2018 Uconnect Android Auto and Bluetooth issues

[ram-head]

I just bought a 2018 Big Horn that has the 8.4 in Uconnect with Nav. I hooked my phone through Bluetooth first and it worked fine. Except that when I turn my truck off and open the door, turning the radio off, the phone keeps playing music through it's speaker. I had a 2015 that I got rid of a couple of years ago that never did this. I know the Uconnect was a different software 9n that truck.

Since the Bluetooth was acting funny, I tried out the Android Auto. It works fine and I love having the maps and everything easily accessible. Except the sound stops working after every couple of songs. It keeps playing as indicated by the time index bar, the sound just stops. I have to hit pause and play to get the sound back.

Has anyone experienced these issues or know something to try? My phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.

 

[crash68]

Are all the phone apps up to date and which version of Android is the phone running? (can that be updated?)

 

[ram-head]

Are all the phone apps up to date and which version of Android is the phone running? (can that be updated?)

Everything on my phone is as updated as it can be. Android 12 on my phone. Samsung sucks about updating even their most expensive flagship phones more than a couple of times, so Android 12 was the last one I'll be getting.

It has to be an issue with either Android Auto or Samsung because both of the issues happen in my wife's Acadia, too. When we got it, I was thinking of getting a Sierra into I had those problems with her radio. So I went with another Ram since I knew the Bluetooth wired fine with Uconnect in my 2015. Turns out I'm having the same issues. I was hoping someone with a similar phone and truck had experienced these.

 

[18CrewDually]

Sounds like phone issue.
Try Unpairing the phone's bluetooth connection. Then after a reset, plug in and setup Android Auto.

 

[SitKneelBend]

Everything on my phone is as updated as it can be. Android 12 on my phone. Samsung sucks about updating even their most expensive flagship phones more than a couple of times, so Android 12 was the last one I'll be getting.

It has to be an issue with either Android Auto or Samsung because both of the issues happen in my wife's Acadia, too. When we got it, I was thinking of getting a Sierra into I had those problems with her radio. So I went with another Ram since I knew the Bluetooth wired fine with Uconnect in my 2015. Turns out I'm having the same issues. I was hoping someone with a similar phone and truck had experienced these.

My S22 running Android 13 started have Android Auto Issues a few months ago and several updates have failed to fix it. In my case, AA becomes unresponsive to screen touches in the radio (across several vehicles Ram/Chrysler/Nissan).

One solution I tried that others said worked for them was uninstalling Samsung's Smart Switch App (the app used for switching from an old phone). That didn't work for me but might be worth a try as your issue is slightly different it seems.

 

[ram-head]

My S22 running Android 13 started have Android Auto Issues a few months ago and several updates have failed to fix it. In my case, AA becomes unresponsive to screen touches in the radio (across several vehicles Ram/Chrysler/Nissan).

One solution I tried that others said worked for them was uninstalling Samsung's Smart Switch App (the app used for switching from an old phone). That didn't work for me but might be worth a try as your issue is slightly different it seems.

Worth a try. I don't need that app anyway. And these issues are beyond annoying. I can't seem to find what's triggering them. I unpaired the phone and reinstalled Android Auto before I went to the store earlier. The Bluetooth worked fine for a bit. It turned off when the truck went off like it should at a couple of stops. Then when I got home, turned the truck off, opened the door... My phone keeps playing music.

 

[SitKneelBend]

Worth a try. I don't need that app anyway. And these issues are beyond annoying. I can't seem to find what's triggering them. I unpaired the phone and reinstalled Android Auto before I went to the store earlier. The Bluetooth worked fine for a bit. It turned off when the truck went off like it should at a couple of stops. Then when I got home, turned the truck off, opened the door... My phone keeps playing music.

When you say keeps playing music, do you mean from the phone's speakers or the truck's?

 

[ram-head]

When you say keeps playing music, do you mean from the phone's speakers or the truck's?

From the phone. It will play from the truck until either the delay kills the power or I open a door, like it should. But then the music will switch to my phone speakers. Some times it stops playing like it should. But it doesn't do it every time. I can't figure out what is different when it does it from the times that it doesn't do it.

 

[SitKneelBend]

From the phone. It will play from the truck until either the delay kills the power or I open a door, like it should. But then the music will switch to my phone speakers. Some times it stops playing like it should. But it doesn't do it every time. I can't figure out what is different when it does it from the times that it doesn't do it.

Are you listening to it via Bluetooth instead of AA or the USB 1/2? I "think" that could be the behavior if Bluetooth disconnects, but I'm not positive.

 

[18CrewDually]

From the phone. It will play from the truck until either the delay kills the power or I open a door, like it should. But then the music will switch to my phone speakers. Some times it stops playing like it should. But it doesn't do it every time. I can't figure out what is different when it does it from the times that it doesn't do it.

That sounds like you're on bluetooth and your Phone's settings are allowing it to kick over to the phone speaker when it disconnects from BT.

 

[turkeybird56]

I phone running BT. When you disconnect, it will revert back to phone speaker. I have a Honda MC with a BT receiver for aux sound. When I run BT from phone, syncs to speakers. When either I turn off BT Aux on bike, or turn off bike, will revert back to phone. How I listen to Sirius and Pandora etc on MC since it is a 2006 and not BT capable without added on receiver. Same principle, just in this case not RAM, as my Radio only has low level U Connect 4 radio installed.

 

[ram-head]

Yeah, I'm using Bluetooth because the sound from Android Auto will randomly stop when a new song starts playing from time to time. It keeps playing, it's just the sound that stops. If I hit pause and then play, the sound comes back.

Are you listening to it via Bluetooth instead of AA or the USB 1/2? I "think" that could be the behavior if Bluetooth disconnects, but I'm not positive.

That sounds like you're on bluetooth and your Phone's settings are allowing it to kick over to the phone speaker when it disconnects from BT.

Any idea what setting that would be on a Samsung? It never did this on the previous Ram I had with the older Uconnect.

 

[tron67j]

On your Samsung, it might be your battery setting for the Android auto app (and any music apps you run). Try going into the Settings, Apps, select Android Auto (and any music apps you run, each individually), then select Battery, and select Unrestricted.

It kind of sounds (no pun intended) like the sound turns off because the phone goes into sleep mode.

Good luck

 

[SitKneelBend]

Yeah, I'm using Bluetooth because the sound from Android Auto will randomly stop when a new song starts playing from time to time. It keeps playing, it's just the sound that stops. If I hit pause and then play, the sound comes back.




Any idea what setting that would be on a Samsung? It never did this on the previous Ram I had with the older Uconnect.

I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but if I come across a fix for mine I'll post it back here. I'm thinking I'm going to run a script that removes most of the factory Samsung/Carrier software to see if that fixes the issue. I really only want Bixby Routines and even that id replace if I could get Automagic working on this phone.

 

[18CrewDually]

My phone is S23 on Android version 13 and One UI version 5.1 . I came from an S8!
I've tried to find the setting but failed. I remember there was a time if one of the phones disconnected from BT or headphone (S8) it would play the phone speaker but I can't remember how I changed it or if it was only the S8 that did it. If I figure something out of course I'll post but this S23 been flawless with AA on the 8.4 in my 2018.

 

[ram-head]

On your Samsung, it might be your battery setting for the Android auto app (and any music apps you run). Try going into the Settings, Apps, select Android Auto (and any music apps you run, each individually), then select Battery, and select Unrestricted.

It kind of sounds (no pun intended) like the sound turns off because the phone goes into sleep mode.

Good luck

I always forget about that setting. It was not set to allow background usage. But unfortunately it didn't fix it, though.

 

[ram-head]

My phone is S23 on Android version 13 and One UI version 5.1 . I came from an S8!
I've tried to find the setting but failed. I remember there was a time if one of the phones disconnected from BT or headphone (S8) it would play the phone speaker but I can't remember how I changed it or if it was only the S8 that did it. If I figure something out of course I'll post but this S23 been flawless with AA on the 8.4 in my 2018.

At this point, I'm thinking it's either a bug that will not get patched. Or something intentional to make you upgrade to a newer phone. But that would be a Samsung issue, and since this happens in my wife's GMC as well, I'm thinking it has to be an Android issue.

 

[vlamgat]

Welcome all to the world of Make Deceive! What you are experiencing is a disconnect between the Android updates, Android Auto updates and UUConnect which is seldom updated after the model year. This is not only a problem for all the Stellantis vehicles but also VW, and several Japanese makes. Versions of Bluetooth, Google apps, the OS (Android) and the inflexible phone OS (Samsung, LG, Apple) makes wireless transmission and control very difficult. This is why our (and most other) military branches have such expensive IT installations which they never change without huge investments. For example on the "new" F35 fighter, the communication busses between its flight instruments have had to be upgraded/changed (but same functionality) 4 times since the aircraft was introduced. Each occasion the change before installation was over $100M and after the change, every device on the aircraft had to be changed to be made compatible for which there is no known number as the opportunity was taken to change other things when this was done. Just like our phones. So that leaves our vehicles out in the cold until enough people make a noise about it which is expensive and difficult to prove.

 

[Treburkulosis]

Just so everyone knows, Sync is no better. Had a very similar issue with my flex yesterday. It would not connect. Unpaired it and then it never would find it again. I finally had to call sync this morning. They had to reboot it on their end after trouble shooting for a good 20 minutes. I will say this tho, they were a lot more helpful then Uconnect. I still can't access the wifi on my wifes 21 Grand Cherokee L. We tried to purchase it, called Uconnect for some trouble shooting for over an hour. I was told it was something the dealership would fix. They did an update and a reflash I believe and still nothing. It works when it wants to work. It will connect to her phone when it feels like it. Its pretty annoying.