with the first IOS 10 update but not sure. Verizon iPhone 6.

    • I had problems with incoming calls after upgrade iOS 10. Today Jan 27, 2017 an update came out iOS 10.2.1, did the upgrade went to car was able to received incoming calls now.

  26. I have a 2012 Kia Sorento. Since the update to my iPhone 6 my bluetooth does not work properly. My contacts do not sync and it drops my phone.

  27. 2012 BMW 528IX & 2016 MDX Navi. Both my wife and my Iphone 6 with IOS 10 pairs first and works for 2-3 days and then doesn’t connect afterwards. Need to re-pair every few days on both cars.

  28. Wife’s iPhone 6S plus works fine and has since iOS 10 got my new iPhone 7 plus and 2012 Hyundai Elantra keeps saying pairing failed it won’t automatically connect I have to forget device delete it out of the stereo and re add it every time I shut off car and turn back on its crazy have same problems even on iOS 10.1 same thing iOS 10.1 did not fix Hyundai problems at all

    • The same problems with the Hyundai i40 (2013) Bluetooth Headset (Built-In a car Factory audio system )
      iPhone 7 (iOS 10.1) automatic “Connection failed”
      iPhone 6 Plus (iOS 10.1) works very well!
      strange, because the Bluetooth in both phones to the same version’s – 4.2
      I wrote a query for Hyundai manufacturer’s representative ofice – looking forward for response.

  29. I have a problem with Chevrolet Cruze with MyLink since updating to iOS 10. Bluetooth works fine, but when I connect the phone with lightning cable, the car says that “Playback source is not available”. This is unfortunate even more, because just plugging the cable (for charging) turns off the option to use Bluetooth.
    I can launch apps from car UI, the phone thinks it plays on external speakers, but nothing goes through.

  30. iPhone 6+, IOS 10.0.2, Audi Q7, 2015 – it is no longer possible to browse music using bluetooth. It works through USB and used to work through bluetooth.

  31. Apple replaced my iPhone SE – Automatically loaded ios10 with the new phone. Ever since – couldn’t sync to my CHEVROLET TRAVERSE 2013 with Navigation. I tried all the regular “Delete Phone / Network” this and that fixes. The vehicle will still sync my Apple 4s ‘s no problem. My wife decided to upgrade to Mac ios10 unbekjnowest to me. I was curious – tried to sync her phone – same issue. My GM vehicle simply won’t Bluetooth PAIR or sync with ios10. I chatted with Apple Genius. They said nothing on their end – Did I check with GM. I made an appointment, but they had no idea what I was talking about. Their tech was sick for 2 weeks. Service manager asked me to keep him informed. I’M probably the first of dozens he will be hearing from. ONSTAR DID offer a free Navigation software update thru 9/30/16. I just missed that deadline by 4 days. There might have been a general GM fix in that update.

  32. Updated to iOS 10 on iPhone 6s. Will no longer allow music browsing/playback on a 2016 Mazda MX-5. I have yet to try the phone functionality out.

    Obviously the common thread in all of this is Apple- probably another case of beta testing using all end users… Let’s hope it is reasonably near the top of their list for a future update (although it would appear they have their hands pretty full if you look around for general issues in iOS10).

    I must condition myself to not get the updates too soon!

  33. I have a 2011 Kia Sorento. My iPhones always going back since the 5 would always have issues where it would intermittently connect when I would turn the car on. Sonetimes I would have to turn Bluetooth off and on and hit “connect” and then the phone would connect. Now with iOS 10 (i am on 10.0.1), it has consistently connected with no issues). Could it be an issue with the .2 update that is causing an issue??

  34. After upgrading my iPhone 6 to iOS 10.0.2 I can connect my phone via bluetooth to Microsoft Sync in my 2011 Ford F-150 but cannot hear any audio for either streaming music or phone calls. At least the phone calls worked perfectly with the previous iOS, streaming worked most of the time. I tried deleting the device and pairing it again, no luck. Apple needs to address this issue very soon.

  35. Drive a 2013 Kia Optima – will work fine sometimes, but I always get a “pairing failed” alert at some point, and continue to have to delete and re-add the phone to the car. Even when I do that and it works, it still drops connection. Very annoying to have to continue deleting and re-pairing! This only started happening to me when I got my iPhone 7. Doesn’t seem to be related to updating to a new iOS – I had iOS10 on my 6 and never had problems.

    • I have the exact same problem with the same model year car. It will pair and then work for a day or two and then I get the dreaded “pairing failed” and have to delete the connection on the car and the phone and start over.

      I had no problems with iOS 10 on my 6s, but as soon as I received the 7+ the problems began.

      I’ve tried deleting all connected phones from the car’s system and deleting all Bluetooth pairings from the phone. I reset the phone and reset network settings.

      I know the problem isn’t with the phone, because it connects to all of my other Bluetooth devices – other car, headphones, speakers, etc – just fine.

      The only problem connection is the 2013 Optima.

      One thing that I’ve noticed when making the initial pairing and searching for the car’s connection, it will first say “Handsfree” on the iPhone’s Bluetooth list of available connections, then after a few seconds it will switch to “Kia Motors”. I don’t remember seeing that when pairing my 6s.

  36. Yep ..I have a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport ..2013 now sometimes it acts like I’m on a call to myself..and shows my number and the call time running on the radio display and I can’t change source on audio.. have to disconnect BT and then I’m good for awhile.. till it randomly decides next time I get in to do the same thing.!!

    • Same thing happens with my iPhone5s and VW Tiguan 2011 & VW Jetta 2014. Once I enter the car I’m on on call to myself and it is not possible to hang up the call!

    • this is happening in wifes 2015 Honda Accord with a new iPhone 7. Only way to disconnect audio is turn BT off as suggested. Afterwards it works fine, but for how long…….She also has issues with her plantronics ear piece. It will connect and pair, but once you turn it off, it will not connect again, not without pairing it again. Aggravating to say the least.

      • Iphone 7 + IOS10 + Honda Accord 2014 = not connection. Iphone 6 worked great and seamlessly.

        I think all consumers need to take a stand against Apple and return all the Iphone 7s en masse!

    • I’m having the same issue with my 2012 Audi A6. The dealership called Germany only to find out that it’s the phone and the new updates by Apple. Other than turning the car off and starting it up again and hoping it doesn’t occur, the best solution is to place an out-going call via the phone itself. This will disconnect the call to myself and allow the nav/radio etc to function again…It’s a technology compatibility issue.

    • I had the same problem with my 6S+ with iOS 9 and 10 in my 2016 Mini Cooper (but curiously not in my wife’s Ford Flex). Neither Apple nor Mini had any idea what’s wrong, but I found a workaround by accident. When the call to myself starts, I just activate and then immediately terminate Siri. Presto! All the BT functions return to normal. It’s a bit of a pain, but it’s far less pain than all the other “fixes” I’ve tried in vain. As usual, YMMV.

  37. I have a 2014 Cadillac SRX, and my new iPhone 7 will not play my music from my phone through my car speakers. I’ve also tried playing pandora, and have the same issue. Any help would be much appreciated. I’ve tried everything I can think of.

  38. Upgraded to iPhone 7. Having Bluetooth issues with my 2014 Audi SQ5. Syncing the iPhone’s contacts with the MMI “Directory” is not syncing all the contacts. Only loads contacts up to “R”. This was never a problem with my iPhone 6 or 6S or previous iPhones same number of contacts. Thought it might be a memory size issue, have cleared all other Bluetooth devices from the MMI and still only get up to “R”. Also Waze set up to use Bluetooth to deliver verbal turn-by- turn directions no voice commands being sent cuts out radio shows Bluetooth connection but no sound for turn-by-turn only gives verbal alert warnings worked fie with iPhone 6S.

    • Can not even get my 2015 Audi SQ5 to recognize Iphone 7. Tried the airplane mode suggestion with bluetooth and wifi on but still no luck?

  39. My 2011 Hyundai Sonata fails to connect with my iPhone 7, iOS 10.01 daily. It will connect after I go to setting on iPhone and car to delete the connection then re-pair the devices. But it only works for a day or so before I have to restart the process.

  40. IOS10 on iPhone SE not working on 2011 Mini Cooper, forgot the device, paired it back up again, worked fine for a couple of days and now stereo is frozen again, the only way I can get my stereo to play is to turn off Phone Bluetooth. Not at all happy with Apple, wish I could roll back to previous IOS, it all worked fine then!!

  41. Got the iPhone 7 and the Bluetooth situation is a nightmare. It works intermittently, but calls come in on the phone, then switch to the car, and vice versa. The music is the worst of all – it plays a few seconds or a song and then freezes on the car, even though on the phone it looks like it continues to play. Then Bluetooth randomly disconnects and shows a message that there is no phone connected anymore. I’ve literally tried everything, from resetting network settings, to pairing and unpairing, to turning off the phone, to messing with every single option on the multimedia – all for nothing. I even switched out the iphone 7 to another iphone 7 since I thought it was the phone that was defective. It just doesn’t work. Obviously, after seeing these comments, it’s something with IOS 10 and the BMW (I have a 2015 640). Either the IOS needs to be fixed or BMW needs to figure out how to get its system to support it. For now, the phone is pretty much useless in the car, which is a massive problem for me.

    • Sorry to hear it. Bluetooth is supposed to be backwards compatible. Have you tried deleting all the phones from the car? Some have gone as far as disconnecting the battery of the car and/or setting the phone as a headset. Please be sure the handoff feature is off.

      We have other reports of problems with BMWs it could be a BMW problem.

    • Having the exact same issue since getting my iPhone 7 with my 2016 BMW 228. I too brought it to the Apple store and described the whole issue and they switched out my 2-day old iPhone for a new one but still having the same issue. Have tried using the BMW Connected just for kicks, but no different. I’m frustrated beyond belief and any answers would be appreciated.

    • Hi, Johnny: I have had the EXACT same experience with my iPhone 7+. Im on my second device and Parked Car refuses to work and streaming audio is spotty, at best. I have a 2013 Infiniti JX35. I don’t know about you, but this is irritating the heck out of me that this feature isn’t working.

      • I’m wondering if you were able to fix this issue. I have a JX35 as well and often the music starts playing intermittently

    • I’m having the exact same problem with a 2015 Ford Explorer. I’ve tried everything. Ford blames Apple and Apple Blames Ford. I’m using IOS 10.2. Did you ever get the issue resolved. I have a week left on my ATT “remorse exchange” left. I can’t work with this intermittent problem

  42. I am not sure if it’s the iOS 10 update or my iPhone 7 but my Mini Cooper does not pair with the phone anymore

  43. iPhone 7 works intermittently via Bluetooth with my 2014 BMW. Most of the time the phone works for calls, but the music says device not connected even though the phone still allows calls through the car at the same time. So annoying. What is worse still is the iPhone 7 does not work via the USB connection to the car at all. So basically most of the time I can no long listen to music in my car. My iPhone 6 worked perfectly even after updating to IOS 10.

  44. Since the update to iOS 10 the Bluetooth Connection to my BMW doesn’t work in a right way anymore. I updated my IPhone 6s+. My other IPhone IPhone 6s is not updated and still on iOS 9 and this one is working perfect.
    It is definitly a matter of iOS 10, I think

  45. Just upgraded my iPhone 6 to IOS 10 and am having numerous issues interfacing with both my 2016 Audi MMI and 2014 Harley Infotainment systems using either USB or Bluetooth. Both systems worked perfectly before the upgrade but now the MMI system no longer displays the artist, album or song. Instead the message “no playable files” appears. To select an artist or song I have to enter the browse feature on MMI and scroll to play or select directly on my phone. In addition, music randomly plays in the background when using the hands free feature to make calls requiring me to go into iTunes to stop play. Also, when I shut off the car, music starts playing through the phone even though I stopped play prior to shutting off the car.

    On the Harley screen the message “Unknown Artist, Unknown Album” appears. And I am unable to browse my music.

    Anyone else having issues? Solutions?

  46. iOS10 on iPhone 6s causes Music Player to stop working in BMW via Bluetooth. Still no support from bmw on how to fix this issue.

  47. Upgraded 6s now Bluetooth won’t answer calls with AT&T connect 6.0 on home handset. Changing Bluetooth setting or resetting network setting does not fix the problem. Wife’s 6s continues to work properly without the upgrade.

  48. Upgraded my 6 to iOS 10 and now won’t pair with my Mazda CX-5. Bluetooth option in the system completely disables and I can’t even access the settings. Worked perfectly with latest iOS 9 build.

  49. The Bluetooth in my 2005 Acura MDX stopped pairing with my iPhone a while ago. It seemed like it may have happened about the time I switched to an iPhone 6.

  50. This article is a bit sensationalist and misinformed. BLE (aka Bluetooth 4.0) and later devices can connect to BT3.0 and earlier devices, they just won’t benefit from the battery savings or other features of the 4.0 spec. So people with Bluetooth on an older car should be able to connect just fine.

    Also, your comments are the iPhone would apply to every phone on the market. For example, all Samsung Galaxy devices have been BLE for some time, and Google updates Android about as often as Apple does for iOS. But then the manufacturers also update their software, so actually the connectivity risks would be higher for Android devices based on your arguments about software updates breaking the connection/pairing.

    • According to Wikipedia:

      Bluetooth Smart(BLE) is not backward-compatible with the previous (often called “Classic”) Bluetooth protocol. The Bluetooth 4.0 specification permits devices to implement either or both of the LE and Classic systems.

      Bluetooth Smart uses the same 2.4 GHz radio frequencies as Classic Bluetooth, which allows dual-mode devices to share a single radio antenna. LE does, however, use a simpler modulation system.

      • We work with a BLE and Bluetooth chip maker and this whole thing can be very tricky. It appears that the new iPhone should have both Buetooth Classic and BLE in order for it to work in oldr vehicles.

  51. Just upgraded my iPhone to 9.3.5 and my Ford Edge 2013 is having issues again with connecting via Blue Tooth. It will display the phone is connected when the card starts and then after a minute or two will state the phone as been disconnected. The reboot process starts and sometimes it requires several reboots before the phone is connected. I’ve noticed every software upgrade the issues is getting worse.

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