Apple Car Play/ Android Auto - Fix, finally!

[Shane75796]

Anyone have issues with their apple car play or android auto? It happened on my 2023 hybrid and my 2024 ICE. I finally think I have found a fix after tons of struggles.

1. It’s random, and some devices work better than others. My pixel 8 never had an issue. My iPhone 15 pro (all 3 of them have problems, don’t ask why I have 3). Based on this you would think IOS is a problem, it is and is not.

2. with the iPhone I always had the first call issues. When placing or receiving a call I could not hear the caller.

3. apple car play and android auto worked perfect for everything EXCEPT calls. Mostly with just my iPhone though and less frequent with my pixel 8. If I am on a call it will randomly disconnect from the vehicle and reconnect, causing the caller to either hang up or waste a minute of their breath.

4. I factory reset phones, restored backups and even tried without restoring a back up. Factory reset head unit, rename iPhone. Tried different cables, even bought a wireless adapter. I made sure I am in the latest software for the vehicle head unit as well. Issues still persisted.

5. I turned Bluetooth off on my phone, which is a bummer because my watch uses that connection.

everything I have done did not work, I almost ordered a 2025 just for sync 4…. Until I found an issue.

Fix: go into Bluetooth on the vehicle head unit and turn that “off”! Even though I never paired my phone or have connected Bluetooth, it causes the issue.
Ford noticed that my audio control module was showing feature 1 disconnects from the front lcd.

I hope this helps others that have struggled!

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[Carlitos_92]

Glad you found a solution to whatever was going on. I haven't had any of the issues you describe, but I do know that when CarPlay connects, it kicks the iPhone off of bluetooth, because it says as much on the screen.

 

[Shane75796]

Glad you found a solution to whatever was going on. I haven't had any of the issues you describe, but I do know that when CarPlay connects, it kicks the iPhone off of bluetooth, because it says as much on the screen.

yeah, for me I was thinking it was fine. Never connected my device via Bluetooth to the car. But I never thought to turn the vehicles Bluetooth radio off.

 

[Carlitos_92]

I think you are sortof brute forcing a solution, but if you plan on using CarPlay exclusively (who wouldn't, lol) I can't see any issue.

"In theory" the system should allow you to use bluetooth until you plug the phone in, and that is how mine works. It is supposed to be smart enough to kick you off bluetooth once you plug the phone in and CarPlay takes over, but clearly yours wasn't working right.

 

[Shane75796]

I think you are sortof brute forcing a solution, but if you plan on using CarPlay exclusively (who wouldn't, lol) I can't see any issue.

"In theory" the system should allow you to use bluetooth until you plug the phone in, and that is how mine works. It is supposed to be smart enough to kick you off bluetooth once you plug the phone in and CarPlay takes over, but clearly yours wasn't working right.

Yep, it should be smart enough to do that. It is in my other vehicles lol

 

[Toddman45]

I've yet to encounter any issues with both my galaxy s22 ultra or pixel 9 pro xl phones. Whether hardwired cable or wireless with MA1.

 

[Toddman45]

Also I don't think it's a iPhone issue I think it's a Maverick radio issue, with the phone call problem.

I also had a issue with my Pixel 9 pro XL when I first got it two weeks ago. I couldn't hear the other person, changing this setting under call privacy in the phone settings on the radio fixed the issue.

It was enabled causing me not to hear the other caller, disabling the setting fixed it.

 

[fossil]

if you disable Bluetooth does that effect the 911 assist?

 

[Shane75796]

Also I don't think it's a iPhone issue I think it's a Maverick radio issue, with the phone call problem.

I also had a issue with my Pixel 9 pro XL when I first got it two weeks ago. I couldn't hear the other person, changing this setting under call privacy in the phone settings on the radio fixed it.

I’ll have to check if that is an option when an iOS device is connected. It looks like you are connected via Bluetooth to your vehicle? I’ve never connected via Bluetooth as it’s not need with android auto or CarPlay. That’s what through me off with the vehicles Bluetooth being enabled, no connection to the phone but it still caused grief.
It’s definitely a Maverick radio issue, none of my other cars have any problems at all.

 

[Toddman45]

I’ll have to check if that is an option when an iOS device is connected. It looks like you are connected via Bluetooth to your vehicle? I’ve never connected via Bluetooth as it’s not need with android auto or CarPlay. That’s what through me off with the vehicles Bluetooth being enabled, no connection to the phone but it still caused grief.
It’s definitely a Maverick radio issue, none of my other cars have any problems at all.

Yes, this was just using the standard Bluetooth connection. I wasn't using Android Auto then.

Still worth a look and better than having to factory reset a phone. I know what a p i t a that is.

 

[Shane75796]

if you disable Bluetooth does that effect the 911 assist?

Wouldn’t matter since iOS (depending on which one and the version of iOS your running) has crash detection and would call 911 anyway

 

[Shane75796]

if you disable Bluetooth does that effect the 911 assist?

To answer your question though, I would assume if your phone was not connected to the vehicle in a basic technology like Bluetooth, 911 assist would not work.

 

[Ozarkbeard]

No phone call issues with my Pixel 4a. I briefly "upgraded" to a Pixel 8a, but hated the larger uncomfortable size and added weight of the device. So I went back to my 4a, and will keep using it until it can't be repaired or some important app no longer works on it.

I didn't use the 8a much in the truck, but never had a phone call issue.

 

[JLB]

Thanks for finding a solution and posting it!

With or without Android Auto running, my Mav would disconnect and reconnect my Galaxy A10 at exactly 90 seconds into a call (not at 89 nor 91 seconds). So, I would use the phone in speaker mode while stuffed in my shirt pocket. Turning Bluetooth off on the Mav head unit settings page and then connecting through the USB makes the calls work so far. I have only done one test so far, but it was a success!

By the way, the calls and streaming audio still always both go through Bluetooth despite turning Bluetooth off on the Mav head unit. When Android Auto starts it re-enables Bluetooth in the background. If you look at your phone you can see that Bluetooth is connected to your Mav. The USB connection (or WiFi with Sync 4) seems to be only used for the displayed data like maps. Both USB and Bluetooth are used simultaneously in Android Auto and I suspect in Apple Car Play as well. This is likely because Bluetooth for audio was already an implemented solution when Apple Car Play and Android Auto were invented. Adding the new display features to USB/WiFi while keeping old audio features unchanged likely saved development schedule. Bluetooth barely has enough capablility to handle audio so they likely couldn't add the new display data to Bluetooth and stream audio at the same time.

Returning to the Mav bug, for some reason the USB cable connecting while Bluetooth is off seems to bypass the Mav software bug. Good enough for now that this procedure works until Ford finds and fixes the bug in a future software revision!

 

[Shane75796]

Thanks for finding a solution and posting it!

With or without Android Auto running, my Mav would disconnect and reconnect my Galaxy A10 at exactly 90 seconds into a call (not at 89 nor 91 seconds). So, I would use the phone in speaker mode while stuffed in my shirt pocket. Turning Bluetooth off on the Mav head unit settings page and then connecting through the USB makes the calls work so far. I have only done one test so far, but it was a success!

By the way, the calls and streaming audio still always both go through Bluetooth despite turning Bluetooth off on the Mav head unit. When Android Auto starts it re-enables Bluetooth in the background. If you look at your phone you can see that Bluetooth is connected to your Mav. The USB connection (or WiFi with Sync 4) seems to be only used for the displayed data like maps. Both USB and Bluetooth are used simultaneously in Android Auto and I suspect in Apple Car Play as well. This is likely because Bluetooth for audio was already an implemented solution when Apple Car Play and Android Auto were invented. Adding the new display features to USB/WiFi while keeping old audio features unchanged likely saved development schedule. Bluetooth barely has enough capablility to handle audio so they likely couldn't add the new display data to Bluetooth and stream audio at the same time.

Returning to the Mav bug, for some reason the USB cable connecting while Bluetooth is off seems to bypass the Mav software bug. Good enough for now that this procedure works until Ford finds and fixes the bug in a future software revision!

You are correct about the two standards utilizing Bluetooth for calls. That’s why it is odd that it works with Bluetooth off on the head unit. Based on a few replies here, I’m sure you and I have bad audio control modules in our trucks. The tough parts is proving that. I’m working on a Total full solution and will be working with Ford on it.

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