iPhone 7 problem with Honda CRV Bluetooth

I paired up my new iPhone 7+ with my 2013 Honda CRV Bluetooth hands free system and everything seemed to work but some incoming calls, I get no audio and they cannot hear me. The car picks up the call from the iPhone, but that is where it stalls. I think I got past the problem the last time it happened by pressing the [Transfer] button on the Honda screen a couple times but I should not need to do that.


My first thought is to completely remove the Bluetooth pairing from both the car and the phone and start over. Does that sound right?

iPhone 7 Plus, iOS 10.1, 2013 Honda CRV

Posted on Oct 27, 2016 5:22 AM

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32 replies

Aug 3, 2017 9:38 AM in response to Scifiwriter

Obviously this is too late for your particular problem but I hope this helps others still struggling with this. I was completely baffled by this problem (2015 Honda Odyssey not connecting to bluetooth after updating iphone 6 to 10.3.3 and also with a new iphone 7). Finally I downloaded the FREE app from the app store: "Hondalink" (not to be confused with Hondalink NAV). Once I did this, the phone could connect and I was again safe to talk and drive! Hope this helps others.


https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hondalink-connect/id750465030?mt=8

Jan 17, 2017 10:31 AM in response to DDMMCC

I am having the same problem with my iPhone 6 and Honda CR-V 2014. It's a pain in the bum. I have to cancel the call on the steering wheel then call them back, very inconvenient. I take delivery of a brand new CR-V next week so hopefully this might be sorted. I will update next week.


PS

What's the point of this forum apple if you are doing nothing?

Jan 17, 2017 12:05 PM in response to Tedmadge

Normally people ask questions about fixable problems. Unfortunately, those of us in this post are working on a problem that Apple has been unable to help us with. No amount of rebooting of either the phone or the car software helps. You can't spin a dead cat over your left shoulder while hopping up and down and invoke evil spirits to fix this problem. It would take a real Apple software engineer to actually set it up and actually spend some time working on it to fix the problem.


The point of this forum is to bury the problem so deep that that we can ignore it and hope that the next software update fixes it. Everyone at Apple told me to wait for the next software update to see if that fixed it. That was with iOS10.0.0.


I am looking at new cars myself. Nothing to do with this problem. I just don't like driving older cars. Mine just cost me a new battery and rear brakes. I should have traded it in by now. I will trade it in before the next issue.

Mar 8, 2017 6:21 AM in response to Lindsay_B.

I'm having this same exact issue. Very disappointed with Apple at this point. Have all four iphone 7 with business but ready to give them all up, as this creates an unsafe communication for workers while traveling. If I look at phone while call is coming in, I can toggle to speaker then back to handsfree and it works just fine. But that is NOT a fix. This did not happen with previous iphones, only the latest 7. Needs a proper solution from Apple. But the most troubling thing is the fact that Apple has this issue marked solved when clearly it is not for many people. Questioning your customer service and priorities as well. Need fix asap.

Apr 11, 2017 5:08 PM in response to Scifiwriter

The thing is, the issue is on Honda's end, not Apple's.


Apple isn't responsible for making sure their iOS updates are compatible with every single car model out there--it's up to the car manufacturer to keep their system compatible with the iOS software. Same if you were using an Android or Windows phone.


Have you spoken to Honda to confirm if your currently installed iOS software is compatible with the firmware version installed in your car, and/or if they have a planned update?

Apr 11, 2017 6:53 PM in response to Wolfman 416

I'm happy for you. 99 times out of 100, though, that is not the case. So blaming Apple outright for not keeping their iOS compatible with every single vehicle on the market in the entire world is sort of ridiculous, that's all I'm trying to say. In this ONE instance, an iOS update helped. That's not going to be the case all, or even most, of the time.

Apr 20, 2017 6:36 PM in response to PixelWings

My Update:

I kept reading the replies here and found something to try so here's what I did that worked:


On my iPhone 7 I did what others recommended: Go to Settings>General>Accessibility>Call Audio Routing ... then change the setting from Automatic to "Bluetooth Headset"


Next I followed what the Honda CRV manual for 2015 says to do for pairing the phone which is as follows:


To use hands-free phone and streaming audio functions, you must first pair your phone to the system. This can only be done when the vehicle is stopped. Use the touchscreen to make and enter selections.

1. From the Home screen, select Settings.

2. Select Phone.

3. Select Bluetooth Device List

4. Select Add Bluetooth Device.

5. Make sure your phone is in discovery mode. Select OK.

6. HFL searches for your phone. Select your phone when it appears on the list.

If your phone does not appear:

Select "Phone Not Found" and search for HandsFreeLink from your phone. Connect to HFL.

7. HFL gives you a six-digit code. Compare it to the code that appears on your phone. Connect to HFL from your phone.

8. The system asks if you want to enable options: HondaLink Assist: Select On to enable emergency collision notification. Phone Synchronization: Select On to automatically import contacts and call history from your phone.

9. Press BACK to exit the menu.


The system could not find my iPhone, so I selected the "Phone Not Found" option and searched for HandsFreeLink on my phone and followed the remaining steps. My iPhone 7Plus is now connected and working normally. One thing, I did have to hit the "Transfer" link on the car touch screen for the first call I made. Not sure if that will be necessary again, but the important thing is everything is working now.


Hope this helps those who are still having problems.

Oct 28, 2016 3:58 AM in response to Scifiwriter

Hey there, Scifiwriter!


Thanks for reaching out via the Apple Support Communities. From your post, I understand that you're having some trouble with the Bluetooth connection between your new iPhone 7 Plus and your Honda CR-V. I know how convenient using Bluetooth in the car can be, and I would be happy to help!


First, check with your CR-V user manual, or reach out to Honda directly, to verify your iPhone 7 Plus and its currently installed iOS version are fully compatible with your specific stereo system, and to get expected usage behavior. If you still need some help after that, check the following article, which gives some troubleshooting steps related to using your iPhone with a car stereo.

Get help connecting your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with your car stereo


The steps under "If you're using Bluetooth" detail the following:

If you're using Bluetooth

  1. Check your car stereo's user manual for how to pair with a Bluetooth device.
  2. On your iOS device, swipe up to open Control Center, then tapUser uploaded filetwice to turn Bluetooth off and back on.
  3. Restart your iOS device.
  4. On your iOS device, unpair your car stereo. On your car's display, unpair your iOS device and any other devices. Restart your car and your iOS device, then pair and connect again.
  5. Update your iOS device.
  6. Install any firmware updates for your car stereo.
  7. If you still can't connect, contact Apple Support.



For step 6, firmware updates would be provided by Honda, or by the manufacturer of the stereo system (if it is not Honda).


Have a great day!

Nov 5, 2016 1:54 PM in response to Scifiwriter

Please uncheck the SOLVED button. It did not work. Oh, my expensive iPhone does connect perfectly fine to the car but that is where 'worked' stops. When I receive an incoming call, the car announces the call. Then it sets the call screen as it always did when I owned a cheap crappy flip phone. On the car, it looks like everything is working but I get no audio and the other party cannot hear me. Folks, that is not good. My phone was upgraded twice since my original post it is now at iOS 10.1.1. The problem only got worse. If I press the [Transfer] button on the car screen, then I can barely hear the calling party on my phone. I press the [Transfer] again and now I get the correct audio in both directions. That is not hands-free. Oh, this gets worse. Sometimes, if I make an outgoing call, the audio does not work for some seconds. I just had one person tell me that she said hello three times. I only heard the last one.

Okay, so I looked at the phone when someone called. Three bars were lit. The top one said 'Hands-Free Bluetooth device' and it was checked. However, I cannot find any such menu anywhere on the phone unless someone calls me and I am in the car with the Bluetooth connected.

Not good. Someone seems to have lost the concept of hands-free here and now I am hearing similar complaints from other iPhone 6s and 7 users in the family so this is a lot bigger issue than just re-pair the Bluetooth devices. Heck, I have already done that 3 times and it doesn't work.

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iPhone 7 problem with Honda CRV Bluetooth

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