Every smartphone sold globally comes with a standard Bluetooth feature to improve connectivity. That said, Bluetooth is an important in-car tech and is now as much a staple of in-car tech as other car features. Almost every car model has a built-in Bluetooth feature these days. Let’s take a closer look at what car Bluetooth is and the features it offers.
What is Car Bluetooth?
Car Bluetooth allows wireless communication between your car and your smartphone. Once you pair Bluetooth to car, the car infotainment system can play music from your phone or accept hands-free phone calls.
In certain Bluetooth-enabled vehicles, you can even use the buttons on various types of the steering wheels or infotainment systems to manage the features on your smartphone. It can make use of convenient options like voice control or apps that are typically only available on smartphones.
Origin of Car Bluetooth
The first Bluetooth-compatible car was introduced back in 2001, and other manufacturers later followed suit. Today, Bluetooth is a standard feature in the majority of vehicles.
Since every system is not created equal, in the early days, entry-level car models just permitted music playback through the car’s speakers. While more sophisticated alternatives allow you to make phone calls while driving.
The most advanced models have smartphone mirroring apps such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which project a summary of your phone onto the vehicle’s infotainment screen.
How to Connect to Bluetooth in a Car
Once your smartphone is paired with the car’s infotainment system, you should be able to navigate through the apps, make hands-free phone calls, use voice commands to control different features, and much more. To connect your smartphone to your car Bluetooth, follow these steps.
- Navigate the Bluetooth option in your smartphone from the settings menu and activate it.
- On your car’s infotainment system, navigate to your ‘devices’ or ‘phone’ menu.
- Press the ‘Add a device’ option.
- Scan for Bluetooth-capable devices on your smartphone.
- As soon as you see your vehicle’s name as a potential device, click on it for pairing. It may prompt you to enter a code or password in your smartphone, many automatically generate the code when in close range with a potential Bluetooth-enabled device.
Car Bluetooth Features
There are multiple features of car Bluetooth you can choose from, some are detailed below.
1. Make Hands-Free Calls
You’ll see a list of contacts on the dashboard display when you press the ‘Phone’ icon button on your steering wheel or dashboard. You may programme your favourite contacts to show up first.
When you make a call or receive one, the stereo pauses the music automatically. Most car models allow you to answer or end a call with a button on the steering wheel as well.
As smartphones let you view your call history and the list of missed calls, the car Bluetooth lets you do the same.
2. Play Music
If you have a modern car, you can scroll to your favourite music app using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. You can also stream on your go-to search engine to stream music through voice commands.
3. Use Voice Control
Many car models have voice assistants such as BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant. The voice assistant of your car or your smartphone can be activated by a short press or long press of a button on your steering wheel respectively.
Once connected with Bluetooth, you can easily issue voice commands to control different features. For every command you issue, there is a menu of further sub-options for you to choose from.
4. Use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are accessible in many modern cars. To use them you must have a compatible smartphone, such as iOS for Apple CarPlay and Android for Android Auto. While many cars allow accessing these apps by plugging your smartphone into the car’s USB port, newer models can access them via a wireless Bluetooth connection.
These apps replicate your phone’s display on the infotainment screen, allowing you to use your favourite apps as you would on your smartphone.
5. Call Waiting and Three-Way Calling
Some smart car Bluetooth systems allow the user to make group calls and include two more individuals in the same call.
If you are already on a call, your Bluetooth system would put the other incoming calls on hold for you to answer.
FAQs
Can I install Bluetooth in my car?
Yes, you can install Bluetooth in your car if it is already not equipped with in-built Bluetooth. There are three ways by which you can install Bluetooth in your car, they include universal Bluetooth kits, vehicle-specific Bluetooth kits, or buying a modern infotainment system with in-built Bluetooth tech.
That’s where we conclude all about car Bluetooth. With the wireless smartphone projection gaining popularity, mostly all owners are inclined to use wireless Bluetooth for cars. Bluetooth for your car is a user-friendly service which you can access by simply pairing your smartphone with your car. This contributes to the Internet of Things in cars as well.
Besides, if your car doesn’t support modern features, you can consider switching to another car. Explore these modern yet affordable, used cars for sale in the UAE and have your ideal pick.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s top auto blog for more information on the latest car features and car releases.
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