Newbie help - SMS messaging alerts and audio

[Michael May3]

Help for a newbie Android Auto user please…..Just bought a Hyundai Elantra 2017 (which I LOVE). Using AA on a Nexus 5 running Marshmallow.

I know there are similar threads regarding messaging so forgive me as I am learning how to use AA and it’s not behaving as I expected it would.

Phone is linked into the car using USB and Bluetooth is connected. Charging is OK. I can listen to music OK. Maps are fine.

Main issue is that seemingly no matter which SMS program I use, be it Hangouts, Google Messenger, or GO SMS (preferred), it doesn’t seem to operate as anticipated.

I see the notification on screen of a message, but get no message alert sound, then with the exception of one occasion, when I tap the notification bar, it will not ‘speak’ the message.
I have no idea what happened differently on that one occasion though. Generally, when I press the notification bar, the system appears to go into ‘listening mode’ where it is waiting for a command.

As an aside, would I only see the notification if I have the AA screen displayed? I was expecting to get a visual notification on the Radio screen, but I suppose if I hear a notification sound (which I don’t presently) I can switch screens.

Any pointers would be helpful. Not certain at which end the issue lies (car/phone)

Thanks!

 

[Pedrore]

There should be both a visual (drop down from the top) and an audible notification of a text message when you are on any AA screen but not if you have switched back to the native head unit functions. I think you should still hear the audible notification back on the Hyundai interface but I don't remember testing this (I tend to stay in AA if I have the phone plugged in). I think this should be the case since I continue to get media playback and navigation instructions from AA even though I have switch to the native head unit.

The lack of audio reading back text messages is a problem a number of posters to this forum have mentioned and I was having it myself but most recently it has been working (no idea what changed).

A couple of things to start troubleshooting:
- while in AA, tap the mic icon (or long-press voice command button on steering wheel) and ask for the weather today - do you hear the spoken result?
- if not, outside the car try tapping the mic icon on the Google search bar of your phone and ask the same question; see if you hear the spoken result.

 

[Michael May3]

I've been having similar problems to many others....AA seems to work fine in a majority of cases. “OK Google” searches, Maps, TuneIn, Google Play Music…..but when a message came in on SMS or WhatsApp, I only saw the notification and couldn’t hear the message.

I stumbled upon a solution that worked for me, and it was a cable issue. I tried several cables, including a seemingly “high quality” cable from a power adapter with the same results.

Then I tried a retractable cable that came with an external rechargeable power battery pack, mostly because it was more compact and fit the cubby in my car better.

Looks like this > http://richardsolo.com/assets/product-photos/usb_retractable_cable_lrg.jpg

Lo and behold……messages come through perfectly.

I have no idea why this is the case with a seemingly poor quality cable. Your experience may vary……probably a minimal cost to try it and see.

 

[chezm]

Ever since updating to 7.0 on my 6P I no longer get my SMS read to me and can't figure out why. I have e done tons of research used all the methods people have suggested online but nothing. Audio works for everything else, just not reading out my SMS...which is frustrating as my commute is 2 hours a day and would rather not look at my phone. I don't think the cable is my problem as it worked prior to 7.0...this has become very frustrating not sure what to do.

 

[anon(187199)]

Ever since updating to 7.0 on my 6P I no longer get my SMS read to me and can't figure out why. I have e done tons of research used all the methods people have suggested online but nothing. Audio works for everything else, just not reading out my SMS...which is frustrating as my commute is 2 hours a day and would rather not look at my phone. I don't think the cable is my problem as it worked prior to 7.0...this has become very frustrating not sure what to do.

make sure your media volume isn't zero before you connect to AA. My messages won't play if media is set to zero. I use automateit (its like tasker) rules to set the volume up 10% when usb is plugged in to get around this bug.

 

[Andrew DeFaria]

My media volume is always set at 10 and I'm often listening to a podcast. This still used to happen to me but I think they fixed it.

 

[anon(187199)]

The zero volume bug still exists for me and I'm in the google search app beta channel (currently 6.7.16.21 arm) . Its a google app problem, if you downgrade back to ver. 5.xx it will work. All the ver 6.xx have this bug.

 

[Andrew DeFaria]

What does the Google Search App have to do with Google Hangouts and Android Auto? As I understand it the app (Hangouts) talks through AA to the head unit. I received and replied to several Hangouts messages just this morning. It spoke the message to me, I replied and dictated my message back. Worked like a charm.

 

[anon(187199)]

I'm talking about SMS messages through google messenger/messaging not through hangouts. GSA does the interfacing, same as if you did "Ok google: send text to Andrew"

set your media volume to zero and see if your hangouts messages still work the same. That would be an interesting test.

 

[Andrew DeFaria]

I'm talking about SMS messages through google messenger/messaging not through hangouts.

Switch to Hangouts then if what you seek is a solution to your problem.

GSA does the interfacing, same as if you did "Ok google: send text to Andrew"

I'm not sure what GSA is nor what is has to do with this problem, nor do I know what sending a message has to do with this problem. The problem as I understand it is in receiving a message, not sending it.

set your media volume to zero and see if your hangouts messages still work the same. That would be an interesting test.

What on Earth for? It would be an utterly stupid test to perform.

 

[anon(187199)]

I'm not sure what GSA is nor what is has to do with this problem, nor do I know what sending a message has to do with this problem. The problem as I understand it is in receiving a message, not sending it.

What on Earth for? It would be an utterly stupid test to perform.

GSA is the google search app. The problem is messages are not being read. The Hangouts app or any other messaging app for that fact doesn't read messages. Its done by google text to speech. GSA interfaces between the messaging app, android auto and google text to speech. Google play services also plays a part. You can tell this by varying the various apk's of these pieces (as I have).

 

[chezm]

make sure your media volume isn't zero before you connect to AA. My messages won't play if media is set to zero. I use automateit (its like tasker) rules to set the volume up 10% when usb is plugged in to get around this bug.

My volume is full, I can speak to google now and hear everything no problem. When someone sends me a text I touch to hear it, it prepares to play but just stops (I see the Google now symbol come up and then go away, so nothing is said..there's no delay with no audio). Everything else works fine, I'm using stock messenger so it's nothing fancy.

 

[chezm]

Switch to Hangouts then if what you seek is a solution to your problem.

I don't want to use hangouts, it used to work with messenger...so why stop now? I mean it's Google's stock messaging app. I got excited when I tested yesterday to see the new Google assistance animation replace the older microphone style but still the problem persists.

I'll check with my dealer soon to see if there's an Android auto update available...that could be it. It's just odd that everything works flawless except this...I never had this problem with the S6 and G3/G4 so the 6P having the problem is really odd considering its Google's device platform.

 

[Andrew DeFaria]

Are you sure you were using Google's Messenger? Because it's Facebook's also called Messenger?

I really don't like the direction that Google it taking with their messaging platform. It's all over the map! Allo sucks and nobody I know uses it. Same with Duo. And I like using Hangouts on my Mac, Linux or cell phone.

The latest version of AA is now 2.0.542304-release (although I'm a beta tester so perhaps this is the latest beta version). Also recently they added support for Facebook's Messenger so perhaps if you get the latest version your problem will just solve itself.

I don't get many texts but I know that WhatsUp worked and Hangouts worked and others didn't.

 

[chezm]

Are you sure you were using Google's Messenger? Because it's Facebook's also called Messenger?

I really don't like the direction that Google it taking with their messaging platform. It's all over the map! Allo sucks and nobody I know uses it. Same with Duo. And I like using Hangouts on my Mac, Linux or cell phone.

The latest version of AA is now 2.0.542304-release (although I'm a beta tester so perhaps this is the latest beta version). Also recently they added support for Facebook's Messenger so perhaps if you get the latest version your problem will just solve itself.

I don't get many texts but I know that WhatsUp worked and Hangouts worked and others didn't.

Thanks for the input. Ya it's google messenger, I don't have FB messenger installed because I don't use FB, have for year...but ya when I did have it I noticed they were almost the same name.

I'll test a few others, I think WhatsApp worked the last time...and I agree I'm not a fan of Allo and it's integration so I'm staying away from it. I like the simplistic approach and design of Google's messenger app but I'll change if required.

When I use AA on my phone the messages are played out so it seems an access problem from the car??...

The latest AA version, can I find that in my car system somewhere or is that just the application version # on the phone?

 

[theelite1x87]

I use a V10 with my Sonata. I basically got same head unit as you. I also have this issue. But for me the problem is that I have to remember to NOT have the phone in silent or vibrate mode for ringtones or notification sounds. If the phone is set in one of those sound modes I do not get any audio for sms alerts in AA. Once I set it to a regular sound mode it works fine.

 

[chezm]

I use a V10 with my Sonata. I basically got same head unit as you. I also have this issue. But for me the problem is that I have to remember to NOT have the phone in silent or vibrate mode for ringtones or notification sounds. If the phone is set in one of those sound modes I do not get any audio for sms alerts in AA. Once I set it to a regular sound mode it works fine.

I wish my situation was that easy to resolve

I had my car at the dealer yesterday getting snow tires on and oil change, they checked and confirmed my AA/head unit is the latest version avaliable. I am now confident its a setting with Google Now(Assistant) that got changed when i upgraded to 7.0. I have checked all the Google settings related to voice and nothing seems to be missing...ugh.

 

[chezm]

After not making any specific changes on my phone the Google Messanger app is now reading texts back again! woot woot...maybe a software update fixed the problem? Either way im happy.