Why isn’t my music playing through Bluetooth in my car?

Check That Bluetooth Is On

One common reason music may not play over Bluetooth in your car is because Bluetooth is turned off on your phone or car stereo. Check that Bluetooth is enabled on both devices by:

• On your phone, open Settings and ensure the Bluetooth toggle is switched ON
• On your car stereo or display, go to the Bluetooth or Connection settings menu and check that Bluetooth is enabled

Additionally, make sure your phone and car stereo are still paired. Go into the Bluetooth settings and look for your car under “Paired Devices” or “Previously Connected”. If it is not paired, go through the pairing process again:

1. On your phone, open Bluetooth settings and select your car’s name to pair
2. On your car stereo, enter pairing mode from the Bluetooth menu
3. Confirm pairing on both devices when prompted

With Bluetooth enabled and your phone connected to your car, music streaming over Bluetooth should work. If you continue having issues, move on to the next troubleshooting steps.

Update Phone and Car Software

Software updates can often resolve Bluetooth connectivity issues by patching bugs and improving compatibility. Updating your phone’s operating system and your car stereo’s firmware to the latest versions can help fix problems with music not playing over Bluetooth.

On your phone, open the Settings app and check for any available system updates. Install the latest OS update and then restart your device. Automakers also periodically release updates for vehicles to enhance features and fix issues. Check your owner’s manual to see if a firmware update is available for your car’s infotainment system. For example, Pioneer provides instructions for updating stereo firmware via SD card.

After updating both devices, try reconnecting your phone’s Bluetooth to your car stereo. This can often resolve intermittent problems with music playback over Bluetooth.

Check That Media Audio Is Enabled

Bluetooth has separate settings for calling and media audio streaming. Even if calling works via Bluetooth, problems can still occur with playing music and other media. Phone audio works even when the Media Audio setting is disabled, but music and media streaming will not work.

As such, it’s important to make sure the Media Audio option is enabled for both the phone and the car stereo. The setting to enable Media Audio streaming via Bluetooth can typically be found in the Connections or Bluetooth menu of your phone. For the car, check the Bluetooth options in the settings menu of your stereo to ensure Media Audio streaming is allowed.

If Media Audio is disabled on either side, that could prevent music and media streaming to the car, even if calling still works. Double check the Bluetooth settings on both devices and enable Media Audio to resolve the issue.

Restart Phone and Car Stereo

A full reboot can help fix software issues preventing your device from connecting properly over Bluetooth. First, turn off your phone completely and wait 30 seconds before powering it back on. Once your phone has fully restarted, check if Bluetooth audio is working in your car.

If you still have issues, turn off your car stereo system or vehicle entirely for a minute. This resets the car stereo, clearing out any software glitches. Turn the car and stereo system back on, reconnect your phone via Bluetooth, and check if music playback is restored.

If restarting the phone, car, and stereo system does not resolve your Bluetooth music issues, there may be a deeper hardware or compatibility problem. Continue troubleshooting by trying other fixes before concluding the devices are not compatible.

Check Playback App Permissions

In order for a media app to play audio over Bluetooth, it needs the proper permissions enabled. The app you are trying to play music from might not have been granted access to use Bluetooth for media playback on your device. You’ll need to enable these permissions in the app’s settings.

On Android, the exact permissions an app needs to play media over Bluetooth can vary depending on OS version and device manufacturer. But typically the app settings page will have options related to Bluetooth, media, files and storage access that need to be enabled [1]. For example, some recent versions of Android require “Files and Media” access to use Bluetooth. You may also need to enable other permissions like location or background activity access.

In iOS, most media apps do not need special Bluetooth permissions to stream audio via A2DP. But some apps may use Bluetooth features in a way that requires enabling broader Bluetooth permissions in Settings > Privacy > Bluetooth [2]. So check in the app’s settings, under permissions or Bluetooth access, to confirm it’s enabled.

Granting proper permissions should solve issues with an app failing to play music over Bluetooth. If issues persist there may be another connectivity issue at play.

Disconnect and Re-Pair Devices

Removing and re-pairing the Bluetooth devices can resolve connectivity issues. Devices often save connection information, and unknown errors can occur that resetting the pairing addresses.

To re-pair your devices:

1. Go to your phone’s Bluetooth settings and “Unpair” or “Forget” your car’s stereo.
2. Go to your car stereo’s Bluetooth settings and remove or delete the phone from its paired device list.
3. Turn off the Bluetooth on both devices.
4. Restart your phone as well as your car stereo system.
5. Turn Bluetooth on for your phone and ensure it is set to be discoverable.
6. On your car stereo, go to the Bluetooth settings and select “Add” or “Connect” device. It should discover your phone.
7. Confirm the pairing process on both devices.

This reconnects and re-establishes the Bluetooth communication from scratch. By clearing out and renewing the connection, it often resolves issues that can build up over time. This is a common fix used in the MobileCheck app for Bluetooth issues.

Reset Network Settings

If Bluetooth connectivity issues persist, one troubleshooting step is to reset the network settings on your iPhone. Resetting network settings will reset connectivity configurations for both Bluetooth and WiFi connections on the device (source).

To reset network settings on an iPhone running iOS 15 or later:

1. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone
2. Tap Reset
3. Tap Reset Network Settings
4. Enter your passcode if prompted
5. Tap Reset Network Settings again to confirm

Resetting network settings will delete all existing WiFi networks and passwords, Bluetooth pairings, and cellular settings. So you will need to reconnect and reconfigure the device after resetting. But this process may resolve stubborn Bluetooth issues (source).

Try Another Cable

A faulty auxiliary cable is a common culprit of problems with music playing over Bluetooth. This 3.5mm auxiliary cable connects your smartphone to your car stereo’s auxiliary input and is used to transmit the audio signal. If the cable has any breaks, shorts, or loose connections, it can cause issues with audio playback.

To determine if your cable is the problem, try connecting a different auxiliary cable between your phone and car stereo. You may have another cable handy or can purchase an inexpensive replacement aux cable to test. Look for one that is high quality, well-shielded, and a suitable length to fit your application.

If using a new cable resolves the Bluetooth playback issues in your car, then the original auxiliary cable was likely defective. A quality replacement designed for car audio use will provide a more reliable connection for audio streaming over Bluetooth.

Check For Signal Interference

Other devices that emit radio signals, like wireless routers, cordless phones, and microwaves, can interfere with Bluetooth signals. Physical obstructions, like walls and cabinets, can also degrade or block Bluetooth signals.

To test for interference, try moving to a different area away from other electronics and obstructions. Move closer to the Bluetooth transmitter if possible. For example, in a vehicle, try moving your phone closer to the car’s stereo system. Ensure there is a line-of-sight between the devices. If the problem goes away in the new location, interference was likely the cause. You may need to minimize use of interfering devices or move Bluetooth devices to a location with less interference.

Hardware Issues

One of the main causes of Bluetooth connectivity issues between your phone and car is a faulty Bluetooth module in the phone itself or in the car’s stereo. The Bluetooth hardware in the phone or car may have failed due to normal wear and tear over time.

According to one Reddit user, they encountered a “Bluetooth Hardware Failure” error when trying to connect devices. This indicates a hardware problem with the Bluetooth module rather than an issue with software or settings.

If restarting or resetting devices does not resolve the Bluetooth problem, the phone or car may require service in order to replace the faulty Bluetooth hardware. In some cases it may be more cost-effective to replace the car stereo or buy a new phone or Bluetooth adapter rather than paying for an extensive repair.