Contemporary cars are now equipped with more advanced technology like GPS navigation and Bluetooth functions. A matter of this fact, Bluetooth cars are now everywhere and perhaps you too owned one. So you’re probably here because you need some help dealing with relevant issues involving your car’s Bluetooth system.
Perhaps, you want to listen to your iPhone SE in your car but for some reasons, it doesn’t work. Your iPhone won’t pair with your car and you don’t know why. If that is so, then this content might be able to help you. Read on to learn what causes your iPhone to not connect or work with your car Bluetooth.
Now, before we proceed with our troubleshooting, if you have other concerns with your new iPhone SE, drop by our troubleshooting page for we have already published some guides and tutorials. You may also contact us by completing our iPhone issues questionnaire. This is a free consultation servicer we offer and all we need is information about the problem. So please give us that so that we can help you better.
What could have caused your iPhone SE to not connect to your car Bluetooth?
Considering that everything is properly set up (on your car Bluetooth equipment) Bluetooth pairing with your iPhone should work. Unless a defective component is present like a broken Bluetooth car stereo and the like.
Another possibility is that your iPhone is not properly configured to make it work with other Bluetooth-enabled devices including your car. Make sure that you have enabled Bluetooth on your iPhone so you can pair it with your car.
A faulty update can also be the culprit. It is possible that the update contains some bugs or glitches that caused certain iPhone functions, particular Bluetooth connectivity to fail. You can put the blame on a faulty update if the problem started after installing an update to your iPhone SE.
It is also possible that the main problem lies with your car’s Bluetooth system like it is not supported in iPhone SE, or system incompatibility. These are the things that you need to consider when troubleshooting the problem.
Possible solutions to deal with Bluetooth connectivity issues on your iPhone SE
Bluetooth connectivity issues that are software-related can usually be resolved by performing some workarounds, including settings configuration and pertinent troubleshooting procedures. Highlighted below are some potential solutions and suggested workarounds to deal with Bluetooth connectivity issues on the iPhone SE including car Bluetooth. Be sure to test your Bluetooth device after completing each solution to see if it is already working fine. If not, try the next applicable solutions. So here are your options.
First solution: Verify and ensure that Bluetooth is enabled.
You have to enable Bluetooth on your iPhone for it to be able to connect or pair with other Bluetooth-enabled devices like your car Bluetooth. To make sure it’s done, do these:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Tap Bluetooth.
- Toggle the Bluetooth switch to turn it on, if necessary. You will know if it’s on if the switch appears green.
Alternatively, you can turn Bluetooth off or on through the Control Center. Just swipe up from the bottom of your screen to open the Control Center and then tap the Bluetooth icon (looks like B) to turn it off and then back on.
Or you can also use Siri to turn Bluetooth on. Just open Siri app by pressing and holding the Home button until Siri appears or just say, Hey Siri. And then turn off Bluetooth, by saying “Turn off Bluetooth.” Otherwise, say “Turn on Bluetooth.”
After turning on Bluetooth on your iPhone, your car should show up under Other Devices.
Select your car from the list of available Bluetooth devices to pair it with your iPhone SE.
Now, reboot your iPhone and see if it is now able to connect and work with your car Bluetooth.
Second solution: Reboot/soft reset
Again, this method should not be missed. Should the problem is triggered by random software glitch or apps malfunction, a soft reset or reboot should be able to fix it. So turn your iPhone off and then back on. Here’s how it’s properly done:
- Press and hold the power button until “slide to power off” appears on the screen.
- Use your finger to swipe the red power button across the screen from left to right.
- Wait for your iPhone to turn all the way off. This may take up to 30 seconds.
- To turn your iPhone back on, press and hold the power button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
- Let go of the power button and wait for your iPhone to turn on.
After your iPhone reboots, toggle the Bluetooth switch off and then back on.
Third solution: Unpair/Forget Bluetooth device
Something went wrong with the current Bluetooth connection so forgetting the Bluetooth device might be able to resolve the problem. In this case, try to forget the Bluetooth device on your iPhone. Doing so will unpair your iPhone from your car Bluetooth. Pairing the car Bluetooth with your iPhone again will give the connection a fresh start.
Here’s how to unpair or forget your Bluetooth device:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Tap Bluetooth.
- Tap the blue i or information icon next to the Bluetooth device you want to forget (which is your car Bluetooth).
- Tap the option to Forget This Device.
- Tap Forget Device to confirm action.
When the car Bluetooth is gone or no longer shows under Devices in Bluetooth menu, it means that the device has been forgotten. Enable Bluetooth again and then pair your iPhone with your car Bluetooth.
Fourth solution: Update to iOS 11
If you haven’t done it already, then you should give it a try this time. Aside from new features and system enhancements, the new update also contains fixes to certain software bugs including the once affecting the iPhone’s Bluetooth function. So installing the update can be a potential solution. To check for available software update on your iPhone SE, follow these steps:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Tap General.
- Tap Software Update.
- Tap Install Now.
- If prompted, enter your passcode.
Follow the onscreen instruction to complete the iOS update installation. When it’s done, your iPhone reboots. Check if it is now able to pair or connect with your car Bluetooth.
Fifth solution: Reset Network Settings
Sometimes, what is causing your trouble is the network itself. It could be an incorrect network setting or the network in use is problematic. Resetting the network settings will erase all saved Bluetooth devices and Wi-Fi networks that are currently setup on your device, thus giving your iPhone a fresh start.
Follow these steps to reset network settings on your iPhone SE:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down and tap Reset.
- Select Reset Network Settings.
- If prompted, enter your passcode.
- Wait until the reset is complete. Your iPhone will then restart.
After the reboot, enable and set up Bluetooth on your iPhone so that you can pair it with your car Bluetooth again. See if it is already working fine this time.
Seek More Help
Escalate the problem to Apple Support or your carrier if the problem persists and that your iPhone SE still won’t pair or connect with your Car Bluetooth after trying every possible solution there is for you to try on. It is now possible that the problem you are dealing with is triggered by a faulty hardware or more complex software issue. Letting the right people know of the problem is also good decision especially when dealing with post-update Bluetooth connectivity issues.
But if you are certain that everything is good on your iPhone SE’s Bluetooth configuration but still doesn’t work, perhaps you should also consider contacting your car’s manufacturer and brought the issue up to them. You can verify and confirm from them if your car supports the Bluetooth technology on the Apple iPhone SE device.
Connect with us
Visit our troubleshooting page to view more solutions to other iPhone problems we have addressed in our prior posts. If you wish to reach our iOS support team for further assistance, then you may do so by filling up this form with all the required information. Be sure to provide us with the significant details of the issue that you need help with so we would be able to give you the best possible solutions and recommendations to try on.