Bluetooth issues on my iPhone 15 Pro Max with iOS 17.0.3

Having same issue with 2016 Tesla Model S, Airpod Pro2 and My 2023 XPS Dell Desktop,

all (iphone15maxPro\Tesla\Airpods\Dell PC) have latest firmware\software....but the iphone will not connect to these device unless the bluetooth on the iphone 15max pro is cycled off and back on....then connection works for most for a period of time and then randomly drops.

Previously I had just upgraded from an iPhone XmaxPro and had no bluetooth issues......Common Apple you can fix this! Please

Installed 17.3.1 last night and haven't been able to test yet, not holding my beath.

All the same as everyone else 15 Pro Max and my Infinity 2012 QX56. Audio just drops in and out every second, sometimes displays the track info, other times nothing. Till I found this forum I was going to lose my mind. Have figured out a way at least on my QX to get it to working, might take 1 or 5 tries but it eventually works.

From the QX's head unit, I press pause and then press play. What exactly happens during the pause and play, not a clue, but it works.

Husband just got a new 15 max pro - he loses all sound on his phone - no ringers no hapticks - until we turn bluetooth of and then back on again - sound works while it is off. happens running 17.3.1 as it did on 17.3

I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max on iOS 17.3.1. I have been having horrible connection issues with Bluetooth and it’s not just with my car. Here are the list of devices that all have had connection issues:

Bose QC Earbuds

Beats Fit Pro Earbuds

Anker Sleep A10 Earbuds

Otto Car Wireless CarPlay Adapter

Alpine ilx-650 car stereo

2023 Mazda CX-30 car stereo

Ryobi Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

Larksound Speaker Bar

Alexa Echo Dot and Echo Devices

Every Bluetooth device I have linked my phone too always cuts out. Sometimes it’s after 2 minutes sometimes it’s after 20 minutes. I had the 12 Pro Max before this and used ALL of these devices with it with out any issue. Since moving to the iPhone 15 Pro Max I have had horrible connection issues. I have used most of these devices with my iPad Pro and my Apple Watch Ultra 2 with NO connection issues. There is something up with these phones and a fix needs to be found SOON.

I have the same issues since November. All BT devices cannot play or resume music form the device (for me ear pods and car). I tried with three different true wireless pods including most recent AirPods pro. Not working. I tried in four recent cars (Mercedes E-Class, newest C-Class, newest BMW 5, newest BMW X5), not working. Music cannot auto resume. Cannot be started via device (pod or car infotainment). If other audio is played, music on phone will not reilably resume either. No update helped. I am on 17.3.1 now (Iphone 15 Pro, my wife uses 15 Pro Max with same issues). 15.3.1 update made no difference. Apple Store - no help, Apple Hotline - completely useless, forum - no help. With all phones before iOS 17 it worked flawless. On iOS 17 I need to unlock the phone, open the music app, press play, press pause and press play again. Only way to start or resume music. Very dangenrous while driving, off course. And annoying too. In my view this is a lock screen issue. Apple has updated all this security features in iOS 17 and since then I cannot even start music from lock screen widget. Only in unlocked stage, app open and the plas - pause - play sequence.

Yep, agree with you.

Similarly flagging the issue on your own social media channels.

Everyone reading this chat should open a support case, reference this chat and refuse pointedly to accept that resetting the phone will resolve the issue. Likewise refuting any suggestion buying or upgrading third party hardware / software.

Problem in my reading and experience lies with iPhone/iOS backwards compatibility on Bluetooth.

update17.3.1 seems to have fixed my bluetooth connection issues with airpods pro 2 and my new dell XPS desktop... but still a big struggle on my Tesla Model S 2016, text comes in on message centre and quickly disappears when you want to reply, inbound\outbound phone calls connect sometimes via steering wheel controls other time only speaker on phone will connect, the only fix is to turn off and on bluetooth, this fixes the hands free calling....but the message centre is still useless, again message come in but when you go to reply it looks as thou it starts the reply but then the message quickly disappears before you get a chance to reply

Still having issues with my iPhone 15 pro in the car Feb 2024. It connects most of the time with the car but cannot use buttons in steering wheel yet works fine with my iPhone XS so it’s not the car.

Update: After turning off the Wi-Fi for a two of days, it worked perfectly, but then it started again with the same issue. Now I'll try resetting the network settings and see how it goes... If the issue persists, I'll contact support to know how to proceed, since they suggested trying the Wi-Fi deactivation test and then resetting the network settings.

Updated to 17.3.1 recently and was having issues with the bluetooth in my car (2016 Ford Fiesta - iPhone 15 Pro Max). Deleted both from each other and now it won’t even discover the car over Bluetooth.

Tried with my girlfriend’s phone (15 Pro Max but not on 17.3.1) and it connected straight away, so as most assume it seems to be a software issue.

I have exactly the same issue with my iPhone 15 Pro Max. Connectivity to my 2014 BMW 3-series (F30) with CIC-based iDrive system disconnects constantly. Purchased the iPhone on release day, and the problem has persisted through every version of iOS (currently at 17.3.1).

Problem doesn't exist on my old iPhone 12 Pro Max (also on iOS17.3.1). I have a case registered with Apple about this issue (Case ID 102101835139) and have had a support call from Apple where the technician remotely controlled my phone and ran a lot of tests but still no solution.

I have visited the Apple Store multiple times to talk with a genius and they want me to wipe my device and set up a clean profile and try again, but I require my device for work and have an MDM profile installed that will require a lot of work to remove, so I'm reluctant to do that only to discover by this thread that it won't fix it anyway. If I do wipe my device and it's still problematic, the Apple Store have offered me a replacement device - which won't fix the issue anyway (according to this thread).

I guess I'll just have to wait for Apple to fix it, or for the iPhone 16... whichever comes sooner.

Been following this thread for a while now. Initially found this forum after noticing that my 2012 Infinity QX56 and my launch date, iPhone 15 Pro Max was just unusable. Over these many months, I've been able to test this on the following Year/Make/Model vehicle's:

2012 Infinity QX56

2019 Honda Pilot Touring

2015 Honda Accord EX-L

2024 Kia Seltos EX

2018 Honda Civic Touring

From my small sample size of automobiles, this would appear to be related to the year of manufacture?

The only 2 I have problems with, are the 2012 Infinity and the 2015 Accord. Both exhibit Bluetooth connection and playback issues. No problems with later models.

I am and Electrical Engineer and RF is my specialty, but have zero (okay, not zero) knowledge of Bluetooth. That's about to change. There is a reason for what we're all experiencing and I'm going to find it.

Probably going to get pretty technical, so I'll start a new thread. I'll post a link, when I do.

@michalski17

PM me those 2 VIN's, of your late model Toyota and Chevy, if that's even possible on this site? Let's see who made those head-units. If not, see if you can figure it out for me. We're going to find something in common, without question.

Thanks for the post @TheBelcherMan, look forward to hearing more.

I'm also an Electrical Engineer with a background in telecoms/defence, but did spend some time working on RF and more recently IoT devices, which require BT connectivity. So know something, but not a lot.

From my experience, and what I've read here and online, I suspect a backwards compatibility issue at initial connection to older bluetooth chipsets (e.g designed to run BT specs 2 to 4) such as those found in older cars and most likely recent consumer electronic devices (older chips are probably abundant in supply chains and cheap to procure). I haven't yet managed to find a tear down comparing the BT/WiFi chipsets in the 15Pro/ProMax with older models i.e. XR through 14 Pro Max but the specifications across the 15 range does say BT Core Spec 5.3 which should be backward compatible.

In my use case, more often or not my iPhone15Pro gets kicked out in my 2013 Audi AMI at or around 40 seconds which correlates back to a specific timing point in the Bluetooth Core Specifications re loss of connections. I have no issues in a 2015 Mini or a 2018 VW Polo.

What I can't reconcile is why, after reconnection, the bluetooth connection remains stable. Its almost like the phone recognises that there is a compatibility issue and reverts to an older protocol. I can invoke the connection failure by asking siri a question, thereafter fully able to make calls.

Final point from me, it would appear to affect more devices that would use a lower data rate e.g. handsfree rather than streaming data rates e.g. A2DP. Which makes me wonder if the newer phones are trying to invoke data streaming protocols via bluetooth (i.e. CarPlay) only to default to low data rate BT on failure - ref back to previous paragraph.

Speaking of Mini Cooper's, I've not tested it on my R52. Long replaced that head-unit, but I still have it. I'll get it on the bench and see how it behaves. Be the perfect test environment, if it give me problems.

I'll start a new thread. We need a place of our own to work this out.