My S4 Mini is able to connect to Bluetooth link on a phone call but then why isn't it able to on audio?

[81chevette]

S4 Mini problems connecting to Bluetooth link on phone call, but not on audio.

I have a 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage. I had absolutely zero Bluetooth problems with my iPhone 4S. I upgraded to an S4 Mini recently. I found that none of the stock audio apps, free podcast apps, or Pandora accepted "pause" "stop" or "play" commands from the car properly, but the paid version of Pocket Cast works flawlessly. I listen to podcasts almost exclusively anyway, so no problem . A few weeks ago, I noticed that when I made a call, the phone occasionally lost connection with the car briefly. It flipped back and forth between handset and car audio, and the "headset" selector on the handset would change status accordingly. If I was quick enough, I could deselect "headset" while the phone was linked to use the handset for the duration of the call, but if I didn't time it just right, it would continue flipping back and forth. A quick restart solved that problem. About a week later, the problem started to occur more frequently. It seemed to occur at roughly the same time as I developed a location grabbing problem with a Weatherbug widget, and about the same time as I downloaded Time Warner's free Wifi app. (Not the first time it happened, but when it started occurring on a regular basis.) I have since removed both offending apps. It does seem like it MAY occur more frequently after Facebook has been opened, but that is probably a false pattern. Just to be thorough, I've disabled Facebook's ability to use my location, and I've restricted location services to wifi and mobile to prevent timeout problems accessing the GPS signal. I have tried using a third-party dialer, to no avail. I haven't figured out if it's possible to use a different telephony app, so I haven't tried that. I have not yet removed the Facebook app or Pocket Casts. I now have this problem almost every time I use the phone, but Pocket Casts NEVER gives me any trouble. Restarts no longer help, and closing all open apps makes no discernible difference. Any suggestions?

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: S4 Mini problems connecting to Bluetooth link on phone call, but not on audio.

Welcome to Android Central! With all of those apps in the mix, it might be helpful to see how the phone works in Safe Mode, which prevents all 3rd party apps from starting up. (Trying to close all of them manually in normal mode doesn't guarantee that they won't automatically restart.) If you can connect to Bluetooth for calls without a problem in Safe Mode, then you know that something you installed is interfering. You should be able to open apps one by one in Safe Mode to see if they cause any problems.

Restart the Device in Safe Mode Samsung Galaxy S 4 | Verizon Wireless

 

[Rukbat]

Re: S4 Mini problems connecting to Bluetooth link on phone call, but not on audio.

The other problem could be combination of a weak Bluetooth signal (only 1mW) and interference from wifi being enabled in the phone, some signal coming from the car radio that's noisier than it should be, etc. (If the phone has to send the signal through something that absorbs it [like you put the phone in your left pocket], the range can be reduced to a foot or two. My old LG wouldn't work if I had the phone on my belt on my right side and my headset in my left ear - but with the phone on the deck, I could walk 35 feet to the mailbox and rarely lose the signal.)