BMW bluetooth + iPhone connected = no sound from CamerAlert

[ILoveSatNav]

I have a BMW with professional sat nav and when my iphone is connected via bluetooth to the car, there is no audible warnings.

The only way to get this to work is to put the phone in the iphone cradle in armrest (which then charges the phone and allows me to play my music stored on my phone) and when I have cameralert on, the sounds come through at an astonishingly loud level!

But if I want to listen to the radio instead of my phone music, I'm back to no audible warnings again!

Any ideas?

Also, is there a way of adding the speed camera database to my built in (hard disc drive located) sat nav system? would be easier than using the phone.

Thanks.

[tankerman10]

I've just bought a BMW and found the same. With the phone Bluetoothed to the car there's no audio from Cameralert unless the phone is used as a media player - which means I can't listen to the radio and get camera warnings.

Has anyone found a solution?

[Xman]

Also bmw owner here - I found the Bluetooth connection works for a while but you need to put up the volume of the car really high - alerts for some reasons eventually stop... Is an old app that needs development - it would be nice to hear ANYTHING from the guys here

[IanS100]

The best option with BMW Nav is to have CA playing through the phone speaker, but again the volume is crazy loud compared to other apps, I've all but stopped using CA for this very reason. It definitely needs updating with options for sound level via speaker
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Galaxy Note 4 / TomTom GO : CamerAlert : CoPilot

[akkipaa]

Please check first that your BMW's software is up to date and update if you notice that newer versions are available. If you don't get voice to BMW's speakers, check that settings in iPhone is ok, like in Bluetooth setting there is you BMW's equipment (BMW 76... in my phone) and behind (i) check that "show notifications" is on.

Volume level is tricky, there's no bt volume control, but I have set it when playing mp3 player to highest and the voice is on reasonable level in audio. Also that funny "your own phone is calling" is helpful in BMW's screen, you get used to it and know that CA is alarming.

(I have done this also to my wife's phone and she hasn't made any incident reports to me lately. Once her CA stopped alarming and the reason was the "show notification" setting. For reason I don't know it had been changed).

[MaFt]

This is a bit like saying "I can't listen to the radio when I've got a CD on". CamerAlert by default uses the bluetooth audio so, of course, you need to have the stereo set to being on bluetooth receiver mode.

There is also an option in the settings of CamerAlert to use Bluetooth Headset mode - which would treat it as a call and generally override whatever audio you're using on the headunit.

See section 6 a ii in the manual: http://cameralert.com/manual/ios

MaFt

[akkipaa]

Yeah, MaFt, you are right, that's the technical explanation, but I think user requirement is easy: just alarm without thinking what "channel" (ext, radio, cd, podcast coming from car's internet or phone) you are listening or following.

For example BMW snap-in-adapter works fine when you just set BMW audio to "listen" external port, but how to explain this to spouse who is the end user

I answered too early, now she seems to have an "after call" issue, CA stops alerting, and I haven't had a possibility to check what happens in the phone (it is set to use bt "like a call" as you explained, which is the only possibility if you like to have CA as slave passing all alerts through all other audio.

I know it's an combination of CA, Jobs and BMW but I hope that in the future parties open the interfaces so that end user requirements can be fulfilled, right.

[akkipaa]

Okay, I managed to make a test with iPhone 6S, BMW Bluetooth and CA. Everything goes ok, but after a call CA stops alerting BMW audio and the voice comes from iPhone speakers. I checked all settings from iPhone/CA and everything is unchanged (audio out in CA is Bluetooth). iPhone has newest iOS and BMW is almost brand new with newest software (I checked that also with VIN from BMW).

I didn't find fast workaround, paring of course is one possibility, probably booting all clears the situation, but it would really nice to know which party should do some development. Stopping after every call is not an option.

My apologies also, I know that this has been discussed in some other tread also, but the solution there (if I remember correctly) was updating the software and that is not the whole solution.

[akkipaa]

After having driven four weeks with CA, BMW and iPhone in snap-in-adapter (in armrest) I feel this is the best solution so far. Loud Ok, warnings without "own number is calling" and you can use phones apps like Spotify and eBooks when driving. Only cons is that radio is useless, you miss the warnings if listening the radio as discussed here earlier. Workaround is to use phones web radios but I drove in the areas where net coverage was not the best one (probably Spotify use cleverly the bandwidth, I didn't face more than one or two lost connection situation.

But definitely I am waiting integration of warning apps and car apps environment. It's not rocket science to integrate/code for example CA to cars systems, IF ALL parties are eager for the solution.

(Btw, I saw in newest BMW price list that Apple's CarPlay was an option (with X5/6 versions), let's hope that it brings the solution here, right.)

[M8TJT]

Knowing the problems involved in interfacing anything with Apple stuff, there will be little to no chance of that happening.

[akkipaa]

Yes, I know.

I hope that in my next car this happens: "CarPlay takes the things you want to do with your iPhone while driving and puts them right on your car’s built-in display. You can get directions, make calls, send and receive messages, and listen to music, all in a way that allows you to stay focused on the road. Just connect your iPhone and go. (this is from Apple pages)". And CA will be included to that also.

[akkipaa]

My latest tests gives a shine and light also to this no-voice-after-call issue. iPhone 5S / iOS 11.0.3 / CA 2.0.6 / BMW and after first calls CA keep alarming! Additional evidence is still needed, I keep you posted, but currently I recommend all BMW/audio users to upload all latest versions, and keep fingers crossed!

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