Android, How To

Fix: Unable to connect car’s Media System and Android via Bluetooth

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Pairing your Android phone and your car’s media system via Bluetooth is of great use, both for hands-free purposes and media streaming. But, we found reports of some awkward issues concerning playback while trying to connect Nougat 7.0 device to the car media system.

Car and Android won’t connect via Bluetooth

One of the members of the XDA forum has stated that his Huawei Mate 9 can pair with his car but the playback won’t start every time. He is concerned with its erratic behavior. Supposedly, the phone pairs with every other device except the car.

Another member is having trouble with a similar problem. Devices can pair but, while music is playing, hands-free mode won’t react to incoming calls.

Well, there is one solution that can be of use if you have the same issue on your Android.

Swiftly delete the device from the pairing list and retry

Sometimes the cure for the problem is easier than it seems. To do that follow these instructions.

1. Go to Settings > Wireless and Networks > Bluetooth

2. Turn your Bluetooth ON

3. In the list of paired devices select your car Bluetooth device

4. Select Forget

5. Then search for devices and select your car Bluetooth device

6. Tap Pair 

7. If you are prompted for four digits PIN, enter it

Have in mind that some car media board computers have a special button that enables Bluetooth connection.

If this solution is not helpful, don’t worry. There is probably a bug in Nougat 7.0 that is making all this trouble. Luckily, it is said that the solution will be available in the first update. Nougat 7.11 is here today so we hope that the unpleasant experience with this problem has come to an end.

If you are having the same problem, please inform us in the comment section. Also, if you managed to solve it, let us know. Traveling to work without your favorite playlist is a thing no one should endure for long.

#android, bluetooth

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23 thoughts on “Fix: Unable to connect car’s Media System and Android via Bluetooth”

  1. My mate 20 will not work to my Toyota RAV 4 media system. It connects fine and the phone works fine but it will not play music via Bluetooth or USB.

    But I’ve tried with 3 types of iPhone and a Samsung S8 and they all connect 1st time and work OK.
    I’m lost now what to do and am assuming it’s just a flaw with huawei

    Reply
  2. I have a same problem with car bluetooth connection. Handsfree call works just fine, but it can not alow media connection. I use Huawei P30 Lite

    Reply
    • same problem here. moto g7. it used to work but now if I want to call over speakerphone – I have to dial from the phone. pushing the BT button on the steering wheel says “sorry something went wrong:.

      aside from that I can make calls from the main google screen, receive calls and end calls. I just can’t voice dial.

      today I tried hooking up Alexa and was able to voice dial a call. it had all my contacts. unlike the radio in my car.

      it seems that the car (MItsubishi Outlander) and the radio (Kenwood 9703s) just won’t successfully pair. I tried looking up my contacts thru the car radio and they are not there.

      it used to work so not sure if an update was applied and I didn’t realize it? (this question posted july 3rd 2020)

      Reply
  3. Εγώ έχω το Mi A3 xiaomi και με πετάει εκτός όταν πάω να συνδεθώ με το αυτοκίνητο Skoda skala το bluetooth. Τι να κάνω. Το κινητό έχει Android 9

    Reply
  4. New (October 2018) Xperia L1 running nougat. Pairs fine with my (new) Honda Civic but telephone audio is is extremely distorted, maps audio does not play on Honda media system, etc. I have not yet dared try streaming music audio and the phone appears unusable in this capacity… System worked great with my previous Samsung S4 (and other phones)…

    Reply
  5. FIXED – delete paired device from phone bluetooth, then switch bluetooth off and restarts your phone. Go to your car and select ‘paired devices’ and delete all of them, so it is empty. Then go to ‘pair device’ wait til it says ‘ready to pair with 4 digit pin code’, then switch on your bluetooth on your phone, it should show your car radio/media system, input the code, it’s paired, then should connect. It seems the first time you do it, it pairs but does not connect and then it doesn’t matter how many times you keep trying it won’t connect, until you have deleted ALL pairing devices on your car and your phone (so delete the one you already paired), then restart your phone and work through the above and mine has now connected 🙂

    Reply
  6. Just got a P20 lite and will pair with the car no problem, but won’t connect at all. The phone is listed in my paired devices in the car and My Radio is paired in my phone, but they just won’t connect, has anyone found a solution?

    Reply
  7. Hi
    For some reason I am unable to connect my Garmin Sports watches with the Honor 8 Pro. The BT pairing code keeps refreshing every second and hence I am unable to key it in before it refreshes again. Finally I get the Connection Timed Out Error. This happens only with the 8 Pro. All other phones I have tried have no issues at all.

    Am really frustrated now! Any help in resolving this is highly appreciated.

    Here’s a detailed video of the issue as well –
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9S4PMhapNo

    Reply
  8. Hi
    For some reason I am unable to connect my Garmin Sports watches with the Honor 8 Pro. The BT pairing code keeps refreshing every second and hence I am unable to key it in before it refreshes again. Finally I get the Connection Timed Out Error. This happens only with the 8 Pro. All other phones I have tried have no issues at all.

    Am really frustrated now! Any help in resolving this is highly appreciated.

    Here’s a detailed video of the issue as well –
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9S4PMhapNo

    Reply
  9. My mate 9 fails when trying to connect to my car hands free. I have spent hours doing all the recommended fixes. Nothing works. The phone connects to other phones. Other phones connect to the handsfree. So all devices are working. Just no communication between the handsfree and the Huawei. The mate 9 sees the handsfree, but can’t connect. It gives no reason. Just says can’t connect. Please assist.

    Reply
  10. My mate 9 fails when trying to connect to my car hands free. I have spent hours doing all the recommended fixes. Nothing works. The phone connects to other phones. Other phones connect to the handsfree. So all devices are working. Just no communication between the handsfree and the Huawei. The mate 9 sees the handsfree, but can’t connect. It gives no reason. Just says can’t connect. Please assist.

    Reply
  11. My huawei-mate 8 is not connecting to my car system, it says cant connect, but im able to see the car on the available devices list

    Reply
  12. My huawei-mate 8 is not connecting to my car system, it says cant connect, but im able to see the car on the available devices list

    Reply
  13. When trying to connect the phone to the car radio there is no option to input the pin it just pops up saying wrong pass key

    Reply
  14. When trying to connect the phone to the car radio there is no option to input the pin it just pops up saying wrong pass key

    Reply
  15. Just got a new Huawei Mate 9 from Optus Australia. It would not connect to my car bluetooth although it would connect to two bluetooth speakers I have. Optus technical support finally resolved the issue by changing the car bluetooth PIN from 1111 to 0000. Looks like a Huawei bug in that it can only connect to devices without a PIN or with a PIN of 0000. Checked my speakers and one has no PIN and the other has 0000 as the PIN. Hopefully Huawei will fix this.

    Reply
    • Thank you for sharing, Greg. That’s a strange bug, to say the least. We also hope that the upcoming updates will resolve this in future firmware patches.

      Reply
  16. Just got a new Huawei Mate 9 from Optus Australia. It would not connect to my car bluetooth although it would connect to two bluetooth speakers I have. Optus technical support finally resolved the issue by changing the car bluetooth PIN from 1111 to 0000. Looks like a Huawei bug in that it can only connect to devices without a PIN or with a PIN of 0000. Checked my speakers and one has no PIN and the other has 0000 as the PIN. Hopefully Huawei will fix this.

    Reply
    • Thank you for sharing, Greg. That’s a strange bug, to say the least. We also hope that the upcoming updates will resolve this in future firmware patches.

      Reply
      • My huewwai note 2 I connects to my car but only allows hands free telephone calls. No call history and worst still no Internet call. Google maps audio or Internet calls

        Reply

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