If it ain't broke..............

[Excalibur]

I'd love to send this pearl of wisdom to many many companies. Here's a bit of background in the lead up to my question ( for " question" read: anguished, heartfelt plea )

Many years, and many Nokia phones ago, while sat in the van having dinner, the radio chirped up and asked if I'd like to hear a text message. It could read messages out from my phone over bluetooth, and let me reply just by talking to it. Fast forward to my last but one Windows phone and a new radio, and eventually, after a lot of trial and error, I could do this again.

Then I got the newest Windoze phone, with replaceable battery, and expandable memory, oh deep joy, I could just keep putting new batteries in myself, and enjoying my favourite phone ad infinitum. Except that blasted Cortana didn't want to play. She'd dive in and take over, then lose interest and bugger off! In my efforts to solve this, I ended up talking to some minion in Microsoft, who said his boss was having exactly the same problem, and was waiting for a software update. Never came.

So, over I go to Android, and while I can talk to it easily enough, it refuses to acknowledge text messages at all when I'm driving, and none of the driving apps actually do what they promise. Grrrrr.

So, when my latest Android developed a fault, in desperation, I've gone fruit based, eeek!!!! First obstacle will be pairing it with the Alpine head unit in the van, and if I can manage that the question is:



Can anyone tell me how to receive and answer text messages with an iPhone over bluetooth, when I'm driving? So I can progress forwards to be able to do what I was doing about, ooh eight years ago.

Mod Note: Any smartbottom coming on to tell me how I should have gone orchard based eight years ago, I know where the Ban button is, and I'm itching to try it out.

P.S. Despite taking a tentative bite of the fruit, once the funds for my BB Loan appear in the account ( and don't even ask about how useless a certain high street bank are. I was asked for further information to simply get the system moving, and emailed back to say I'd sent it a month ago, and had acknowledgement of its receipt. Minutes later, I got the Adobe document to sign to get my hands on the flaming money! Just waiting for the digital funds to arrive. It's curious how more seems to happen when the blighters have gone home at five o'clock). I'm getting a new tablet. Is it an Ipad? Android?

Of course not children, it's a Windows!

[rth_discos]

So, over I go to Android, and while I can talk to it easily enough, it refuses to acknowledge text messages at all when I'm driving, and none of the driving apps actually do what they promise. Grrrrr.

So, when my latest Android developed a fault, in desperation, I've gone fruit based, eeek!!!!

Is now the wrong time to share the instructions on how to get Android to read text messages out?

https://www.howtogeek.com/441930/how...exts-out-loud/

[Marc J]

Ideally you want a head unit / van / car that is Apple CarPlay / Android Auto compatible.

Until you have that, you'll always be trying to plug a square hole with a round peg, and at the mercy of updates / app issues.

IMHO

[Excalibur]

Is now the wrong time to share the instructions on how to get Android to read text messages out?

https://www.howtogeek.com/441930/how...exts-out-loud/

Been there, done that, didn't work. And anyway, decades ago, they came in live, and I replied live. Simples. And they call this progress?

Ideally you want a head unit / van / car that is Apple CarPlay / Android Auto compatible.

Until you have that, you'll always be trying to plug a square hole with a round peg, and at the mercy of updates / app issues.

IMHO

Now he tells me! The lad at Alpine ( for I have spoken to anyone and everyone involved anywhere in this fiasco) said " It's Bluetooth. You don't get different flavours, it's just Bluetooth".

Strike me pink, but I did this natively with phone and radio nearly ten years ago!

[Marc J]

Now he tells me! The lad at Alpine ( for I have spoken to anyone and everyone involved anywhere in this fiasco) said " It's Bluetooth. You don't get different flavours, it's just Bluetooth".

Yes, but Apple CarPlay / Android Auto are actually better (IMHO - more stable and less setup issues) when not used with Bluetooth, and plugged in with a cable.

The head unit would have a touch screen - something like https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071GP91VJ/ or https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07W4BVGGW maybe? Not sure if they're connect only via Bluetooth or have the plug-in option...

Most new cars built-in systems are now are compatible with one or the other, or both.

[Excalibur]

Yes, but Apple CarPlay / Android Auto are actually better (IMHO - more stable and less setup issues) when not used with Bluetooth, and plugged in with a cable.

The head unit would have a touch screen - something like https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071GP91VJ/ or https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07W4BVGGW maybe? Not sure if they're connect only via Bluetooth or have the plug-in option...

Most new cars built-in systems are now are compatible with one or the other, or both.

This is a very steep ( and costly ) learning curve. Not only does it look like Marc J is working for the Halfords car audio sales team, but why did nobody tell me the Bad News:

that in a typical display of cost saving and awkwardness, Apple ( and possibly others) have stopped sending out chargers with new phones?

Good News: They give you a cable, so you can plug it into a handily available power supply.

Bad News: Instead of terminating the opposite end to the Lightning in USB A, of which I have approximately 1,472 sockets available to use, they decided to use USB C!

Good News: From three phones ago, when manufacturers put lots of goodies in the box with your new phone, I got a charging pad. It has sat in a cupboard for may years, until five minutes ago, when it began breathing life into the SE. Data transfer seems to be happening from Android to Apple, so far, so good, I think. Ah. Contacts haven't gone across yet.

[Excalibur]

Yes, but Apple CarPlay / Android Auto are actually better (IMHO - more stable and less setup issues) when not used with Bluetooth, and plugged in with a cable.

The head unit would have a touch screen - something like https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071GP91VJ/ or https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07W4BVGGW maybe? Not sure if they're connect only via Bluetooth or have the plug-in option...

Most new cars built-in systems are now are compatible with one or the other, or both.

As far as I can see, having now got this lashed into the van, having had the foresight to purchase the correct remote cable for the steering column remote, and the annoyance of swapping the microphone, because Alpine use a TRS plug, and Sony use a TS, I can safely say that:


It ain't progress! Eight years ago, I could easily do much much more with an old Nokia and a sat nav. Apple Car Play seems to only function when connected by USB, and many things need use of the touchscreen to achieve, that I could do by voice command years ago.

I need to find out more about Car Play, I'm sure I'm only scratching the surface. At the moment, when I want the advanced features of Car Play, I can't use my USB stick playout. ( I think. More investigation required). As Roy Walker would say " It's good, but it's not right".

[Imagine]

As far as I can see, having now got this lashed into the van, having had the foresight to purchase the correct remote cable for the steering column remote, and the annoyance of swapping the microphone, because Alpine use a TRS plug, and Sony use a TS, I can safely say that:

Ooooh - I've got that one in my little MR2 - brilliant bit of kit

[Nakatomi]

Yes, but Apple CarPlay / Android Auto are actually better (IMHO - more stable and less setup issues) when not used with Bluetooth, and plugged in with a cable.

The head unit would have a touch screen - something like https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071GP91VJ/ or https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07W4BVGGW maybe? Not sure if they're connect only via Bluetooth or have the plug-in option...

Most new cars built-in systems are now are compatible with one or the other, or both.

I LOVED having Android Auto on the vans I've been having to drive for my 'day job' work excursions. It seemed to me that I needed to use USB AND bluetooth to get everything including the screen sharing part to work. I dunno - I'm a massive nerd when it comes to tech but sadly Enterprise's Transits & Sprinters never seem to come with user manuals for me to check this stuff properly.

For what it's worth, Mercedes can get in the sea though, for only having a USB-C port for a phone and literally NO accessory sockets anywhere in the cab Well that & other niggles I could write a book on - and that's only from having to drive a brand new Sprinter for a day Hmm maybe I could start a 'van review' thread..

[DJ Jules]

I LOVED having Android Auto on the vans I've been having to drive for my 'day job' work excursions. It seemed to me that I needed to use USB AND bluetooth to get everything including the screen sharing part to work. I dunno - I'm a massive nerd when it comes to tech but sadly Enterprise's Transits & Sprinters never seem to come with user manuals for me to check this stuff properly.

For what it's worth, Mercedes can get in the sea though, for only having a USB-C port for a phone and literally NO accessory sockets anywhere in the cab Well that & other niggles I could write a book on - and that's only from having to drive a brand new Sprinter for a day Hmm maybe I could start a 'van review' thread..

Mercs have always been my least favourite vans to drive. There's just a raft of dumb design decisions built into every one.

Julian