A small number of iPhone XS and iPhone XS max users are experiencing Bluetooth connectivity issues that are causing their devices to not communicate properly with their vehicle’s entertainment center.
This is the second connectivity issue to be reported by iPhone XS and XS Max users, as earlier this week surfaced reports of LTE connectivity issues with some of the new devices.
Posts on the Apple support forums reveal problems with pairing Bluetooth devices to the latest generation of iPhones. According to the posts, the issues largely relate to connecting their iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max to their vehicle’s infotainment unit, but it also apparently affects some other Bluetooth-equipped devices.
The majority of cases also appear to indicate only the new models are affected by the issue, with the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and older devices apparently working normally in the situations. It is also not limited to a specific car manufacturer, as vehicles by Kia, Audi, Subaru, and Mercedes all appear in references to the head unit connectivity failures.
Some users report a short-term solution is to delete the Bluetooth pairing from the car stereo and the iPhone then re-pairing them causes them to work properly for a short time, although the connection again eventually fails.
A similar issue back in 2016 saw iPhone 7 users with iOS 10 installed on their devices experiencing issues with BMW’s in-car entertainment centers over Bluetooth.
It’s possible that an iOS update could fix the issue, but there hasn’t been an acknowledgement from Apple about the issue as yet. Stay tuned, we’ll keep you posted as we learn more.