How to stop iPhone from switching Bluetooth devices

the only solution I could set up was an automation that turns on when it connects to the car and then immediately disconnects and reconnects to my pods:

Step 1: Open the Shortcuts App

1. Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone.
2. Go to the Automation tab at the bottom.

Step 2: Create a New Automation

1. Tap the + icon in the top-right corner.

Step 3: Set Bluetooth Connection as Trigger

1. Scroll down and choose Bluetooth.
2. Select your car’s Bluetooth device from the list.
3. Tap Next.

Step 4: Add Actions

1. Tap Add Action.
2. Search for and select Set Playback Destination.
3. Choose your Headphones as the playback device.
4. Tap Next.

Step 5: Disable Ask Before Running

1. Toggle off Ask Before Running to make the automation run automatically.
2. Tap Done to save the automation.

I'm curious to know if this happens when you are moving about? If yes, do you have Tap to Wake turned on? Having Tap to Wake turned on when a phone is in a pants pocket, can cause unintentional taps to the screen, which could be causing this.

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Turn off Tap or Swipe to Wake, then see if this eliminates this issue for you. I always recommend to people who carry their phone in a pocket to turn this off. It will require you to tap the side power button when you want to wake your screen going forward.

Have you tried turning off the BT device you're not actively using?

Hey there honeybadgersrock,

It sounds like the device is automatically connecting since it was previously paired to your iPhone. Depending on the speaker you're using, you might be able to reach out to the manufacturer to check for auto-connect options and disabling them. If there are no auto-connect options to disable on the speaker, you'll want to disconnect the device manually on your iPhone in Settings > Bluetooth > tap the 'i' next to the Bluetooth name, then Disconnect.

For help with unpairing or disconnecting: Pair a third-party Bluetooth accessory with your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

Take care!

MissKittieMo wrote:

Okay but for a lot of us, you guys (Apple) ARE the manufacturer. So what do we do when? We don't want to have to keep disconnecting & connecting devices.

Us Guys are ALL users like you here on this user to user only forum. No one from Apple is here, nor does Apple read these posts for user feedback. We are NOT the manufacturer at all.

The simple solution was mentioned above. If your iPhone is auto switching to another device, which you don't want it to switch to, there is no reason to leave the other device powered on and within range of your iPhone. That's a pretty simple solution.

matthew-c wrote:

If your iPhone is auto switching to another device, which you don't want it to switch to, there is no reason to leave the other device powered on and within range of your iPhone. That's a pretty simple solution.

Right, because if I don't want my phone auto switching to my car it absolutely makes sense to just... umm... turn off my car. What an easy solution. /s 🤦‍♂️🙄

When I have a call going on my noise-isolating headset and need to leave the house, the last thing I want is for it to transfer to the lower quality car microphone that picks up all the background noise. The person on the other end of the call always notices. It's disruptive. If I want to listen to music on the car speaker system later I can choose to connect to that at that time. Apple choosing which device to use for me, and not allowing me any way to override that, is asinine and a fundamental failure of UX design. I shouldn't have to unpair my car every time I park just to be able to get in the car next time, start driving, and keep my call going without interruption.

It may not work the way you want it to work, but is is working as Apple intended it to work. When you get in your car, I'm assuming you have Wireless CarPlay, so it's doing as it was designed.

You are free to tell Apple you think they failed by providing feedback here --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

From my perspective, I'm very happy it was designed to do that.

n2666s wrote:

Need Bluetooth on ALWAYS!; am not playing games it can be life or death and have surgeons; trauma center; anesthesia when am up to my elbows......,I need and other caregivers NEED THE IDIOTIC I PHONE OPTION TOTALLY TURNED OFF!! And cannot use iPhone earbuds or earbuds of any kind because of the possibility they might fall into patients open wounds.......self explanatory

I didn't suggest you turn off Bluetooth. I suggested that you turn off the devices you don't want the phone to connect to... self-explanatory.

Avery Hamilton wrote:

Completely agree that this is one of the most annoying issues and should be VERY easy to fix! I am on a work call and my wife just started her car and my phone switched to the bluetooth in her car. It is actually laughable that you cannot select for each bluetooth device which ones that you want to auto-connect and which ones you want to enable manually. I shouldn't have to "Forget This Device" each time I am done using it for a period of time.

Tell Apple your concerns:

Product Feedback - Apple

This is no an issue with “other manufacturers bluetooth” Its an Apple issue that Apple refuses to address.. Everyone these days has multiple Bluetooth devices in their Bluetooth menu. Anytime YOUR phone sees another device either turn on, or just come in its range, it switches devices..You. Constantly are adding new features. Some cool, and some useless. When your customers are pointing out an annoying issue to them, why do you choose to pass the buck instead of addressing it?

add a switch you can swipe on that disables this “switch to whatever new device is nearby “mode.

instead of, you tell your customers to delete all the other devices you dont want it to switch to ( Not an option)

The reply by the ‘specialist’ is useless, and embarrassing for Apple. There are tons of questions like this, and what customers WANT is for an option to turn off autoconnect. You should do what customers want. If you cannot answer the specific question, say so, then take ownership of the problem until it is fixed. Otherwise there is no point to you.

Am first responder and need to PERMANENTLY DISABLE the auto switch to iPhone need to be able to have my HANDS FREE when dealing with trauma patients need to turn that auto connect to iPhone off dealing with this issue leave it connected to Bluetooth or speaker all am seeing from iPhone support need to be able to talk to other responders when am up to my elbows in serious trauma and it is not a proximity issue as iPhone is in my pocket!!!

[Edited by Moderator]

Responding to Lobsterghost1; Have done the tap to wake turned off and it still wants to switch to iPhone audio not even speaker and it is a random issue am first responder and need the iPhone permanently in Bluetooth or less efficiently; speaker !

Yup similar issues I’m facing where the earbuds audio gets switched to my smart watch audio. No option to deselect smartwatch audio. Kept it in others as device type for smartwatch and ear buds as headphone. Still the same issue. No solution till date

Need Bluetooth on ALWAYS!; am not playing games it can be life or death and have surgeons; trauma center; anesthesia when am up to my elbows......,I need and other caregivers NEED THE IDIOTIC I PHONE OPTION TOTALLY TURNED OFF!! And cannot use iPhone earbuds or earbuds of any kind because of the possibility they might fall into patients open wounds.......self explanatory

Cant believe you have not fixed this issue yet!!?

I still have to delete, not only disconnect, but delete my Bluetooth speaker in my Living room for avoiding my Goodnight podcast going to blast out my speaker 2 am in the Living room..

Fix the option for autoconnect to different devices please..