West Herr New York shares tips for owners of any car that doesn't show caller information when a smartphone is paired with the vehicle.
Generally, a car will automatically download the phone's contact list once the phone is paired via Bluetooth. This makes answering calls safer and more convenient, as your car will show the caller's name if the caller is in your contacts list, according to a press release.
There are a few reasons why a contact's name isn't showing when the person calls, according to West Herr's blog.
Your phone may be too old. The newest vehicles with infotainment systems are built to connect with smartphones. For those who have older phones or even new flip phones, the phone's operating system may not be fully compatible with the vehicle. Even if the flip phone is new, it's technology is outdated and doesn't have the capabilities of a smartphone, according to West Herr.
The contacts list may not upload to the car is if it is stored on the phone's SIM card. If this is the case, go into the contact settings of your phone, export the full list as a single VCF file and then save that file to your phone's storage. The car should recognize the contacts after this.
If your car isn't connecting to your phone, you may need to set permissions to allow access. The first time you attempt to pair a phone with a vehicle, a popup should appear on the phone asking if it can share the contact list and call history with the vehicle. Select "allow" to export the list to the vehicle. If it doesn't work, unpair and then pair the phone again, and wait a couple of minutes for the devices to connect. Your phone's Bluetooth must be turned on to connect with the vehicle.
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