How To Modernize Your Car With Bluetooth
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Bluetooth does nothing new. Even before the technology was introduced, you could make hands-free calls to Mum and stream Mobb Deeps The Infamous through your car stereo. Bluetooths crowning achievement is that it allows drivers to do these things without the messy annoyance known as wires.
We despise cluttered car cabins, and wires have become one of the major culprits for quickly mucking up center consoles. If one of your 2021 resolutions is to keep a cleaner car or to simply upgrade it, its time for you to add Bluetooth to your cabin.
There are good and bad ways to do this, just as there are pricier options and cheap options. Below, The Drives plugged-in editors untangle the wires and clearly lay out how to proceed without too much hassle. Time to get to it.
Search For Your Phone Or Set The Car System To Discoverable
This step is where you’ll need to know where the “set to discoverable” and “search for devices” options are on your phone. Depending on your audio or infotainment system’s setup, either your car searches for your cellphone or vice versa. In either case, both devices must be ready to search or be found within the same window of two minutes or so.
In this case, navigate to “Bluetooth” in the phone settings menu on the infotainment system to get started. Your infotainment system or Bluetooth car stereo may be slightly different in the particulars, but the basic idea should be the same.
Q So How Do I Know If My Car Has Bluetooth
A. There are a few ways to identify if your car has Bluetooth.
- Scroll through the stereo options, if possible.
- Use the Bluetooth search function on your phone to look for your car.
- You can perform a visual inspection of the dashboard, as many cars print the Bluetooth logo on the plastic.
- Check your owners manual.
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How To Connect A Phone Directly To Car Speakers/car Stereos
You can use the following ways to connect the phone directly to car speakers/car stereo.
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Connect the phone to the car stereo using Bluetooth.
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If you cannot connect it via Bluetooth, you can use the USB Port on the car audio unit and the charging cable of your mobile.
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You can also connect your phone directly to car speakers/car stereos using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.
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You can use any hands-free device or FM transmitter if your car audio does not support Bluetooth or USB.
How To Add Bluetooth To An Old Car
If you want to listen to your own tunes while driving, here are four ways to add Bluetooth to any car.
Bluetooth is now a standard feature in practically every modern car. Like with Bluetooth headphones, a Bluetooth-enabled car lets you stream your own tunes or favorite podcasts on your daily commute without the hassle of CDs or the monthly cost of internet radio.
If you’re driving an older car, however, you might not have the luxury of streaming over Bluetooth. The upshot is that the price of Bluetooth technology has come down and adding it to any car is affordable and painless.
Here are the most common ways to add Bluetooth to your daily driver.
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Connecting A Paired Device
Its easy to connect a paired device to your Kia – but you can connect with just one device at a time.
1) From the control panel, press the button, then select Phone settings > Paired devices. If there is no connected device, you can also press the Call/Answer button on the steering wheel for a quick start.
2) Turn the knob to select the device of your choice, then press the knob to connect.
*If another device is already connected, disconnect first by clicking on the connected device.
Forget Your Car As A Bluetooth Device
Just like any other Bluetooth device, such wireless headphones or speakers, your iPhone saves data on how to pair with your car the first time your connect it to your iPhone. If at any point that pairing process changes, your iPhone may not be able to make a clean connection to your car.
To fix this potential problem, well forget your car in the Settings app. So, the next time you attempt to pair your iPhone with your car, itll be as if the devices are connecting for the first time.
To forget your car as a Bluetooth device, open Settings and tap Bluetooth. Look for your car in the list under My Devices and tap the information button to its right. Then, tap Forget This Device to forget your car on your iPhone.
Next, reconnect your iPhone and your car by tapping on the name of your car under the list of Other Devices. Complete the setup process to pair your iPhone to your car.
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Use Smartthings With Android Auto
With Android Auto, you can now access the SmartThings app from your car! Just make sure you have the SmartThings appinstalled on your phone so you can control your smart devices with a few taps.
When youre using Android Auto, the SmartThings app will appear on your cars dashboard. With this feature, you wont need to look at your phone to switch on your robot vacuum, start a load of laundry, or turn on the kitchen lights while youre on the road. Just tap the SmartThings icon on your dashboard to open the app. Your chores can be done from the safety and comfort of your car before you even walk in the door.
Connect Your Iphone To Your Car Using A Lightning Cable
If you can connect your iPhone to your car via Bluetooth, most of the time you can also connect them using a Lightning cable . Though its frustrating that Bluetooth wont work, you can usually get all of the same functionality from a wired connection. If your car has Apple CarPlay, you wont lose any app integration by connecting your device to your car with a Lightning cable rather than connecting your iPhone to car Bluetooth.
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Using The Infotainment Touchscreen
Dont Forget About Usb Cable Adapters
One of the reasons that people are turning to Bluetooth for car connections is the rapid death of the smartphone headphone jack. Your car or car radio probably has an auxiliary jack, but your new phone likely wont.
The good news is that you can get that functionality back by using a USB to 3.5mm jack converter.
They usually arent that expensive either, but there is one important caveat. Some phones dont have a DAC or digital to analogue converter built in for use with their USB port. So youll need to buy an adapter that has a DAC built in. These are pricier, so do some Googling to determine if your phone needs a DAC-enabled converter or not.
This is by far the cheaper, more reliable solution compared to Bluetooth. Although, it is less elegant and comes with all the hassle of working with cables.
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Tack On A Bluetooth Speakerphone
If youre only interested mostly in making and receiving calls while on the road, you may not need something quite as versatile as the Kinivo, which is where a Bluetooth speakerphone unit can be a good solution. They run on battery power and come with their own built-in microphone and speakers, so theyre completely independent and they dont need to rely on your stereo at all.
Something like the Jabra Freeway would be a great option, and it can easily be mounted on your cars visor. Plus, it can last up to 40 days in standby mode and give you 14 hours of talk time before it needs recharging.
It can play music from your phone, but the units built-in speakers probably arent the best if youre expecting exceptional audio quality.
Pairing Devices With Your Kia
For Bluetooth connections, youve got to first pair device with your Kia by adding it to the systems list of Bluetooth devices. You can register up to five devices. Heres how.
1) From the control panel, press the button, then select Phone settings > Add new device. Alternatively, you can also press the Call/Answer button on your steering wheel.
2) Activate Bluetooth on the device you want to connect. Search for your vehicles system and then select it.
3) Enter or confirm the password to complete connection.
* If the passkey input pop-up appears on your device, enter the password 0000 which should also appear on your system screen.
* If a 6-digit password appears on your device, make sure it is the same as the password on your system screen and confirm connection from the device.
Bluetooth is supposedly cross-compatible, but there are cases when compatibility could be a problem. For instance, devices using Bluetooth Smart can only be paired with Bluetooth Smart-compatible devices.
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Use A Bluetooth Radio Transmitter
If you cant find speakers that will clip to your visor, you could usea Bluetooth radio transmitter to connect your phone to your speakers. Thismeans that if someone calls, you could hear them speak over your carspeakersalthough responding might be less clear.
Learn more about this method and where to buy the best Bluetooth radiotransmitters here.
How Do I Set Up Hands Free Calling In The Car
Does your car have Bluetooth? If so, you should be able to connect your cell to the car and listen to the calls you receive through the speakers. If not, consider buying a hands free device for your car.
Weve also all seen the Bluetooth headsets in movies, on TV, and even on our friends. They might not always seem stylishalthough theyve definitely improved over the years. Plus, theyre really useful. But you can also buy dedicated tech that can even give you a hands free option for older cars.
There are many reasons you might want to use hands free Bluetooth for a cell phonein your car. If you take calls while driving, its safer than using your phone.Or, you might want to have the option to ring your family or friends as youhead home.
But what happens if your car doesnt havehands free calling capabilities? Or, are you looking for the best headphones touse in the car? TaoTronics looks to answer both these questions in this blog.
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How Do I Connect An Iphone To Car Bluetooth
First, make sure your iPhone has Bluetooth turned on by going to the Settings app and tapping Bluetooth. Then, make sure the switch next to Bluetooth is green with the slider positioned to the right, which indicates that Bluetooth is on.
Youll also need to pair your iPhone with your car by opening the Settings app and tapping Bluetooth. Look for the name of your car under Other Devices, then tap on it to pair it with your iPhone.
After your iPhone pairs with your car, it will appear under My Devices. Youll know your iPhone is connected to your car when it says Connected next to the name of your car.
Bluetooth Is Dropping Calls Disconnecting Or Transferring Back To My Phone
If Bluetooth disconnects, the call in the vehicle may transfer back to the phone in the following situations: If your engine is off, your vehicle may time out of accessory mode to save the battery If your wireless signal is not strong enough. If the problem continues when youre no longer in accessory mode or when you have a strong signal, you may need to try deleting your phone from the paired devices list on your vehicle touchscreen and then pairing it again
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What Are The Benefits Of Having A Bluetooth Car Stereo
Here, I will enlist some of the major benefits of having a Bluetooth car Stereo. Even if you dont have a Bluetooth car stereo, you can always the Bluetooth technology with the methods that I have just shared above.
Some of the benefits of having a Bluetooth technology in your car:
- With the latest technology, you will simply love Bluetooth features, with no more wires and adding mp4, etc.
- Hands-free calling. This will help to avoid accidents as drivers get indulge with the phone and this can cause a fatal accident.
- Get all the information of calls at your display.
- Play your favorite tracks from your mobile.
- No more DVD s for songs.
- Live stream using mobile internet.
- Dial a call directly from the stereo screen and even receive all calls.
Check Infotainment Or Audio System Phone Settings
Some vehicles have a button that you can press to start the pairing process, and other vehicles allow you to say a voice command, such as “pair Bluetooth.” Other vehicles are complicated in that you must look through the infotainment system. In this case, the next step is to navigate to the telephone settings in the infotainment system menu.
If you can’t find a “pair Bluetooth” button, and your car doesn’t support voice commands, read the owner’s manual to find out how to get your infotainment system or car stereo to pair with your phone.
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Necessary Features Of Best Car Kit Bluetooth Hands
There are a number of features to look out forin a Bluetooth car kit.The first? That it can actually workwith your car. Yep. Sounds simple! But make sure that the device has theright kind of connection to work when its in your car, or else youll bewasting your money.
You should also make sure it has a built-in mic and an easy, one-click way to answer and put downphone calls. If it doesnt, whats the point? You need to be able to turnon your Bluetooth before you start driving then not touch your phone for yourwhole journey.
Finally, you should make sure that it is easy to clip to your visor, air vent, or stick to your dash. This is the easiest way to reach your device and will stop you from reaching for your cell.
How To Install Bluetooth Adapter In Your Current Car
Car audio system is crucial for any passenger and essential to aware of the live news. It can also be taken as a device to enjoy the desired listening. If you want to make direct calls without using hands-free and play any stuff at your car audio system, you need a Bluetooth adapter to provide access to desired calls and other listenable stuff. The benefit of Bluetooth adapter is that there is no need for wires and the output quality is still enjoyable and top rated. So, it can be understood that Bluetooth adapter connectivity option gives us comfort and you can easily listen and change any listening stuff using the Bluetooth access function. Today we will show you how to install Bluetooth adapter in your car and pair it with your car audio system.
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How Do I Set Up Bluetooth In A 2011 Chevy Equinox
I just purchased a used 2011 Chevy Equinox from a private seller, and it did not come with the original ownerâs manualâwhich I thought was fine until I realized I donât know how to set up the Bluetooth. What is the Bluetooth setup in the 2011 Equinox?
make sure your smartphoneâs Bluetooth capabilities are on
- Turn on the vehicleâs entertainment console
- Press the configuration button on the console
- Using the menu selection wheel, scroll to and select the phone settings option
- Select âBluetoothâ from the list
- Select âPair Device â from the list
- Check your phoneâs list of Bluetooth options for âYour Vehicleâ and select that option
- Enter the passcode shown on the vehicleâs entertainment console into your phone when prompted
Sound Routing Application Or Hands
Some of the old car models have the feature of Bluetooth calling but do not allow you to play music. You can work around this hurdle by installing a sound routing application or hands-free application on your phone. You can follow the below steps to execute this method.
Step 1: Pair your phone with the car and make a call to check the connection.
Step 2: Download and install a sound routing application that you want to use to play music.
Step 3: Open the app from which you want to play music.
The sound quality in this method will be mono and not stereo.
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