Official Car Dock

**SamuriHL** · 09-09-2011, 08:24 AM

So I'm coming from an OG Droid to the Bionic. Hence things might have changed since the old days. But when I put my Droid in the car dock, car home automatically loaded. Not only does this not happen for the Bionic but I don't even see an option to load it manually. Am I missing something? A setting somewhere? I searched the Bionic manual and didn't find an answer. Sorry if this has been discussed already or is something stupid I'm overlooking. Thanks!!

**wseyller** · 09-09-2011, 08:33 AM

My does automatically come up.

**SamuriHL** · 09-09-2011, 08:39 AM

Hmm. Wonder what I could be doing wrong then. sigh.

**jmullinsiu** · 09-09-2011, 08:57 AM

Are you using a case or anything?

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

**jmullinsiu** · 09-09-2011, 08:58 AM

I will be testing mine shortly .

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**SamuriHL** · 09-09-2011, 09:03 AM

I am. They specifically have a little insert you can take out to support cases. I suppose I can try taking it out of the case but that'd depress me if that's the issue. It works in the standard dock with the case on.

**APeX3181** · 09-09-2011, 09:07 AM

I didn't see an icon for the car dock either. I actually don't have a car dock, but on the OG Droid, I was able to have the car home app start up when it connected to my car's bluetooth. Is there any way to do that with this phone??

**SamuriHL** · 09-09-2011, 09:08 AM

Not that I can see. That's kinda what I was looking for, as well, barring the automatic mode coming up when putting it in the dock. But the manual makes no mention of it, either. Very strange.

**wseyller** · 09-09-2011, 09:15 AM

I use a case with my car dock which doesn't keep car home from opening.

**APeX3181** · 09-09-2011, 09:22 AM

I also searched for the Car Home app that Google has, but it didn't show up in the Market. It's little things like that annoy me. I should just be able to install what I want.

**p08757** · 09-09-2011, 09:23 AM

You probably have a defective unit. I would take it back. Mine works as designed.

**SamuriHL** · 09-09-2011, 09:24 AM

I'm on a meeting with work right now but when I go to lunch in a bit I'll try again. I'm wondering if it has to have power to activate it? My car doesn't power the port that it's plugged into unless it's running. I can try that, too. I haven't gone anywhere since I got home yesterday from buying the phone and installed the dock when I got home.

**SamuriHL** · 09-09-2011, 09:26 AM

That's certainly possible. I'm going to mess with it before going that route.

**Timmaaay4** · 09-09-2011, 09:45 AM

Mine worked automatically yesterday but this morning put it in the car dock and nothing.

**SamuriHL** · 09-09-2011, 09:50 AM

Well at least I'm not alone then. Sorry, but, I find comfort in that.

**SamuriHL** · 09-09-2011, 10:00 AM

Ok, I just checked. It's 100% my case causing the issue. SIGH. MAJOR FREAKING SIGH. That was one of the things I was so happy about is the fact that the docks are supposed to work WITH the case. I have one of the high gloss silicone cases. I LOVE the case so this sucks.

**pchrist11** · 09-09-2011, 10:12 AM

Does the Bionic use a magnet to activate the Car / Home dock screens like the OG Droid?

**fogflyer** · 09-09-2011, 10:12 AM

I haven't tried the car dock yet (will when I get home), but I have that issue with the home dock. 3 out of four times it does not work. I was thinking I might have a magnet problem in the dock. If it doesn't work in the car dock though, it is probably the phone itself. I don't even have a case on it!

**SamuriHL** · 09-09-2011, 10:13 AM

Yea, I'm quite sure it uses magnets to activate the dock modes. For some reason the car dock no likey my case, but, the standard dock seems ok with it. Kind of frustrating.

**wseyller** · 09-09-2011, 10:26 AM

Link to the exact case I purchase. Hopefully it keeps work. I've put it in only about 4 or 5 times with no problem.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...idcentral00-20

**SamuriHL** · 09-09-2011, 12:32 PM

Maybe I'll have to get another case and see if it helps.

**Timmaaay4** · 09-09-2011, 05:47 PM

I un plugged the car dock and brought into the house to mess with it and the 1st time I put it in it worked not sure if it was if the ish was not connected or because my battery died and I put the extra one one. I don't think it was the latter as I rebooted my phone a couple times today to try to get it to work.

**SamuriHL** · 09-09-2011, 06:34 PM

I'm highly unamused right now. Basically to get it to work with or without the case, I have to push down REALLY hard as it's not making good contact. If I lock it in place while pushing down, I got a 50/50 chance of it staying in dock mode. I suspect one nice bump will knock it out. I don't know if it's the dock or the phone but this ain't working for me.

**jimdibb** · 09-12-2011, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by Timmaaay4

Mine worked automatically yesterday but this morning put it in the car dock and nothing.

This is the same for me. It started fine the first time, but today it didn't. I see two possibilities in my case:
1. I also bought the simple desktop dock, and set the "Gentle Alarm" app up as the default action for placing it that dock. Perhaps that has messed up the car dock.

2. More likely, it's a 'relaunch' bug. As I sit at my desk here, the CarDock app is still running - i.e. the "force stop" action is available in the manage apps control panel. Maybe at lunch, I'll try force stopping it, then putting it in the dock and see if it starts up correctly.

**SamuriHL** · 09-12-2011, 08:50 AM

For me, the jack that the power cable is plugged into in my car isn't active until I start the car. And I've found that with the case on, I have to push it down a little extra in the dock before it recognizes it. So basically I have to start the car, then slide it into the dock, and press down a bit while locking it. THEN it works.