Trouble Pairing Phones On New Toyota Camry

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Mar 30, 2015
Messages
11,766
Location
Lake Havasu City, Arizona
My wife and I have identical first generation Motorola Moto G Smart Phones, and I can't get either of them to pair up with the Bluetooth in my new 2018 Camry. I was afraid this would happen. Both Bluetooth settings on both phones are "On". Per the manual with the car running in "Park", I first pressed "Menu", then, "Setup". I then selected "Bluetooth", then "Add A Device". The screen then say's, "Searching For Smartphone", with that little spoke wheel going round and round on the screen. But it never "finds" the phone. Both phones were fully charged, and I held them in very close proximity to the screen. (Just a few inches away).

You would think after a prescribed amount of time it would default to prompting you to do something else, but it doesn't. It just throws you into a hole, as it endlessly searches for the phone it never "finds". I don't know where to go from here? It doesn't work the way the manual say's it's supposed to. The manual shows a screen that allows you to select from a long list of phones. But I can't get to that screen. It also shows a, "Select Device Name", but again, no can do.

I was able to pair both phones to our Jeep Grand Cherokee effortlessly. The vehicle recognized both phones almost immediately, and the Bluetooth works exactly as it should. It even downloaded my directory from both phones right into the car. All the numbers automatically just showed up on the screen. I didn't have to do anything. But this new Toyota is being stubborn to say the very least. Can anyone help? If I have to I'll just take both phones along with the car, and drive over to the dealership and let them do it. But I thought I would check in here first.
 
I bet your phone is too old. There are different versions of BT and after a certain point, they are not backwards compatible.

I want to say that 4.0 is the "newer" protocol and works with most iPhones and newer Android devices.

Your Moto might require BT 2.1.
 
I used to have Moto g 2 and now have the 4 (looking forward for the 6) and what you need to do is to erase all devices you don't need in there and then try to pair it. I always have problems, too. I'm starting to think Motorola may have had put an old driver and it's not the device itself
 
You may be right, it might be out of date. Phone technology is seemingly updated about every 10 minutes. I'll take it to the dealer and let them try. If they can't it's not a big deal. Certainly not enough to make me run out and buy new phones, that's for sure. I tried the Toyota website, and I didn't see my phone anywhere. Even as far back as 2015 on the Camry, which is the year of my Jeep. And as I said, it paired fine.

https://www.toyota.com/entune/support/ea/phone-pairing/
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
In the phone do you have allow device to be discovered or something like that? Make sure that is turned on.


The Bluetooth selector on the phone itself is "On". The car is supposed to sense it, but for some reason it doesn't.
 
Toyota Mechanic here.

Toyota has already releases an update for multiple software issues, including Bluetooth. Depending on how old your car is (as in production date), it may need updated. It takes about 15 minutes to perform and is covered under warranty.

That said, your phone may be too old to work with the vehicle. Toyota Entune is not the best when it comes to playing nice with phones other than Samsung, LG, and some iPhones. They tend to not test phones that are more than a couple of years old. The bright side is that they try to fix software problems as they become evident, so asking if any updates are available when you are in for your free services may be the best plan.
 
SUCCESS!.... I tried it again and both phones paired up no problem. I think part of the problem was I didn't have the Bluetooth page up on the phone when I was attempting to pair it. I checked that page to make sure the Bluetooth was "On". But you need to have the Bluetooth page itself up and visible, because the phone prompts you to accept "Toyota Camry" on the phone itself. Then the car screen asks you if the PIN is correct. As soon as you press "Yes" it pairs instantly. Anyway I'm glad it finally worked out.
 
I had a Motorola phone 2 years ago. It wouldn't play nice with my Camry. The phone went back. The Samsung Galaxy works much better with my Camry.
 
I could not pair my flip phone to my 2016 Camry,called Toyota customer service they have a list of phones that will pair with your car ,my would not.
 
I should add that this new Camry also downloaded both directories from both phones automatically, just like my Grand Cherokee did. All I had to do after both phones were paired, is press the button on the steering wheel and tell it to, "Call Home".... And it did, with both phones.

What I found out after having now done this on 2 vehicles with the same 2 phones, is if you're doing everything right it will pair up in seconds. If for some reason there is difficulty, and it's taking a long time, there is something you're not doing correctly. Because with both my Jeep and this new Toyota, once everything is set up properly, they'll pair up almost instantly.
 
I don't know if this will help. But for anyone with a new Camry this is what you have to do to pair your phone, regardless if you have an Apple or an Android Smartphone:

1.) Go to the "Settings" page on your Smartphone. (Be sure the phone you are trying to pair is fully charged). Make sure your "Bluetooth" setting on your phone is "On". Leave that page up on your phone. (This is important). And always keep the phone in close proximity to the screen in the car.

2.) Start your car and have it idling in "Park".

3.) Press "Menu" on the faceplate, (Those 4 long skinny buttons just to the left of the screen).

4.) Then press "Setup" on the display screen.

5.) Then select "Bluetooth", then "Add A New Device".

6.) It will automatically search and find your phone. This will happen very quickly. If it doesn't, and keeps searching, something isn't right.

7.) Then just follow all the prompts on both the phone and display screen. It will ask you to verify the PIN#, and to accept and allow for various commands. ALWAYS hit: "Accept" and "Allow" or "Yes", or "OK". If you deny anything it can and will cause problems with the pairing. It all takes under a minute, and you should be good to go. When successfully completed, it will display the device you just added on the display screen, and show the number of the device. It should also download your directory as it pairs the phone. Your Smartphone will also show "Toyota Camry" on it's screen if the pairing was successful.

If my new 2018 Camry can pair a couple of 4 year old Motorola 1st Generation phones, it should pair anything. And I checked at the Toyota website and the Motorola Moto G wasn't even listed. And yet it paired it perfectly.
 
For what it's worth I just spent the last half hour trying to get this Scout Navigation App in my phone, (which Toyota say's you must have in order to use the navigation system), to link up with the Entune 3.0 System in my new Camry..... Unsuccessfully. This entire system is extremely user unfriendly. The entire navigation system not only won't work, but it won't tell or prompt you as to what you need to have in order for it to work. Do I need another App from Toyota in addition to the Scout Navigation App? I don't know. Which one? I don't know. Will the thing even work with Android phones? I don't know. Every Toyota video shows it with a I-Phone.

And I have researched this everywhere, and watched umpteen videos from Toyota and everyone else both on You Tube, as well as Toyota's website, and can find no definitive answers. Even the phone system itself is lousy. In my U-Connect System in my Jeep, it will automatically sense the phone and link it every time you get in the car and start it. It will pop up on the screen "Phone Ready", within 30 seconds after you start the vehicle. All that's required is to have the phone with you inside the vehicle. It does the rest. This Entune 3.0 System requires you to punch in the device every time you get in the car. All manually. That's a PITA.

And to make matters worse, my wife and I have identical phones that appear the same on the "Installed Device" screen. (Same letter and number code). So you have no idea which is which. If you should hit the wrong one, it won't link. Then you have to start over. Who is going to bother doing that every time they get in the car? Especially when you're in and out of the vehicle, running errands all over town. It's easier to just use the phone itself.

Overall I'm happy with the car. Mechanically it drives and handles like a dream. And it is an extremely comfortable vehicle. Even for me at 6'2" 220 lb. But Toyota has it's work cut out for them in regards to their whole navigation and phone system. When you pay upward of $30K for a new vehicle, you shouldn't have to play computer technician to get it to work properly. It should function properly as delivered. Toyota has dropped the ball big time on this one. And from what I've been reading on line, I'm not the only customer complaining and having issues with this system. And I believe this is something like the third version of it.
 
Yesterday I called the dealer to tell them the problems I was having getting the Navigation System up in running in my new Toyota. They asked me to bring it right in, and assured me they would get it going for me. When I got there a nice young kid came out and asked me who I was. When I told him he said he was waiting for me.

I had brought both phones with me, and told him they were both paired up with the vehicle. The kid got in and went to work. Deleting Apps, downloading new one's, pressing buttons left and right. I could tell in the first 30 seconds he knew what he was doing. Within 10 minutes he had everything working. We talked some, and he confided in me that most everyone they sell a car to, has some type of problems getting the Toyota Navigation up and running. They get calls constantly on it. Especially from women buyers.

He told me he was surprised that I was able to get both of my older Motorola Android phones paired up. He said most can't even do that. He admitted to me Toyota needs to get a better system designed and into their vehicles. I told him about my Jeep, and how well the Navigation worked in it. He said the Chrysler U-Connect system is currently the best one he's seen yet. Very user friendly, and delivered up and running on every new Dodge / Chrysler / Jeep. I had to agree with him.

The only other thing I don't care for, is in order to use the Scout Navigation System to it's full potential, you have to keep your phone hard wired into the USB port in the car. It not only allows for better, faster communication between the phone and the vehicle, and eliminates any interference, but it also keeps the phone battery fully changed for long trips. This is important because you have several Apps running all the time while using this system. Regardless of the type or brand of phone you have. So today I'll run to Best Buy and pick one up. In general, a lot of B.S. to get a Navigation system to work, that should have been working before I left the dealership. All Toyota's fault, not the dealers. Mechanically their cars are great. Their Navigation system sucks.
 
I used to be a product specialist at a BMW dealer, I'd say 90% of the navigation system issues I dealt with were due to the customer's lack of familiarity with the system. That's definitely not the situation in your case.
I used to say that if our customers actually read their owner's manual I would have been out of a job.
 
The only correction I need to make in regards to one of my above posts, is now when I enter the vehicle and start it, it will automatically "sense" the presence of either of my phones without me having to press anything on the screen, like I had to before. I'm sure this had something to do with whatever Apps the kid at the dealer deleted, and or installed when he went through the whole set up process.

Now it's working like it should. Once I enter the car with my phone and start it, my directory automatically pops up within seconds. This is a big plus from having to select which device I have on the screen every time you get in the vehicle and start it. I bought a connection wire from Best Buy the other day, and once the phone is plugged into the USB Port on the dash, it automatically displays the moving map without the driver having to do anything else.

There is a nice little storage compartment built into the counsel, just below the USB port that's perfect for storing the phone, along with the remainder of the cord while you're driving. It's lined with a soft, grippy, rubber material, much like a Hogue over molded rifle stock, that protects the phone, and prevents it from sliding around while you're driving.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top