[ChadGW]

I have an S7 and a 2007 Nissan Altima.

On my old Windows Phone, when I activate Cortana, her voice would just come over the speaker in my car and I can talk through the card mic. When I activate Ok Google, that does not happen.

I made sure in the Google "Voice" settings menu, "Bluetooth headset" is enabled.

My car doesn't have a bluetooth button. It goes through the car's interface to display a phonebook and dial an interface. Also, my car only support BT for phone, not audio (like playing music over BT).

Any ideas what's wrong?

Also, one feature I miss dearly from my WP with Cortana, was the ability to dial a special phone number from my car, and that would activate Cortana. This way, I don't have to speak to my phone to activate it. Is something like this somehow supported?

Chad

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! In Google Now's settings under Voice, is Speech Output turned on?

Also, go to Settings>Bluetooth​, select the car's system, and make sure Media Outpt is checked on.

[ChadGW]

Welcome to Android Central! In Google Now's settings under Voice, is Speech Output turned on?

Also, go to Settings>Bluetooth​, select the car's system, and make sure Media Outpt is checked on.

Speech output is enabled for Google now but I don't have that BT option. My car only supports phone calls, not media (like playing music through BT).

[B. Diddy]

That's your problem, then. Older systems only support phone calls over Bluetooth, but not other kinds of audio.

[ChadGW]

Wow! That's a rude response. Windows Phone had no problem supporting this scenario with Cortana so I see it as an unfortunate limitation (one of many compared to Cortana) of Google Now. There is no reason it couldn't use the phone audio out to communicate through my car.

[B. Diddy]

No, I'm sorry--I meant that that is the main problem! I didn't mean it to sound like "Well, that's your problem, I can't help you"! I was thinking in terms of how a car mechanic might talk--"Well, that's your problem right there!"

[B. Diddy]

Back to the question at hand: I'm not sure how Windows Phone handles Bluetooth connections, but I would've thought it'd be the same on all platforms. I know that on Android, if a Bluetooth connection to a car only supports Phone Audio, then all you can play through the car system is the phone call, and not anything else. There has to be "Media Audio" checkbox for other sounds to play through. This was the case on my old 2008 BMW 535i, which only had a Phone Audio Bluetooth option. So I couldn't stream music or have Google Maps give directions over the car stereo.

[ChadGW]

Ah, I misunderstood your response.

Windows Phone works around this limitation on older cars by simulating a phone call to Cortana. So when Cortana is activated, your phone essentially places a call but one which doesn't go through the network provider. It's a clever workaround. It doesn't work for streaming music, only Cortana but it is one which I appreciate. I could imagine a similar workaround being built by an app on Android which will fake a phone call to interact with audio out on the device, although I don't know how.

[B. Diddy]

Ah, I see--that's pretty ingenious! I'll have to keep an eye out for something similar on Android. At this time, I'm not aware of anything that can do the same thing.

[davebwi]

Yes This is exactly what I need as well.. switched to Galaxy S7 and really miss cortana in the Car!!

[Kcobbva]

I'm in the same boat. I really miss this capabilitiy in my Hyndai Elantra. I can stream media, but for the life of me I cannot connect and talk to the S7 as I could my Icon. (Nor can I hear WAZE through it like I did the WP). I even downloaded Cortana on the S7 and dailed the old number to cortana, but still no go. I guess I'm suprised the Windows Phone was so much more advanced when it comes to this safety "hands free" feature. Will definately be watching for something out there than can overcome this issue.

[Juan Naranjo]

I have an S7 and a 2007 Nissan Altima.

On my old Windows Phone, when I activate Cortana, her voice would just come over the speaker in my car and I can talk through the card mic. When I activate Ok Google, that does not happen.

I made sure in the Google "Voice" settings menu, "Bluetooth headset" is enabled.

My car doesn't have a bluetooth button. It goes through the car's interface to display a phonebook and dial an interface. Also, my car only support BT for phone, not audio (like playing music over BT).

Any ideas what's wrong?

Also, one feature I miss dearly from my WP with Cortana, was the ability to dial a special phone number from my car, and that would activate Cortana. This way, I don't have to speak to my phone to activate it. Is something like this somehow supported?

Chad

Same problem with my 2012 Audi A3. Has anyone figured out a work around?

[greg wight]

I just switched from a Lumia Icon running Windows to a Galaxy S7 Edge and I am bitterly, sadly disappointed. Switching from what so many people claim is a dinosaur to what is supposed to be the absolute state of the art, I am like.......whaaaaaaat? My windows phone was far superior in every way. In my 2013 Nissan, Cortana read me text messages, took dictation, answered calls, gave me reminders, you name it and all hands free, seamlessly.

Google doesn't do any of that.

Yes, the Play Store has lots of cool apps that I couldn't get in the Windows store but lemme tell ya, Windows OS and the MS office bundle on WP was infinitely superior in every other way.

My brand new Android $800 phone won't talk to my car, freezes several times a day because Android can't run without massive memory.

Man o man do I miss my WP and Cortana.

[davebwi]

I just switched from a Lumia Icon running Windows to a Galaxy S7 Edge and I am bitterly, sadly disappointed. Switching from what so many people claim is a dinosaur to what is supposed to be the absolute state of the art, I am like.......whaaaaaaat? My windows phone was far superior in every way. In my 2013 Nissan, Cortana read me text messages, took dictation, answered calls, gave me reminders, you name it and all hands free, seamlessly.

Google doesn't do any of that.

Yes, the Play Store has lots of cool apps that I couldn't get in the Windows store but lemme tell ya, Windows OS and the MS office bundle on WP was infinitely superior in every other way.

My brand new Android $800 phone won't talk to my car, freezes several times a day because Android can't run without massive memory.

Man o man do I miss my WP and Cortana.

I couldnt agree more!!! I hope Samsung and Google read this and find a solution..

[Terry Beddoes]

Have just "upgraded" from Lumia 930, and I too wonder what the fuss is about. I miss Cortana and live tiles were much easier to scroll through, having different sizes of tiles enabled me to read weather and news from home screen. On android I cannot synch photos from facebook into my contacts. Mutter, mutter upgrade pahh

[Majic187]

Have just "upgraded" from Lumia 930, and I too wonder what the fuss is about. I miss Cortana and live tiles were much easier to scroll through, having different sizes of tiles enabled me to read weather and news from home screen. On android I cannot synch photos from facebook into my contacts. Mutter, mutter upgrade pahh

I to have just come over to Android from Windows Lumia 1520. Man I mis cortana, my car is a 2017 and the Bluetooth on android is garbage. I could stream music and answer calls but that's it. Wish Windows woikd have kept up with the phones.

[Susan Swanson]

I am in the same boat, I just switched from a Microsoft 950 XL to a Samsung Note 5 and I drive a 2013 Land Rover. Cortana worked seamlessly through my truck's Bluetooth, streamed music, answered calls, read and dictated texts and added appointments to my calendar all completely hands free and through my speaker system. Now I can answer phone calls and stream music through Bluetooth and the speaker system but I can't generate a phone call or text or have my texts read to me hands free. Please Google address this problem, even Siri on the 6S or 7 can now do this.
I have tried the Read it To Me app and that is so limited and really not capable of solving my problem at all. There needs to be an update to fix this issue with "Ok Google" or even with SVoice through Samsung.

[davebwi]

I am in the same boat, I just switched from a Microsoft 950 XL to a Samsung Note 5 and I drive a 2013 Land Rover. Cortana worked seamlessly through my truck's Bluetooth, streamed music, answered calls, read and dictated texts and added appointments to my calendar all completely hands free and through my speaker system. Now I can answer phone calls and stream music through Bluetooth and the speaker system but I can't generate a phone call or text or have my texts read to me hands free. Please Google address this problem, even Siri on the 6S or 7 can now do this.
I have tried the Read it To Me app and that is so limited and really not capable of solving my problem at all. There needs to be an update to fix this issue with "Ok Google" or even with SVoice through Samsung.

Yes, but since Cortana is on Android, I was hoping Microsoft would make it do a "virtual contact" like it does with windows mobile....
Thanks Dave

[Susan Swanson]

Dave you are right, actually having Cortana on Android work the same way it does on the Windows platform would be the best option really. Since Cortana has the most life like sounding voice and is the best choice for voice recognition. Hopefully someone at Microsoft sees this thread and tries to address the problem for us.

[EngineerBoy]

Dave you are right, actually having Cortana on Android work the same way it does on the Windows platform would be the best option really. Since Cortana has the most life like sounding voice and is the best choice for voice recognition. Hopefully someone at Microsoft sees this thread and tries to address the problem for us.

I'm in the same boat, a *huge* step backwards from Windows phone in this area. The concept is trivially simple, which is if you don't have (or choose not to enable) the "media" Bluetooth connection, then safety related audio is sent ad a phone call, at least as far as the car is concerned.

So, reading and replying to texts, getting driving directions, etc, all just work with Windows. I seriously may have to go back to it over this issue, because it's a safety thing.

Hard to believe my new Pixel XL is so primitive, wow.

[Kevin Burk1]

I am in the same boat with my S5 and 2015 Honda Odyssey. Cortana on my old WP 830 worked about as well as I could have expected. BT via Android has been a disapointment. I swapped for the apps and video options that were lacking from WP. I had hoped the WP10 release would have addressed those. It didn't. But I do miss the elegant and sophisticated OS of WP. I've only had this phone a few months. So many complaints. Too little time. I will most likely switch back after a couple of years. Maybe by then WP will have caught up with app options.

[puppydg68]

I have an S7 and a 2007 Nissan Altima.

On my old Windows Phone, when I activate Cortana, her voice would just come over the speaker in my car and I can talk through the card mic. When I activate Ok Google, that does not happen.

I made sure in the Google "Voice" settings menu, "Bluetooth headset" is enabled.


Chad

I just wanted to add, Blackberry also did this, faked a phonecall to voice command your phone. How do we formally put this request into Google Now? Its a safety feature i would use all the time and have missed it since i upgraded from blackberry to Samsung S7.

[wpfan2be]

Hi All! Will be moving from WM to an S8. Can anyone please describe what Cortana can currently do in Android? Maybe might be easier what Cortana can do in WM that is not possible in Android? The hands free car functions I use everyday, from Hey Cortana to initiate calls etc, to send/read/reply to texts. The description for Cortana in Google Play does not say much of features and all reviews I find are several years old. Thanks for your help!

[jburton823]

I have a Moto X Pure connected to a Kenwood eXcelon KDC-X695 that supports Bluetooth Phone Audio but not Media Audio.

Motorola's Moto Voice works just fine, but Google Assistant does not. The problem is that Google chose not to support Bluetooth Phone Audio in Google Assistant, but there is nothing to indicate that this isn't supported. If you turn on the Bluetooth headset setting in the Google Assistant settings, it will not play or receive audio on either the car speakers or the phone.

The workaround (for me) is to use Moto Voice to launch Google Assistant. Your manufacturer may have something similar, if you don't have a Moto. Disable Bluetooth headset in Google Assistant because it doesn't work.

[logicisme]

Speech output is enabled for Google now but I don't have that BT option. My car only supports phone calls, not media (like playing music through BT).

To fix the broken setting that causes Google search / voice to text apps to not work with Bluetooth Microphones, do the following:

Note: This will erase your google data on the phone maybe including your linked credit card authorization from your bank in android pay (tap payment only, not Wallet.) which I seem to recall having to re-set it up with my bank since they are very secure with that, so make sure you are prepared for that possiblity. It won't delete your linked accounts or authenticator two factor auth. Just the core googly stuff and settings related to the local settings on the phone.

Go into settings > apps > Google. Disable it to reset it back to the original version, then enable it again. Still in the Google app, click on storage, then manage space > clear all data.

Go back to settings > apps > show system apps. Find Google Services Framework. Click storage, click clear data.

Your Bluetooth microphone should now start working again. I have had to do this on two phones so far. You may just get away with deleting the data on the framework app, I usually do both since I don't want to mess around any longer than I have to.