Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR Owners of several Pixel and Samsung phones have reported that they cannot properly use Bluetooth audio in their cars.
The issue predominantly affects phones in the Pixel 7, 8, and 9 series across the stable and beta channels, though a few Samsung users are affected too.
The issue has apparently existed for over a year, and Google has acknowledged it, but hasn’t fixed it.
The Google Pixel devices are intended to be a role model for the ideal Android experience. Ironically, however, these devices, including the premium ones, suffer from far more bugs than most other popular Android devices. While most of them, thankfully, get fixed in a matter of weeks, there has been one protracted bug that hasn’t been resolved in over a year. And it’s driving people up the wall.
For months now, owners of several Google Pixel phones have been experiencing issues connecting to the head unit in their cars. According to several reports, Pixel phones don’t automatically connect to the car’s units immediately and require users to do it manually. For some, manual connections also fail, and the workaround they have figured out is to turn the media audio toggle on and off in the Bluetooth settings for their specific car’s head unit.
Have you had trouble connecting your Android phone to the car's Bluetooth? 38 votes Yes, I have that issue 53 % Only sometimes, but not frequently 8 % No I don't have the issue 39 %
One of our readers, Steven Smith, tipped us about the issue. But apparently, they’re not the only one suffering from it. Dozens of Pixel users have confirmed at various social forums, including these Reddit threads, that they have been facing the same issues in their vehicles.
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