Entune messages issue with iPhone workaround

[renau001]

SOLUTION, thanks to [MENTION=144194]AussieMom[/MENTION]:
If you have quick contacts on your home screen or have quick contacts setup while using an iPhone 5-6s [Entune Messages] will not work.

Unpair your phone, forget device under bluetooth on iPhone and remove cached data in setup on Entune.

Now start setup of iPhone and Entune as if you are new to system, DO NOT setuup quick contacts on your home screen on Entune, ensure you have notifications turned on iPhone in the bluetooth settings.


ORIGINAL POST:
Text messaging and entune have been a bit finicky for me. So I wanted to post this as a potential solution for others (albeit a slightly inconvenient workaround) and also to ask if anybody has had the specific issue I'm having and came up with a permanent solution. I've been through a few entune threads and haven't seen it framed up exactly like this, although I could have easily missed it so sorry if this is repetitive.

Almost every time (>90%) I start up entune the phone will connect fine for all functions except Messages. I can still get a message alert but it will not play it/read it over the speakers (if I'm moving) or display the text on the screen (if I'm stopped) like it's supposed to. When I go to the Message app on entune, I get this:

even though I've had it connected and set up many times before.
If I hit 'Yes' it just shows this and does nothing and never connects:

Now if I go to my phone's bluetooth settings after starting up entune and after my phone has connected to entune, and then cycle the 'Show Notifications' button, I can then go to the messages app and set up messaging and it will connect and work just like its supposed to.

But I have to do this almost every time I start up entune after it being shut off.

So has anybody had this or have a fix? I have now used entune with 2 different iPhones (a 5 and an SE) with two different versions of iOS (8.something and 9.3). I have not tried to get any kind of entune update yet, but vehicle's only a couple months old so I would think the entune version would be okay.

For those that have the same problem and haven't found a solution. Cycling the 'Show Notifications' button in the phone's bluetooth settings and then setting up messages again has worked every time for me. I just have to remember to do it when I get in the truck and start it up.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[proimion]

Siri Eyes Free can help!

I agree this problem is horrifying. How could Toyota release a feature like this that cannot work with the iPhone? I mean, it isn't a BlackBerry or Windows Phone. We are talking iPhone here!

Do you have a 2016 model? If so, it should have "Siri Eyes Free" feature. I have found this to be a more effective way to deal with texting. With iphone connected via bluetooth, press and hold the "answer" phone button on the steering wheel (not the voice button). Once Siri activates, say what you want.

Here's an example "conversation" I had when I heard a text message alert come through:

I pressed the phone icon until Siri beeps.
Me: "Read my latest text message."
Siri: I found your latest message from Bob Smith. Bob Smith says: running late will be there in 10.
Siri: Would you like to reply?
Me: yes
Siri: Go ahead
Me: OK no problem see you soon
Siri: Here is your reply: OK no problem see you soon
Siri: Shall I send it?
Me: Yes
Siri: I sent it

If I want to send a message I just activate Siri and say "Send a text message to Bob Smith" and there we go.

Siri will only read new messages to you. If you ask her to read your latest message and you've already read it prior, she will say "You have no messages."

You can ask Siri anything this way. "What's the temperature in Denver?" "What time is it in Berlin?" "What is my next appointment?" And on an on.

Great feature.

 

[proimion]

I just want to clarify on my post above--this is done without touching the phone at all. Use the "answer phone" button on the steering wheel and the entire thing is handled through the entune audio.

 

[renau001]

Well, it all works, just not sure why I have to reset the messaging function each time. Not too sure it's not an iPhone issue vs an entune issue. But Yeah, Siri eyes free is good. I may go to it exclusively, if I get tired of going into Bluetooth settings each time I start the truck.

 

[MTBT4RTrail]

Subbed. I just bought a 2016 TE and have been having the same issue. I've only been able to receive two texts and have them read to me. All others I just get a beep and incoming message on the screen but the read button is greyed out and the message isn't displayed. It would be great to make this work. For now I'll be using Siri, I guess. I'm using an iPhone 6.

 

[TexasBock]

Same thing is happening to me. New IPhone 6S.

I will try your work around.

 

[10centVincent]

I just bought a 2016 4Runner Limited with the premium Entune application suite. I have an iPhone 6S running iOS 9.3.2

I have the same issues with text messages. The first time I setup the Bluetooth pairing and activated the show notifications all my text messages showed on the infotainment center console and were able to be read. But each time I leave the vehicle and return text message notifications show up in the console but the read button is greyed out. Only the Ignore button is available.

If I then go to Apps>Messaging it asks me if I want to setup messaging (AGAIN!). If I go through the process to re-enable notifications it works --- until the next time I leave and reenter the vehicle. EVERY TIME!!! Very frustrating.

On a side note, I was also having trouble with the Entune Pandora app. It would work great but at 75% of the time when I reentered the vehicle it would either not start, give a tether error, tell me I needed to sign into my account or play choppy music. I finally solved this by removing the stand alone Pandora app from my phone. Yep - simply deleting the app from my phone resolve a conflict in the Entune version of Pandora. Still a little put off by this because now any time I'm at home or another location outside my vehicle and want to listen to Pandora I have to re-download the app, re sign-in, and then when I'm done delete the app AGAIN!

The hands-free text message reading was a key selling point to me when I purchased this vehicle and needless to say I'm very unhappy that this safety feature is not available to me. Even though I'm running a compatiable phone, best in class smart phone with the latest OS patch Entune does not seems to care about developing a solution. This definitely has tarnished the Toyota brand in my mind!

If anyone ever figures out a permanent solution with out daisy-two-step work arounds for Pandora and hands free text messaging you will be my hero.

 

[10centVincent]

Update

I've learned a few other things since my original post...

1. The issue with the Read button being greyed out on text messages does not occur if I enter the vehicle with the iPhone unlocked. If the iPhone is locked when I enter the vehicle, or locks at some point while connected to vehicle, the messages Read button greys out.
2. The work around of using Siri by pressing the answer phone button works pretty well as a work around.
3. Deleting the stand-alone Pandora app resolved most of my Entune Pandora issues, but still, randomly I have to log out of Entune and back into Entune in order to "refresh" the app on the iPhone.

 

[MaliciousClout]

Delete and reinstall.


I had all of the same issues until:


1)I made the phone forget the Toyota 4Runner

2)Restarted my phone by doing a "hard reset" hold the home and power button until the Apple Logo appears. Iphone 6s is what I have.

3)Unplugged my battery to the 4Runner let it sit for 10-15 minutes.

4) Deleted and reinstalled the stand alone Pandora app.



Sometimes a recently downloaded app will conflict with everything, sometimes a restart after that app fixes it, sometime not. Anyway, I hope this helps you.

 

[RTRunner]

I had the same issue and was able to solve it. I went into the settings on both the phone and the 4runner and made them each "forget" the other device, and then I paired them again.

Here's the weird thing though: the first time I did this, the message app still had the same problem (it worked only until the truck was turned off and then wouldn't operate properly afterward). A day or two later I tried again (removing both devices and re-syncing) and I haven't a problem since.

:noidea:

 

[RyanEJ25]

Never had an issue with my Android....Maybe thats the solution? LOL.

 

[TRDproMGM]

I run into the same issue with an IPhone 6s.... For me, if I simply cycle the bluetoothe on/off after starting the read message starts working again. Still inconvenient but with the shortcut menu on the iPhone it takes very little time to do it. I did the reset/repairing and ran into the issue the next time I started the car. I cycled the Bluetooth on/off and it works until the next time I start the car. I think the key is turning on the Bluetooth after entune start up.

 

[MMLanford]

I was just wondering if anyone has this issue with other Toyota vehicles?

I bought my 2016 4-Runner TForce a month ago and am having the same problem....

I never had the problem with my 2014 Highlander Limited. My husband drives a 2016 Tundra TSS 4x4 and neither one of us has a problem with it's text readback/entune messaging and we didn't have the problem with my husband's 2014 Tundra TSS 4x4 either.

Why would my 2016 4-Runner have a problem and not my husband's 2016 Tundra? They have the same infotainment system, right?

He and I both have iPhone 6 Plus phones.....

 

[ggpike]

So my iPhone also had the Messages problem with Entune. It worked when I first set it up and then stopped working after the first Entune update. I tried reconnecting, deleting the phone from Entune and adding it back, reinstalling the Entune app on my phone, triple checked notification settings on my phone, and made sure all the options for messaging were checked in Entune. Like everyone else, nothing worked.

However, one day I was just sitting in my truck messing with the settings and tried something different. I went in the Messaging Settings within Entune and unchecked all the boxes.

I then rechecked all the boxes and lo and behold the Messaging started to work again on Entune. So it seems that when I connected the phone, even a new one, the boxes were all pre-checked. For some reason it wasn't registering it.

 

[renau001]

So my iPhone also had the Messages problem with Entune. It worked when I first set it up and then stopped working after the first Entune update. I tried reconnecting, deleting the phone from Entune and adding it back, reinstalling the Entune app on my phone, triple checked notification settings on my phone, and made sure all the options for messaging were checked in Entune. Like everyone else, nothing worked.

However, one day I was just sitting in my truck messing with the settings and tried something different. I went in the Messaging Settings within Entune and unchecked all the boxes.

I then rechecked all the boxes and lo and behold the Messaging started to work again on Entune. So it seems that when I connected the phone, even a new one, the boxes were all pre-checked. For some reason it wasn't registering it.

Thanks for something new. Will try this soon.

 

[ggpike]

Thanks for something new. Will try this soon.

Since it has been a while since I've done it, I really hope I didn't leave anything out inadvertently. I can't remember if that was it, or if I turned bluetooth off and back on before I rechecked them, etc. But it's been working flawlessly for about 5 months now

 

[Large Saints Fan]

For those that have the same problem and haven't found a solution. Cycling the 'Show Notifications' button in the phone's bluetooth settings and then setting up messages again has worked every time for me. I just have to remember to do it when I get in the truck and start it up.

Thanks in advance for any help![/QUOTE]

Just so you guys know, every manufacturer of mobile Bluetooth systems has this problem with IPhone.
Selecting Show notifications on lock screen will correct the issue but every time you so much as update an app, you will have to delete the phone from the car and the car from the phone. I work at a Chevy/Cadillac dealer and we also own a Ford and Dodge dealer. Every one of us is having this issue with Apple.

Android works flawlessly FWIW.

 

[munkel]

good info here, been battling with text messages and entune/siri.

 

[mgreen6616]

2016 TEP, iPhone 6 paired at the dealership the day I purchased it and never had a problem with messaging.

 

[Quicksand~]

I've been fighting with this same thing for the last couple weeks. The only temporary fix I have is cycling BT on and off. Until I power down the system and have to start over again. Let me know if anyone has found a fix. I just tried the last suggestion with no luck. Thanks..