Galaxy S6 Car Bluetooth Problems

I was wondering if anybody else is having car Bluetooth issues with the Galaxy S6. I previously had an S3 that worked great in my car (2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek) with no problems. The phone is paired with the Bluetooth in my car, but every time I shut the car off the Call Audio and Media Audio shut off and will not automatically turn back on when I turn the car back on. Every time I start the car I have to go into Settings, Bluetooth, it shows CAR MULTIMEDIA is paired but I have to click on the little wheel to the right of that and manually turn on Call Audio and Media Audio. Sometimes it takes 6-8 tries to get them both to turn on. Also, when I use Pandora, sometimes it will show song, artist, etc. sometimes not. Samsung has been no help. We called Subaru National Support to see if there is a firmware update but they said no it is a Samsung problem.

Accepted answers

ZorlakDaPhoneHax0r

So I did find a legit fix for this, at least for Subaru owners.I also tried a variety of other fixes which I will outline below.

Actual Fix:

Step 1)

If already paired

- Turn on my Subaru and using the menu options delete your phone from memory. (On my WRX it involved hitting CD/Aux until BT-A appeared, hitting menu, and using the tuner dial to find and remove my phone.)

- Delete the Subaru or CAR_M_MEDIA option from your phone as well, under the bluetooth settings.

- If not already paired skip to step 2.

Step 2)

- Pair your phone using the buttons on the steering wheel only - NOT the buttons on the head unit.

- Hit the outgoing talk button and say Bluetooth Setup or Phone Setup. Whichever the prompt is when it reads the options. It may even be under Security followed by Phone Setup. Either way, once in the phone setup menu, using your voice confirm that is what you want to do.

- It will then ask you to provide a name for your phone. In my case I said "S6" but you can call it whatever you want. After it repeats it back to you, confirm it.

- It will then start the pairing process and the bluetooth system will read to you the bluetooth passcode for the car. On your phone, make sure Bluetooth is active and scan for devices. When Car_M_Media or whatever it is appears, select it and enter the code that was read to you.

- The system will finish the pairing process and it should now work with your S6.

Result)

Now each time I start my car my bluetooth will auto-connect and start playing Audible. I can use it for calls, etc. as expected. I am not running any third-party connection software. I do not have my car bluetooth device listed as trusted in smart lock. I do have a screen lock which is linked to my fingerprint. I have the Galaxy S6 64GB. Not the Galaxy S6 Edge - though I doubt there would be any difference for the Edge.

I cannot explain why it does not work through the head unit as it is virtually the same process as doing it through the steering wheel controls via voice, but it totally solved the problem for me! I discovered this fix on a Subaru forum site that said Subarus have two different ways to pair with phones, and for whatever reason the newer forms of bluetooth work better when doing it through the steering wheel controls. As an IT professional it really makes no sense and I was incredibly surprised that it worked. Definitely try it and see if it'll fix it for you.

Here is a link to a YouTube video describing how to pair using your steering wheel instead of using the head unit in a Subaru WRX.HOW TO SET UP BLUETOOTH ON YOUR 2011 AND 2012 SUBARU WRX/STI - YouTube

Other Fixes:

Fix 1 - Workaround - Bluetooth Connect and Play (Or other similar software)

Status: Unsuccessful for me. Just kept me paired but wouldn't auto-connect and play like it should. Could definitely be related to having a screen lock / finger print lock on my phone though. Something I wasn't going to give up to make my Bluetooth auto-connect.

Fix 2 - Adding it to or removing it from smart lock.

Status: Unsuccessful for me. Again, just kept me paired. In my case I tried adding it to smart lock but it didn't seem to do anything because the phone wasn't actually pairing properly. If it had been pairing properly all smart lock would have done was unlock my phone screen in the car, though. So I don't know how much this is related to the core issue but I know screen locks on phones can definitely restrict components of the Operating System. So I put this fix in the maybe-related but unlikely pile. People have also coupled this fix with being related to Microsoft Exchange accounts - which I personally think is entirely unrelated. (I also have an Exchange account on my phone and use the default Exchange mail app.)

Fix 3) - Firmware Update

Status: Untested

I was very close to going down this road. I researched and learned how to put my head unit into upgrade mode - the problem is that I couldn't find updated firmware for my factory installed Subaru head unit anywhere. Not even from Clarion, the maker of the unit. They referred me back to Subaru. So perhaps Subaru can do the firmware update, but fortunately I found the fix up above before taking it into them to try. I wouldn't be surprised if updating the firmware fixed it though. It could easily update the head unit pairing process to match that of the steering wheel controls.

Thanks for all the comments on the problem. I hope this helps someone out there resolve the issue once and for all.

All comments

BrunoDC

Yes, after having Verizon store personnel try and Samsung online try, unable to get consistent connection to 2010 Kia Forte Koup. Other smartphones work with the car, just not either of our 2 new galaxy s6 models. Connects,disconnects in an endless cycle. Verizon sales person tried the s6 with his 2014 pickup and said it had a connection. It gets bluetooth connect to Bose wireless bluetooth speaker but unable to use with the Kia car. Kia looked at it also. The Kia serviceperson's iPhone connected fine but they had the same problem with the Samsung S6 staying connected. We really like the phones, just can'take use the Bluetooth with this car.

PaxtonLamons

Having similar problems with my S6 Edge & 2008 Acura MDX. Previous 4 phones I've used have never had problems, but with the S6 Edge I regularly have to force a re-connect rather than having it happen automatically. I've also had problems where the phone would be stuck trying to dial a number and the only way I could get things to work was to disable the bluetooth radio on my phone. Something's "wonky" with either the bluetooth radio or the software on these phones. Hopefully they can get it fixed. The whole point of "hands free" is to not use your hands to have to fiddle with the phone while you are driving. It's a safety issue not to have this working properly!

LisaT2015

I can't even get my new phone to pair with the bluetooth in my car. It keeps asking me to confirm a random pass code it generates and then won't connect because it says it is invalid. Had no issues with my S3 and any of my cars.

ScottWalk

Same issues for me. I have a 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek and once I shut the car off the S6 forgets all about the car being paired. It still shows it is paired but will not hook up. I have to go through all of the stumbling around to pair it again. I called Verizon Tech Support today, they told me to mess with the quick connect features. I tried it a couple ways, each time I shut the car off it was like I had no pair but the phone states it is paired. Very frustrating, especially when I looked at the compatibility and it states Bluetooth is compatible with the impreza radio's. I just checked the Bluetooth icon, it shows CAR M_Media is paired. If I hit the gear at the right it shows Call Audio off and Media audio off. When I get to the car and turn it on, these two slides remain off and I have to hit all sorts of things to get the phone to pair again.

island_boy_0069

I have a 2013 Subaru Legacy and have no issues with the Bluetooth pairing on my S6. Everytime I get in my car I turn on Bluetooth and it immediately pairs and when I turn the car off I switch the Bluetooth off. Have been doing this for the last 11 days with no issues.

PaxtonLamons

I think the difference here is that you are re-setting your Bluetooth radio each time you want it to pair (by turning it off/on). The other symptoms have been related to phones where the BT radio is already on and the connection to the car does not automatically happen as it should. When I turn my BT radio off and back on, it does re-connect to my car. Even when I don't, this problem does not ALWAYS happen - it's intermittent. I have also noticed a correlation between the BT radio being ON and having issues connecting to calls or having horrendous call quality (pronounced static/robotic sounds from the call). This morning, I had to reset my BT radio when making a call for this very reason.

LordofWar1835

I am definitely having the same issue getting it pared is half the battle. Once it is pared then it's trying to get the voice to work the media audio connects no problem.. Then now the issue is that it connects then disconnects over and over.. Also I do have a galaxy gear 2 neo however I had this with my s5 as well and had it (the gs5) connected to my 2014 Toyota Tundra as well as my Neo with no problems at all for almost a year . Then when I called Verizon customer service I was told after calling Samsung while I was on the phone that Samsung had been made aware of the problem but had not had enough people say anything to make them start working on a fix in the way of an update so I of course made sure that Samsung was going to lay for any damages from any accidents occurring whilst I was without my hands free calling to Which they replied with a laugh... So now basically I am stuck without hands free calling until Samsung decides that they are going to maybe...... come up with a fix/update for the 600 dollar phone I just bought a week ago that no longer has one of the main features of the phone.. Thanks Samsung for the last few years I have bought the S3 S4 should have never bought the S5 because it was supposed to have everything the 6 now does have but Samsung is greedy and has to push out another year and get as much profit as possible. and Now the S6... Defending your flagship phone/Brand to the death against the, only popular because it's trendy Apple Icrap.. and now they (Samsung) can't get off there money collecting asses to solve a major issue for there flagship phone because they don't know if enough people have the problem yet .. I can assure you that this will be my last Samsung if nothing is done somewhat quickly. Sorry for the rant.

caecilia97

Have any of you checked with your dealerships to see if there is an update to the bluetooth system in your car? If they have never been updated, they may not have the *ability* to work properly with newer phones.

aaron53875

I'm having car bluetooth problems as well. First time I syncd it worked fine, but within a few days bluetooth drops every 10-15 min, album art on screen doesn't change with song when streaming pandora, etc. And I'm in a 2015 Audi A3, so new bluetooth on the cars end. It worked great before with my S4 and with my friend's Note (4?) and iPhone. Have deleted devices from each other, stopped BT svc on my phone and cleared cache, still no luck. Pretty livid the phone won't work with a 2015 car. Thinking of trying to exchange under wty hoping I just got a headset with a faulty BT chip.

Luvapug

I have had this problem with my 2011 Hyundai Tucson. I wiped the data, the cache, and cleared my old phone off the car data... It worked for a day, and usually when I'm leaving my house, everything on the phone shows the link to the car, everything in the car shows the link to the phone but it isn't automatically connecting and half the time I can't even re-pair. So frustrated!

LordofWar1835

I had a Galaxy S5 that used the same bluetooth format and never had a problem.. Has to be the S6..

lexlord61

Wow, just got my Galaxy S6 last night and I'm having so many problems with the Bluetooth I decided to do a search on the internet. Stumbled on this site. When I do a bluetooth search it will find the Roku play in my home, but not my blue tooth speaker or my old Galaxy S3 (which has no problem finding my new S6). Can't get past step 1 of set up to connect it with my car because it will not discover the system. Grrrrrrrr......

So, I finally broke down and called tech support. After 15 minutes I was elevated to level 2 support. Forty minutes later the technician through the towel in. Going back to the Verizon store either tonight or tomorrow.

Luvapug

I found a fix!!! I installed the following and so far everything works perfectly!! In play store : app called

Bluetooth Connect and Play by Carl Parziale

Momma23dogs

IF the app works for everyone, great!

For anyone who still can't pair, or keep paired with a new phone, it may be the firmware in your car stereo. Contact your dealer about possible update.

9ladybug

having similair problem with my phone also. I believe it to be Samsungs problem as blue tooth worked just fine with my S3 and same car. Phone won't connect then disconnects as will. Music starts playing when I did not request music etc..

9ladybug

I am having similair problem with my phone also. I believe it to be Samsungs problem as blue tooth worked just fine with my S3 and same car. Phone won't connect then disconnects at will. Music starts playing when I did not request music etc.. It says my phone book is empty etc.

BUT I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER.

Momma23dogs

Your car hasn't changed. Your phone has. It's running more up to date software than the S3. Contact your dealership about an update to the software in your car.

kevlar119119

Same problem connecting to a 2014 Kia Sportage - it connects and when I go back to vehicle later, it might or might not connect. No problems before using a Motorola Droid Maxx.

nojunk

My bluetooth connection seems to drop out from the car and sometimes it will reconnect on its own. It happens at random times and I can assure you it is the S6 edge and NOT the car.

I have this problem in a 2008 BMW, a 2015 BMW and a 2015 Subaru. I did not have this problem in any of these cars with my old motorola and my family has no problem with their iPhone 6 or 5c. I think there are enough permutations there to say with certainty that the problem is in fact the S6 edge. Now what do I do?

Momma23dogs

TRY Luvapug's solution.

I found a fix!!! I installed the following and so far everything works perfectly!! In play store : app called

Bluetooth Connect and Play by Carl Parziale

OR Techilicious...

1. Determine which pairing process your device employs. The process for pairing devices can vary. Sometimes, for example, it involves tapping a code into your phone. Other times, you need to physically touch your phone to the device you want to pair it with; for example, the Sony SmartWatch 2 uses NFC (near field communication) in combination with Bluetooth for pairing. Or in the case of the Nike+ FuelBand, you only have to hold down a button on the watch to pair it with an iPhone.

If you’re not sure how to pair a device, refer to its user guide; you can usually find one by searching online.

2. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on. You should see the little Bluetooth symbol at the top of your phone’s screen. If you don’t, go into the settings to enable it.

3. Turn on discoverable mode. Let’s say you want to pair your phone with your car’s infotainment systemso you can enjoy hands-free calling, texting and navigation. First, go into your phone’s settings and tap on Bluetooth; doing so makes the phone visible to the car. Then depress the buttons on your car's infotainment system, usually on the steering wheel or center stack, to get it looking for the device.

Once it finds your phone, the car will display a numeric code you need to confirm or input on your phone. After you do so, the devices should be paired. Keep in mind your phone will only stay in discoverable mode for a few minutes; if you take too long, you’ll need to start over.

4. Power the devices off and back on. A soft reset sometimes can resolve an issue. With phones, an easy way to do this is by going into and out of airplane mode.

5. Delete a device from a phone and rediscover it. If your phone sees a device but isn’t receiving data from it, sometimes it helps to start from scratch. In iOS settings, you can remove a device by tapping on its name and then Forget this Device. In Android settings, tap on a device’s name, then Unpair. After removing a device, start at step 1 on this list.

6. Make sure the devices you want to pair are designed to connect with each other. Whether it’s a headset, speaker, mouse, keyboard, camera or something else, your device has a specific profile that spells out what it can connect with. If you’re not sure, check the user manual.

7. Download a driver. If you’re having problems pairing something with your PC, you might be lacking the correct driver. The simplest way to figure this out is to do an online search for the name of the device you’re trying to pair along with the word “driver.”  

8. Update the hardware’s firmware. Some automotive audio systems recently wouldn’t pair with the iPhone 5, for example, because the Bluetooth drivers in these systems didn’t work with Bluetooth 4.0. If you’re not sure how to get the latest firmware for your hardware, check with the device manufacturer.

9. Make sure the two devices are in close enough proximity to one another. While you wouldn’t think someone might try to pair an iPad with a keyboard if the two weren’t sitting right next to each other, it’s probably worth noting that you should make sure any devices you're trying to pair are within five feet of one other.

10. Keep in mind that not all wireless devices use Bluetooth. Alternatives include the Wireless Gigabit specification, Wireless HD, ANT+, ZigBee, NFC as well as Wi-Fi Direct. These other technologies typically won’t work with your phone, tablet or PC, Jawanda notes, without some kind of additional hardware. 

Duchesssix

I'm having similar issues. My observation is if I make one call and hang up to make another, the bluetooth loses connection and phone has to be restarted. A major pain since I'm driving and it isn't an easy task to do.

PDXPT

I am having the same connecting/disconnecting/connecting over and over with a 2015 Toyota Camry. I went to Samsung's site they claim they haven't heard of this. Since the car model and year doesn't seem to matter and they are trying to blame it on apps loaded on the phone I think everyone with this problem needs to go to Samsung's support site and chat with them about this so they can't say they haven't heard about it and get some sort of fix out for the phone. I have a headset and it doesn't do it with that so there is something going on here with the software on the phone not the Bluetooth antennae so it should be able to be fixed with a software update from Samsung.

bzf

We have the same issue. My wife had a S5 and it connected fine to her 2015 MDX. When we updated the S5 to Android 5.0 it worked fine and even allowed read back of text/emails she was very happy!

We just swapped her to the S6 which is on Android 5.0.2 and it does the same thing with disconnecting, repeatedly trying to negotiate and disabling all the functions. It does not read text/emails when they come in it says that feature is not available, and during the call the bluetooth will crash and reset and drop calls. As a test I took my Nexus on 5.1 and it also works flawlessly just like the S5.

Im going to try the Bluetooth connect app before we return the device for a refund. Its something with Android 5.0.2 on the S6 since 5.0.0 and 5.1 both work without issue

pherson

Noone seems to understand that the BT technology in cars was manufactured before the tech in the s6. Of course older phones will work. But with new software in the new phone, you can have a 2015 vehicle with older BT tech that would not be compatible. The only troubleshooting VZW is responsible for is to see if there is a connection. Other than that, the responsibility lies between Samsung and the car manufacturer. Verizon is not part of that at this point.

rusieb

I've got a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the software is completely up to date in the Jeep. I just took it to get a few flash updates a couple weeks ago at the dealer and I keep the UConnect (radio, nav, climate, apps, etc.) up to date myself. And yet I'm still having all the same problems as everyone else. Sometimes my S6 won't connect when I get in the car and I have to turn off the bluetooth, wait a second, turn it back on, then connect to the vehicle. Often times it will just randomly disconnect, while I'm on the phone or just listening to music. And it does it all the time. Sometimes within seconds it will reconnect itself without me doing anything, others, i have to follow the turning off the bluetooth, etc procedure. The most frustrating part is when i am on a call and when the bluetooth drops, it drops the call completely as well. Given that I too never had any of these issues with my S3 and I know with certainty that my vehicle's software is up to date, I'm inclined to believe like most others here that it is indeed a S6 issue. Would really like for Samsung to push an update to fix this issue.

PDXPT

I believe I may have stumbled on a solution for this, at least for phone

usage, I don't use it as a media player but Samsung had me do a hard

factory reset (that isn't fun) but I realized when mine started doing it,

skipped that and it is working fine now for over 24 hours. With the new

Android OS there is a part of the OS that is to unlock the phone in cars

connected with Bluetooth (SmartLock). It prompts you to add a trusted

device when you add a bluetooth device. I ignored it this time and

everything works I believe SmartLock and the S6 are not compatible. For

those that also "trusted the device", without resetting your phone go into

SmartLock and see if you can either delete or move the car to untrusted and

see if it works. To get into those settings go to settings-Lock Screen and

Security-SecureLock-Secure Lock Settings-Smart Lock. If you try this and

it works please reply so others can benefit from your experience.

bzf

Hi this seemed to work for me. First I removed the exchange account, and then I had to set a pin security and restart the phone, then the SecureLock option was there, I had to *add* the car to trusted devices and then was able to make a call, and it read text/emails like it is supposed to do.

I went and added nine mail instead of the default email in the S6 and took the PIN off and secure lock was missing again so I put the PIN back on and it came back. So it might not have been the exchange email account . However, I noticed previously under Device Administrators Smart Lock was disabled and Exchange Server was enabled and I couldn’t change it so maybe once you have added the device maybe you can put the Exchange settings back.

Either way this seemed to solve the issue for me.

sbwilliams

I have the same issues. I upgraded from Galaxy 3 to Galaxy 6. None of my bluetooth connections will stay connected. Getting tired of dropping calls because Verizon messed up the Bluetooth feature. This is a deal breaker for me, I might have to the IPhone. Galaxy 3 never had Bluetooth issues, now that was a great phone. Very disappointing.

Rogue5100

Removing from trusted devices has seemed to work for me. After removing I just restarted S6 and it hasn't disconnected from car. Thanks for all the leg work. Really would have hated for a VZW update that would take centuries or returned S6 for something so small but heavily used.

Lizzanna

How do you remove from trusted devices? I have looked at the previous replies that say to go to Settings, Security, Secure Lock, etc., but I don't seem to have Secure Lock there.

Aaron7

I was told that not all bluetooth devices support HD calling and I should try to turn off HD calling to see if that helps connectivity.

aaron53875

Found a solution-ish. For my car that in theory allow you to get email over

bluetooth, my Exchange app wasn't playing nice with the car. Deleted my

work email account in Exchange, grabbed the Exchange email app Nine and

added my work email using that. Now email doesn't transmit to the car

(which was an intermittent 5% working thing before), but at least bluetooth

calls, music, album art, and text messages are back to being rock solid,

which is where they were with my old phone. Since I only had a taste of

email going to my car, I can live with that. Much better than all my

bluetooth services being flaky and unreliable which was happening before.

JR-NoVa

I too am having Bluetooth problems with the S6. Audio quality and occasional connection problems with both my BMW 4 series and two Panasonic home phone systems. Connections not so much the problem as audio quality. Audio is sometimes totally unintelligible and have to use phone directly, bypassing Bluetooth audio connections...... sort of defeats the "hands-free' benefit of Bluetooth in the car, eh?

Previous RAZR-M worked flawlessly for two years ..... Have tried a solution I found on the web involving clearing cache, but have yet to verify any improvement. Heading on a road trip soon and will give it the acid test.

2powder

I have had the same issue with my S6 Edge and my 2013 Hyundai Sonata and have gotten the run around from Samsung. Was told that there was nothing Verizon could or would do because I bought the phone from Best Buy. Best Buy told me that they weren't going to do anything because I wait until the 15th day to try to return the phone. This is horrible customer service. The phone will pair and then disconnect. Then lose pairing. All of the people out there that reviewed this phone, obviously did not review either the Verizon version or did not test the bluetooth functionality because this is completely disappointing.

eddr5951

There is a partial solution circumventing Galaxy S6 Bluetooth connectivity problems: if during pairing messaging and phone log transfer are disallowed - the phone connection is stable! Obviously, messages and call log would not appear on the car navigation screen in this case, but no flapping for phone call connections!

ScottWalk

I have exactly the same issues on my 2014 Subaru Crosstrek, I am in my 3rd straight week of trying everyone's idea of what is wrong. Now I just found out today that the screen rotation in my phone does not work. I got on the phone with Samsung, they had me try a factory reset to get the Bluetooth and the screen rotation to work. No, this did not work either.

ZorlakDaPhoneHax0r

So I did find a legit fix for this, at least for Subaru owners.I also tried a variety of other fixes which I will outline below.

Actual Fix:

Step 1)

If already paired

- Delete the Subaru or CAR_M_MEDIA option from your phone as well, under the bluetooth settings.

- If not already paired skip to step 2.

Step 2)

- Pair your phone using the buttons on the steering wheel only - NOT the buttons on the head unit.

- It will then ask you to provide a name for your phone. In my case I said "S6" but you can call it whatever you want. After it repeats it back to you, confirm it.

- The system will finish the pairing process and it should now work with your S6.

Result)

Other Fixes:

Fix 1 - Workaround - Bluetooth Connect and Play (Or other similar software)

Fix 2 - Adding it to or removing it from smart lock.

Fix 3) - Firmware Update

Status: Untested

Thanks for all the comments on the problem. I hope this helps someone out there resolve the issue once and for all.

ZorlakDaPhoneHax0r

Scott, see my post about Subaru pairing. I'd be very curious to know if it works for you or not.

petecost

I'm having issues with other headsets too... I have three different bt headsets. No issue with the media but when taking calls...same issue as in the car. I play media in my car with no interruption...it's always call related.

Lizzanna

Thank you! This actually worked! I still am not getting any info on the screen when using Pandora, etc., but at least the phone is now staying paired and I don't have to turn it on each time I get in the car. Thank you very much!

ZorlakDaPhoneHax0r

Glad to hear it Lizzanna! Would you mind setting the question to answered (and my post as the answer) if possible? Thanks!!

PS, I have never had my Audible, Rdio or anything really stream the name of the music / artist properly to the screen. I can see how many minutes have played and that's it. :smileysad: If I find a fix for that though then I will post it as well.

hconstantzos

This worked for me, though I'm not sure why. I have not had a problem with my Bluetooth connection for a week on my 2015 Subaru Forester. I even turned the smart lock back on and have had no problems. Thanks ZorlakDaPhoneHax0r

Lizzanna

I'm not sure how to post the original question as answered or how to attribute it to you. If I can figure it out, I will sure do that. Thanks again!

Lizzanna

See Response #37 for the correct answer, it worked!

DavidS524

I am having the same issue with a 2014 Subaru Forester and a Galaxy S6. I was previously using a Galaxy S4 and I had the same problem. I was hoping that getting a new phone would solve it. Little did I know the S6 has the same issue. I've tried all the suggested fixes in this thread including doing the pairing with steering wheel controls only. So far nothing is a permanent fix. The connection drops vary greatly however. I can drive for 20 minutes without a drop or I might only get 20 seconds down the road. I've called around to a couple of Subaru dealerships in the area to ask about upgrading the firmware. So far the guys I have talked to in both the parts and service department have no idea what I am talking about. When I mention firmware the only response I get is "what now?". Pretty frustrating!

My next step is to try a third party Bluetooth adapter. It would mean losing the previous/next track steering wheel control buttons and the track info on the LCD screen but I want to see if it can keep a better connection.

For those that have reached out to Samsung, have they given any indication they are working on a fix for this? I may end up just switching my phone out before my initial 14 days is up if there are no promising updates regarding this.

DavidS524

I called Samsung today and went through all their troubleshooting steps with no change in the results. They pointed to my car as the problem saying that the firmware for my stereo system needed to be upgraded. It is certainly worth continuing to investigate that path but as I said in my previous post I have not gotten very far on that front. Also, as a 2014 model it doesn't make sense that it wouldn't be more compatible with the newer BT versions.

I've ordered the Kinivo BTC455 which has BT 4.0. If it works well then hopefully that will confirm the error is with my car and not the phone.

Amazon.com: Kinivo BTC455 Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit for Cars with Aux Input Jack (3.5 mm) - Supports aptX and Multi-p…

ZorlakDaPhoneHax0r

Hi David,

That sucks about your issues. From your posts, the conclusion that I would come to is the same as Samsung. It really sounds like the BT in your car is flaking out or is having general issues. Especially since your S4 was having issues, too. My bet is that the Kinivo will solve your problems, so long as the entire head-unit in your car isn't flaking out. That said, the Kinivo looks like a cool little device! :smileyhappy:

I will be curious to hear if it works for you or not, so keep this thread updated. If your head-unit really is flaking on you then it may not be as simple as a firmware upgrade - which is apparently not as simple as it should be. It could be that you need a new head-unit due to faulty hardware. It definitely happens, and if your BT has never worked right, I wouldn't rule that out.

If you keep pressing Subaru for a firmware or software update for your head-unit definitely post your results. :smileyhappy:

Some other thoughts:

- Could there be any other interface causing the BT issues? Power inverters, etc.?

- I'm sure you've tested this, but do you keep the phone out of your pocket? I know I've seen my BT cut out (though rarely) when I leave my phone in my pocket and have thicker clothes on. When I set it in the cup holder or passenger seat though it clears up.

- Does your phone work fine over AUX with an AUX cable? If so, I'm like 99.9% positive that the Kinivo will give you no issues.

- If your phone isn't working over AUX the head-unit could be the entire issue. Ask Subaru for a new one.

- Do you have any other bluetooth sound systems you can test your phone with? Do your friends? You could also verify AUX is working.

- If the answer is no to the above, you could always go down to a dealership and pair your phone with one of the cars on their lot to make sure your phone isn't the issue. Just go test drive something fun. I recently test drove a 2015 Camaro 2SS for fun - so even if your BT isn't working you can still turn it into a fun experience.

- If your head-unit IS the problem, and Subaru won't replace it, you could hit eBay for a factory replacement unit. Before doing this though I would recommend checking your phone in another 2014 Forester to ensure it's not an all-around issue.

DavidS524

So yeah, my S4 did work pretty well for awhile when I first started using it with BT last year. I remember that it would maybe cut out once every few days or so but nothing major. It just got progressively worse over time.

- I received the Kinivo device last night and it seems to be working well so far although I haven't tested it extensively. I will be doing that later this afternoon. It is probably worth noting that it is equipped with BT 4.0. I need to do some more research and find out what my car's head unit has.

- There is nothing that could cause interference in my car that I know of. Also, I do keep the phone out of my pocket, either on my lap or in the center console area.

- I tested my phone using BT with a sound bar and it played fine for a couple of hours. No issues there.

- Here is the really strange part. My S4 and my S6 do not work with the AUX port in the car. They do work for a short time but within 5 minutes it will cut out just like the BT. In my mind this should be TOTALLY separate from BT yet the problem is very similar. I would agree with your idea about the head unit being bad if it wasn't for a couple of things. When my friends plug their phone in via the same AUX cable it works great with no drops. Secondly, the Kinivo plugs into the AUX port and as I said, it seems to be working fine. As for my phone, it works fine using AUX cords plugged into other devices. It is also worth noting one of my friends has the S5.

- At this point I would love to try a new head unit but if I take it in and they are able to get a different phone to work then they will simply blame it on my phone. It is still worth a shot but I haven't had time to get in to a dealer yet.

- Finally, I did test this with various music apps. Spotify, SoundCloud, and the native Samsung with mp3's.

I wish I could be more help to the people having the same problem. For my specific problem, I've decided that there is simply a compatibility issue between my two phones and my car's head unit. Since they both work with other devices I don't think either one is broken. This doesn't explain why an S5 would work while an S4 & 6 have problems but that is pretty much the only conclusion that makes any sense to me.

In the future I will probably be buying a new head unit that includes Nav anyway. Hopefully that will solve all my problems if I haven't found a fix before then.

Mdearing49

Add me to the list. The S6 worked fine for about a week with my 2014 Honda Civic's bluetooth then started an endless cycle of connecting and disconnecting from the car's bluetooth. Stopped reading texts, too. I will likely give the phone to my young daughter since I can't afford to throw it away, but the experience has been far too expensive for me to buy another Samsung.