Why can’t my Nexus phone make a Bluetooth connection to my vehicle?

Ah bluetooth. My bread and butter. If I had a nickel for every phone I’ve connected to a vehicle via a bluetooth connection… I’d have quite a few nickels. Bluetooth is a great way of wireless communication between two electronic devices, but it does (like all technology) have its quirks sometimes.

For instance, the current issue with Google Nexus phones running Android 7.1.1. Since October of 2016, these devices have had been unable to pair with vehicles because there is a glitch somewhere on the software side. I’m reading that the issue should be resolved in the eventual update to Android 7.1.2, but there’s currently no release date for that one yet. (Rumor has it the necessary update should be available early in Q2 of this year) But as of now, if you have a Google Nexus phone running Android 7.1.1, you’re kind of stuck until the update.

You can find more information at this helpful article, here.

The issue is well documented, and that usually means it gets fixed eventually.

So don’t rush out to get a new phone or trade in the vehicle you just bought. Things will work the way they’re supposed to. Just not yet. Sit tight.

I hope that was helpful!

Stay Connected,
Andy