Question [SOLVED] Bluetooth: Can Software Version Be A Problem?

[Bobb]

I recently acquired a new Motorola Stylus 5G 2025. Unlike all my previous mobile phones, it will not connect with the hands-free Bluetooth system in my car. Sometimes it does connect for a very brief moment, but quickly drops. The phone retains the Bluetooth info for the car, but does not automatically re-connect when using the car again.

My car is an older 2012 model, while my phone is a 2025 model. Since I haven' experienced this issue with any of my previous mobile phones, I'm wondering if my problem is because my car has older Bluetooth software that isn't compatible with my "new" phone. Can that be possible? I was under the assumption that Bluetooth software is "backwards compatible," but perhaps the older Bluetooth software in my car simply can't connect with the latest Bluetooth version that's installed on my phone?

Yes, I have attempted forgetting/pairing my phone with car many times. I've also tried to "manually" connect to the car. Note: the phone does retain the car Bluetooth info and shows the car in the list of available devices, but manually hitting the "connect" icon doesn't work either.

Stumped! Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

 

[mustang7757]

Welcome to AC!
Do you have other Bluetooth devices that could be connecting to in the vehicle?

If you go into developers settings by hitting the build number 7 times you can choose different Bluetooth versions to see if it helps.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Also, do you have the factory-installed Bluetooth system, or is it aftermarket? Can you give us the make/model and model year of the car, and if it's an aftermarket system, the brand and model number of that?

 

[Bobb]

Welcome to AC!
Do you have other Bluetooth devices that could be connecting to in the vehicle?

If you go into developers settings by hitting the build number 7 times you can choose different Bluetooth versions to see if it helps.

Thank you for your quick response! No other devices are available to connect to the vehicle at this time. Reverting to previous BT versions sounds like a very plausible way to address my issue. I did not know that could be done, so I'll explore that. I will take your advice and investigate. Thank You!!!!

 

[Bobb]

Welcome to Android Central! Also, do you have the factory-installed Bluetooth system, or is it aftermarket? Can you give us the make/model and model year of the car, and if it's an aftermarket system, the brand and model number of that?

Thanks for your response. It is factory-equipped system. The vehicle is a 2012 Fiat 500. The system is trademarked "Blue & Me." Many vehicles of that model year from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (now Stellantis) used this system, including Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep . It is now a 13-year-old car, so I would not be surprised if the car's Bluetooth system version might not be compatible with Bluetooth protocols from 2025. Stellantis has pretty much phased-out Fiat vehicles in the USA, so my chances of getting any help from Fiat dealerships is nil. As of this moment, I don't know my issue is within the phone or the car's system.

Thanks for your advice! It's appreciated. I'm going to continue to try to solve this.

 

[B. Diddy]

Can you clarify -- will the phone even connect for phone calls? From what I can tell, that system could only do phone calls, and not stream music (I recall that was the case for my old 2008 BMW 535i as well): https://www.fiatforum.com/threads/bluetooth-fiat-500-twinair-2012.485217/

 

[Bobb]

Can you clarify -- will the phone even connect for phone calls? From what I can tell, that system could only do phone calls, and not stream music (I recall that was the case for my old 2008 BMW 535i as well): https://www.fiatforum.com/threads/bluetooth-fiat-500-twinair-2012.485217/

Thanks for your response. On the sporadic occasions when the car's instrument display does indicate the name of the phone (verbally saying it's connected), that display remains for just a few seconds and then disappears, meaning the connection has been dropped. You are correct: the system doesn't support music streaming...and that is just fine with me! What I want is the capability to make/receive phone calls hands-free, as I've done with all my previous mobile phones connected to this car.

I just have a feeling that the Bluetooth software in this model year 2012 car (13 years old) is unable to pair with the Bluetooth version protocol inherent in the current 2025 mobile phone I'm trying to connect. The only way I can determine that is to see if I can revert my current "new" mobile phone's Bluetooth version back to an earlier version to see if it will then connect. A previous responder (mustang7757) suggested that, and shared info on how to do so. From what I can determine, my older Samsung Galaxy phone has Bluetooth V 5.0, while my new Motorola Stylus has BT V 5.4.

 

[B. Diddy]

Hmm, BT 5.4 should still be backwards compatible with all earlier versions. Have you had a chance to change the Bluetooth protocol in the Developer Options as mustang7757 suggested?

Also, are you able to test any other phone's Bluetooth connection to the car? There's always the possibility that the car's Bluetooth interface is failing.

 

[mustang7757]

Thanks for your response. On the sporadic occasions when the car's instrument display does indicate the name of the phone (verbally saying it's connected), that display remains for just a few seconds and then disappears, meaning the connection has been dropped. You are correct: the system doesn't support music streaming...and that is just fine with me! What I want is the capability to make/receive phone calls hands-free, as I've done with all my previous mobile phones connected to this car.

I just have a feeling that the Bluetooth software in this model year 2012 car (13 years old) is unable to pair with the Bluetooth version protocol inherent in the current 2025 mobile phone I'm trying to connect. The only way I can determine that is to see if I can revert my current "new" mobile phone's Bluetooth version back to an earlier version to see if it will then connect. A previous responder (mustang7757) suggested that, and shared info on how to do so. From what I can determine, my older Samsung Galaxy phone has Bluetooth V 5.0, while my new Motorola Stylus has BT V 5.4.

Have you tried developers settings yet?

 

[Bobb]

Hmm, BT 5.4 should still be backwards compatible with all earlier versions. Have you had a chance to change the Bluetooth protocol in the Developer Options as mustang7757 suggested?

Also, are you able to test any other phone's Bluetooth connection to the car? There's always the possibility that the car's Bluetooth interface is failing.

Thanks for your response. You have confirmed what I have believed (and hoped!) that BT 5.4 should be backwards compatible. Because I can't pair the Stylus g with the car, I can only assume that the car's BT system just can't interface with the phone, perhaps because the car has a system that is so old (2012). I have not, as of yet, tried to change the phone's BT protocol as mustang7757 suggested, but I'll be doing so shortly.

BTW: My new Motorola Stylus G 2025 does pair easily with other cars.

I have, indeed, tested other phones, including two which I had previously paired and used successfully, so it appears the car's BT interface is operating properly.

Again...thanks for your kind response! I appreciate everyone's answers.

 

[Bobb]

Have you tried developers settings yet?

I have not yet had the opportunity to do so, but intend to try it in a few hours from now. Thanks for your efforts to advise me!

 

[mustang7757]

I have not yet had the opportunity to do so, but intend to try it in a few hours from now. Thanks for your efforts to advise me!

Great look forward in the finding if it helps.

 

[Bobb]

Great look forward in the finding if it helps.

Good Day Everyone...and thanks for your quick and kind responses.

Joy in Bluetooth Land! From the beginning, I suspected it was the Bluetooth system in my 2012 car, not my phone 2025 phone, that was the source of my inability to pair the phone with the car. Knowing that Bluetooth versions are supposed to be backwards compatible, I assumed my car's Bluetooth version was old enough to not be "forward compatible."


Upon the advice of a very good friend and fellow Fiat enthusiast of mine who manages a Fiat/Alfa Romeo dealership, I went into my Fiat's "Blue & Me" system (developed by MicroSoft) and, following a series of commands outlined by my buddy, I chose the option to "delete all user data." Voila! My next attempt to pair the phone was successful, and the car retained the pairing, and now functions just as one would expect a hands-free system to do!

Apparently, retention of some sort of user data within the car's "Blue & Me" system was preventing the vehicle from retaining/remembering its pairing with my new Motorola Stylus mobile phone. I wanted to avoid the steps of putting the phone in "developer" mode and retrograding to an earlier BT version, and it turned out I didn't have to!

YAY!

Thanks for your patient and generous assistance! It has been very much appreciated.

 

[B. Diddy]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing the solution here -- you may also want to post that in Fiat forums, since I would imagine it's not an uncommon issue.

 

[mustang7757]

Good Day Everyone...and thanks for your quick and kind responses.

Joy in Bluetooth Land! From the beginning, I suspected it was the Bluetooth system in my 2012 car, not my phone 2025 phone, that was the source of my inability to pair the phone with the car. Knowing that Bluetooth versions are supposed to be backwards compatible, I assumed my car's Bluetooth version was old enough to not be "forward compatible."


Upon the advice of a very good friend and fellow Fiat enthusiast of mine who manages a Fiat/Alfa Romeo dealership, I went into my Fiat's "Blue & Me" system (developed by MicroSoft) and, following a series of commands outlined by my buddy, I chose the option to "delete all user data." Voila! My next attempt to pair the phone was successful, and the car retained the pairing, and now functions just as one would expect a hands-free system to do!

Apparently, retention of some sort of user data within the car's "Blue & Me" system was preventing the vehicle from retaining/remembering its pairing with my new Motorola Stylus mobile phone. I wanted to avoid the steps of putting the phone in "developer" mode and retrograding to an earlier BT version, and it turned out I didn't have to!

YAY!

Thanks for your patient and generous assistance! It has been very much appreciated.

I'm happy to hear this , your welcome and glad you found the fix.

 

[Bobb]

I did exactly that: posted my findings in a popular Fiat 500 website forum! Grazie Mille!

Awesome! Thanks for sharing the solution here -- you may also want to post that in Fiat forums, since I would imagine it's not an uncommon issue.