Can?t place calls from Bluetooth device when the phone is locked?

[rajahd]

I have a handsfree Bluetooth kit in my car so that I can safely place calls while driving. This worked flawlessly with my previous Windows Mobile phones (Tilt/Tilt II). With the phone tucked in my pocket and the mobile OS ?locked? I could press the voice activation button on the dashboard and easily call someone. Not so with my shiny new AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II. Now I have to dig the phone out and unlock the device before I can use my handsfree system? are we back in the smartphone dark ages?? I might as well take up texting and driving while I?m at it and forget the handsfree unit altogether.

Apparently Google in their infinite wisdom has decided already paired Bluetooth devices pose a security risk. As such, when Android is ?locked? it disables any control from Bluetooth. I suppose if you work for the government or some place that you need Pentagon like security this makes sense. For the 95% of us that don?t need these draconian measures this is just plain stupid and potentially unsafe.

I?ve heard a few Android phones have a ?bluetooth bypass? option but apparently it?s rare (mine doesn?t have it) and I?ve read it doesn?t always work. I also can?t just disable locking since I connect to my work?s Exchange email which requires the device to have a PIN. And I shouldn?t have to throw away ALL security just to drive safely anyway.

I?d love to stick with Android and support a developer friendly platform but I?m not going to sacrifice usability and safety to do so. This issue is a deal breaker for me ? I?d be using an iPhone right now if I knew of this problem a few months ago. If it?s not solved I?ll be an iPhone user in about 8 months. This would be a shame since I don?t like Apple as a company, it?s too bad they seem to be the only ones who really get how people use technology.

If you know of a *real* solution to this problem I?d love to hear it. So far everything I?ve found out there goes unanswered (except for flames and other unconstructive replies) or states unrealistic answers (turn off security, stop making phone calls while driving, blah blah blah).

 

[werds]

Re: Can?t place calls from Bluetooth device when the phone is loc

Why did you copy paste a rant into multiple Android forums instead of asking a question minus the nerd rage? You would likely get more constructive responses and quicker to boot if you applied a slight amount of forum let alone net etiquette. (PS I R copy pasta 2!)

 

[keoni34]

Re: Can?t place calls from Bluetooth device when the phone is loc

I've posted this problem a couple months ago and I did not get any constructive replies back myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[derande]

Re: Can?t place calls from Bluetooth device when the phone is loc

My GS2 will make bluetooth calls from when locked perfectly well. when paired to my infiniti g35, i press call from the steering panel and even when the phone is locked it will dial any number in my phonebook.
ezz no problem, mang.

 

[rajahd]

Re: Can?t place calls from Bluetooth device when the phone is loc

Why did you copy paste a rant into multiple Android forums instead of asking a question minus the nerd rage? You would likely get more constructive responses and quicker to boot if you applied a slight amount of forum let alone net etiquette. (PS I R copy pasta 2!)

I posted it across forums because people don't seem to respond to these questions except with stupid flames like yours lol. If you don't have anything constructive to add to the thread maybe just shut it?? I bought a phone, it doesn't seem to work as a phone should and I'm trying to solve the problem, end of story. Anyway I'll reply across forums too...

I'm headed into the AT&T store tomorrow to do some definitive tests but so far I'm skeptical people who say it's working for them truly have their phone locked (with a PIN, etc). The Bluetooth unit in question is a Parrot CK3100 LCD - a bit dated (3 years old) but it works flawlessly with several WinMo phones, several non smartphones (mostly Nokia's), and we just tried a friend's iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. In all cases phonebook and voice dialing not only worked excellently it worked when the phones were truly locked and the screen off.

On the other hand the 3 Android devices I've tried all have the same problem - they won't dial out either by phone book entry or voice recognition unless you unlock the device first. The 3 devices are: Samsung Galaxy S II (AT&T), Samsung Galaxy S (Verizon), and EVO 3D (T-Mobile).

Unfortunately I don't have any other Bluetooth headsets to try out, hence my planned trip to AT&T. I plan on walking out of their either with a Bluetooth device that works or an iPhone Thanks for the replies.

 

[KeiranSolaris]

Re: Can?t place calls from Bluetooth device when the phone is loc

When my GSII is locked with a pattern lock hitting the button on my Jawbone Era does nothing. If the phone is unlocked then Vlingo fires up and it works fine.

 

[ChuckeeDroid]

No problems calling from a locked phone here. Acura TSX.

Sent from my GT-P7510

 

[milominderbinde]

Re: Can?t place calls from Bluetooth device when the phone is loc

...Now I have to dig the phone out and unlock the device before I can use my handsfree system…

That is done on purpose to prevent someone from taking your phone and bluetooth and being able to use your phone without unlocking it.

You could use Tasker to automatically unlock your phone when you connect your bluetooth.

Since security is not an issue for you, you could use an app like No Lock to skip the lock screen completely.

Or ICS has a built in option to keep the phone on while on a charger.

Or the Stay Awake Widget does the same thing for free until ICS comes out. When you get in the car, pop the phone into a dock or onto a charger and unlock it. It will stay unlocked until you leave the car and will be charged.

Before you consider an iPhone, are your sure that you would be OK giving up 40 of your features? See the: Apple User's Guide to Android.

 

[werds]

Re: Can?t place calls from Bluetooth device when the phone is loc

I posted it across forums because people don't seem to respond to these questions except with stupid flames like yours lol. If you don't have anything constructive to add to the thread maybe just shut it?? I bought a phone, it doesn't seem to work as a phone should and I'm trying to solve the problem, end of story. Anyway I'll reply across forums too...

I'm headed into the AT&T store tomorrow to do some definitive tests but so far I'm skeptical people who say it's working for them truly have their phone locked (with a PIN, etc). The Bluetooth unit in question is a Parrot CK3100 LCD - a bit dated (3 years old) but it works flawlessly with several WinMo phones, several non smartphones (mostly Nokia's), and we just tried a friend's iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. In all cases phonebook and voice dialing not only worked excellently it worked when the phones were truly locked and the screen off.

On the other hand the 3 Android devices I've tried all have the same problem - they won't dial out either by phone book entry or voice recognition unless you unlock the device first. The 3 devices are: Samsung Galaxy S II (AT&T), Samsung Galaxy S (Verizon), and EVO 3D (T-Mobile).

Unfortunately I don't have any other Bluetooth headsets to try out, hence my planned trip to AT&T. I plan on walking out of their either with a Bluetooth device that works or an iPhone Thanks for the replies.

I'm sorry if you failed to see the constructive part of my post. The portion that mentioned how being rude is less likely to get you help. Then again I kind of figured you wouldn't comprehend that anyways even before I made my initial response. BTW when you posted your initial comment a quick Google search answered the question the same as how Milo responded.

I also went out and tested it with my Jabra bluetooth speaker and with my wifes bluetooth in her Hyundai. Same result- if I am only on a lock screen with no password or pattern lock bluetooth picks up and voice calls just fine with no issue. If there is a lock on it then it won't. Makes simple sense as far as security goes and the issues are easily bypassed.

 

[Angelsnecropolis]

I can understand OPs nerd rage. I dislike the pointless replies like "don't talk & drive, har har." When I ask for assistance I want viable solutions & not pointless dribble that doesn't address my concern. However, being a psychology nerd I also understand that when expressing such an opinion there will always be those that will push back anyways & often on purpose upon hearing/reading such comments. @OP, the best way to avoid flamers is to not fuel the fire. But I can empathize with your frustration.

Anyways, I'm following this topic bec I just got a Bluetooth & experienced the same issue when using a pattern lock. It maybe a security risk for bluetooth to bypass the lock but that's my risk to take. If tasker will solve this, while still remaining locked, that would be a decent work-around. But I would prefer that ICS implement this feature built in.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S II

 

[milominderbinde]

Re: Can?t place calls from Bluetooth device when the phone is loc

... BTW when you posted your initial comment a quick Google search answered the question the same as how Milo responded...

When someone comes asking for help, everyone rallies to help.

If their goal is to attack, they often get that wish instead.

The Getting Started button is at the top of every page for those who are interested in a quick solution.

 

[rajahd]

Re: Can?t place calls from Bluetooth device when the phone is loc

Just to put closure to this, the situation has been remedied. AT&T is swapping my phone with an iPhone. I talked to a lot of unhelpful, unfriendly, and uncaring customer service people but finally reached someone who understood the issue and was willing to resolve the situation fairly.

It's also confirmed without a doubt that by default Android OSs (at least up to 2.3.x) deny bluetooth control while the phone is locked (PIN/pattern locked, not just screenlocked). As I stated in my original post calling this a security feature is crazy - *most* people don't need this level of security especially when it it compromises the ability to use the phone safely. To have this as a default, unchangeable behavior is asinine.

Those of you who are reporting your phone works fully with bluetooth even when locked are in the minority - either you're just screenlocking the phone (no PIN/pattern required), you're plugging into a device which disables locking (some recent built in car systems have this feature apparently) or you've got a rare model that has bluetooth bypass. Go buy a lottery ticket cause you're lucky!

For now I'm jumping off the Android bandwagon. Good luck and again thanks to those who made constructive replies.

 

[empeyg]

Re: Can?t place calls from Bluetooth device when the phone is loc

I found a solution. I installed Tasker and Secure Settings. In Tasker, I create a profile for when my bluetooth device connects to my phone. I then created a task that disables my PIN.
I also created a profile that re-enables my PIN when the bluetooth connection is lost.

I still say that Samsung has this screwed up and I'm very disappointed that I even had to install third party software to make this work.

Greg

 

[janiesw]

This is my first ever post. I have the same problem... but the most frustrating part is that it USED to work until a few months ago. I cannot remember exactly when. I have an ~1 year old Samsung Galaxy Nexus and a Plantronics Voyager Pro+ bluetooth. I have a passcode on my phone. Until a few months ago, I would put on my BT headset, press and hold the button, and VOILA, the default Google voice dialer would come up and pretty accurately hear my "Call xxxx at yyy" requests. I'm on 4.1 of the OS now. The problem seemed to occur when Voice Dial became Voice Search. I have some older direct-dial widgets and don't see a way to get new ones. It is as if the older Voice Dial just disappeared and the new Voice Search doesn't have the same "dialing" smarts. I got some tech support from Plantronics this week - it was suggested that I delete my headset from the bluetooth list, turn off phone, and re-pair. The BT at least now will dial with a 2-second press, but it will still not wake up the phone and unlock it. That feature seems to be gone. VERY frustrating (and unsafe). Without further solutions, I will have to decide if I want to lock my phone or be able to make handsfree calls from the car. I hope this info gives others some insight or maybe someone will have more info on progress towards a solution.

 

[Louise Coughlin]

Re: Can?t place calls from Bluetooth device when the phone is loc

I have tried to do this I have managed to download tasker but I am struggling to create profile and tasks. any chance you coudl do a step by step (word for word) what you did? thanks

 

[Mr Tripod]

re: Unable to place calls over Bluetooth when Android phone UI screen is locked

Had a similar issue on a Samsung Galaxy phone. After entering the Phone app (eg: what you would launch to dial a number), choose CALL SETTINGS > CALL ACCESSORIES > OUTGOING CALL CONDITIONS.

This section had a default setting of "ONLY WHEN DEVICE UNLOCKED". Changing it to "EVEN WHEN DEVICE LOCKED" completely solved and eliminated the issue I was experiencing. Oddly and gratefully, the new setting did not change anything noticeable on the device and no manually-dialed calls are able to be placed without first unlocking the phone - just as it was prior to this change.

As I always engage the UI lock feature on all of my devices (to keep nosey people from accessing the device), the aforementioned setting was apparently prohibiting the Bluetooth session - despite already being authorized / paired - from making subsequent calls as described above. I presume this to be a glitch - in Android or Bluetooth - since it did allow a single call after reconnecting each BT session.

Hope this helps.

 

[Malcy jb]

Re: Unable to place calls over Bluetooth when Android phone UI screen is locked

Had a similar issue on a Samsung Galaxy phone. After entering the Phone app (eg: what you would launch to dial a number), choose CALL SETTINGS > CALL ACCESSORIES > OUTGOING CALL CONDITIONS.

This section had a default setting of "ONLY WHEN DEVICE UNLOCKED". Changing it to "EVEN WHEN DEVICE LOCKED" completely solved and eliminated the issue I was experiencing. Oddly and gratefully, the new setting did not change anything noticeable on the device and no manually-dialed calls are able to be placed without first unlocking the phone - just as it was prior to this change.

As I always engage the UI lock feature on all of my devices (to keep nosey people from accessing the device), the aforementioned setting was apparently prohibiting the Bluetooth session - despite already being authorized / paired - from making subsequent calls as described above. I presume this to be a glitch - in Android or Bluetooth - since it did allow a single call after reconnecting each BT session.

Hope this helps.

 

[Malcy jb]

Re: Unable to place calls over Bluetooth when Android phone UI screen is locked

This section had a default setting of "ONLY WHEN DEVICE UNLOCKED". Changing it to "EVEN WHEN DEVICE LOCKED" completely solved and eliminated the issue I was experiencing. Oddly and gratefully, the new setting did not change anything noticeable on the device and no manually-dialed calls are able to be placed without first unlocking the phone - just as it was prior to this change.


This is the answer everyone has been searching for, simple but unless you know where to look for the setting, and believe me I have spent hours trying to get this to work, once you know it is easy and works perfectly, Android has a lot to answer, it seems the default is now dial, only when screen unlocked, before the default was either.. Thanks android, but more thanks to the guy who posted this.

 

[Mrwolfe69]

Re: Can�t place calls from Bluetooth device when the phone is locked?

Just to clarify for all, the reason that some people are NOT having problems is because their car bluetooth is picking up the slack.

My wife drives an Audi Q3 and I have a Jabra bluetooth speakerphone in my car. I can make calls with my SGS7 in the Audi, but not via the Jabra. This is because the bluetooth system in the Audi handles voice dialing whereas the Jabra relies on the phone's internal system, which of course is useless with the screen locked. It still doesn't change that fact that my (really old) Nokia Navigator 6710 had no problems making calls via bluetooth with the phone in my pocket while the Samsung is a waste of space.