Pixel 2 XL - No Text Notification when connected to Car

[Android Central Question]

Just sold my Nexus 6P running Oreo and got a Pixel 2 XL running Pie. My Nexus would alert me audibly for text messages (through the phone's speaker) when I was driving in my car and connected to the Bluetooth hands free system. The Pixel 2 XL will vibrate when a text comes in and connected to the hands free system, but will not give the audible alert either through the phone's speaker or the car's hands free system.

Is this a Pixel 2 bug? Or an Android Pie bug? Is there a solution? I have checked all of the settings that I can find on the Pixel 2, but am not getting this to work properly.

 

[mustang7757]

Just sold my Nexus 6P running Oreo and got a Pixel 2 XL running Pie. My Nexus would alert me audibly for text messages (through the phone's speaker) when I was driving in my car and connected to the Bluetooth hands free system. The Pixel 2 XL will vibrate when a text comes in and connected to the hands free system, but will not give the audible alert either through the phone's speaker or the car's hands free system.

Is this a Pixel 2 bug? Or an Android Pie bug? Is there a solution? I have checked all of the settings that I can find on the Pixel 2, but am not getting this to work properly.

Hi, if you can register a account here, me or other members be happy to assist you.
I'll provide a link to register so you can communicate here.
https://forums.androidcentral.com/ask-question/409154-join-android-central-community.html

 

[Fisher99]

Ok. I have created an account. Do I need to re-post my question under my newly acquired login?

 

[Fisher99]

So I have been Googling for awhile now and have found several older threads of people reporting this problem but have not found any solutions. One post said that this is how Google has decided that things should be going forward. This surely can't be true? Why would Google decide that the OS shouldn't give text notifications through the phone's speaker while connected to Bluetooth?

Some have said that when they are connected to a bluetooth headset that they get the text notification over the headset but not on the phone. But at least they are getting a notification. In my case when I am connected to my car's hands free Bluetooth system there is no text notification on the phone or over the car's speaker system. Note that this happens in all 3 of my Bluetooth equipped vehicles, so I'm pretty sure that it isn't vehicle related.

 

[mustang7757]

Ok. I have created an account. Do I need to re-post my question under my newly acquired login?

Hi thanks for registering!
Your fine here.

 

[mustang7757]

So I have been Googling for awhile now and have found several older threads of people reporting this problem but have not found any solutions. One post said that this is how Google has decided that things should be going forward. This surely can't be true? Why would Google decide that the OS shouldn't give text notifications through the phone's speaker while connected to Bluetooth?

Some have said that when they are connected to a bluetooth headset that they get the text notification over the headset but not on the phone. But at least they are getting a notification. In my case when I am connected to my car's hands free Bluetooth system there is no text notification on the phone or over the car's speaker system. Note that this happens in all 3 of my Bluetooth equipped vehicles, so I'm pretty sure that it isn't vehicle related.

Have you look at the settings when paired to the car in Bluetooth?

 

[Fisher99]

Have you look at the settings when paired to the car in Bluetooth?

Yes.

 

[mustang7757]

Yes.

I'm going give you some troubleshooting steps to look at
https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7334382?hl=en

 

[mustang7757]

https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7334382?hl=en

 

[mustang7757]

Make sure DND settings also
And not set for just media

 

[Fisher99]

Thanks for the reply. The steps at that link seem to be for people who can't get their Bluetooth devices connected. I have no problem getting connected. And in fact I just did a fresh connection to a new vehicle with the same results.

However, after much Googling on this subject I think I have found the answer, and it's not a very pleasant answer at that. Apparently with Android Pie, Google, in their infinite wisdom, decided that ALL notifications and sounds MUST go through the Bluetooth device, and not through the phone's speaker, if the phone is connected to a Bluetooth device. Most people are complaining that this means that the text notifications come through their Bluetooth headsets and not the phone, but in my case, for some reason, the text notifications aren't coming through my Bluetooth device (the vehicle's audio system).

So, apparently my phone is working pretty much as Google wants it to. No longer sending text notifications through the phone's speaker when it is connected to my vehicle's Bluetooth hands free system. The only question left is "why doesn't the text notification come through the vehicle's Bluetooth hands free system?".

I did find a workaround in my Googling. In the Bluetooth settings (when connected to the vehicle), if I turn off "Media" the text notifications now come through the phone's speaker again. Of course this means that I can't stream media through the vehicle's Bluetooth hands free system, but I seldom do that, so turning off "Media" is a trade-off that I can deal with. When I do need to stream media, I can turn it back on again.

So... I guess my new question is "Any idea why the text notification doesn't come through my vehicle's Bluetooth hands free system (the vehicle's speakers)?".

 

[mustang7757]

Thanks for the reply. The steps at that link seem to be for people who can't get their Bluetooth devices connected. I have no problem getting connected. And in fact I just did a fresh connection to a new vehicle with the same results.

However, after much Googling on this subject I think I have found the answer, and it's not a very pleasant answer at that. Apparently with Android Pie, Google, in their infinite wisdom, decided that ALL notifications and sounds MUST go through the Bluetooth device, and not through the phone's speaker, if the phone is connected to a Bluetooth device. Most people are complaining that this means that the text notifications come through their Bluetooth headsets and not the phone, but in my case, for some reason, the text notifications aren't coming through my Bluetooth device (the vehicle's audio system).

So, apparently my phone is working pretty much as Google wants it to. No longer sending text notifications through the phone's speaker when it is connected to my vehicle's Bluetooth hands free system. The only question left is "why doesn't the text notification come through the vehicle's Bluetooth hands free system?".

I did find a workaround in my Googling. In the Bluetooth settings (when connected to the vehicle), if I turn off "Media" the text notifications now come through the phone's speaker again. Of course this means that I can't stream media through the vehicle's Bluetooth hands free system, but I seldom do that, so turning off "Media" is a trade-off that I can deal with. When I do need to stream media, I can turn it back on again.

So... I guess my new question is "Any idea why the text notification doesn't come through my vehicle's Bluetooth hands free system (the vehicle's speakers)?".

So turning off media worked , good!
Double check the cars head unit settings for sound?

 

[Fisher99]

I think the head unit settings in all 3 vehicles are fine as I get phone calls (voice through vehicle radio) just fine. Just not text message notifications. Is there a particular head unit setting that I should check?

 

[Fisher99]

Ok, I discovered a solution. It's not one I'm thrilled about, but it does work. If I go into my phone's Bluetooth settings for the car that I am connected to and TURN OFF "Media", then text alerts come through the phone while I am connected to the car. Of course I can't stream media from my phone to the car but I seldom do that anyway. I will just have to remember to turn it back on if I do. Phone calls still come through the car's system just fine and that's primarily what I use the Bluetooth connection for anyway.

So, I have a workaround, which is good. But it still seems that Android should offer a way to have Media streaming through the Bluetooth connection and still get text message alerts to the phone itself. Sigh...

 

[B. Diddy]

Thanks for following up more than a year later!