How to connect your phone to a car by Bluetooth

Connecting your phone to your car by Bluetooth lets you take calls hands-free and play music through the car's speakers. Pair an Android phone or an iPhone, and clear out an old pairing.

What you need

• Your phone, charged, with Bluetooth available.
• The car switched on, so the screen and radio are working. Some cars need the engine running.
• The car's manual. Cars differ: the manual shows the screen or button that starts pairing mode on the car side, and whether the car lists a limit on stored phones.

This guide covers ordinary Bluetooth pairing for calls and music. Showing apps on the car's screen with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay is a separate setup. For that, see Android Auto and CarPlay won't connect.

Step 1: Put the car in pairing mode

1. Park the car and switch it on.
2. On the car's screen or controls, find the phone or Bluetooth menu. Look for words like Phone, Bluetooth or Add phone. The exact name differs by make and model.
3. Choose the option that adds or pairs a new phone. The car now becomes discoverable, and it may show its own name and a code.

Step 2: Pair from an Android phone

Menu names vary by phone maker. If you cannot find an item, open Settings and search for Bluetooth.

1. Open Settings then Connected devices. On some phones this item is named Bluetooth.
2. Make sure Bluetooth is on, then tap Pair new device.
3. Tap your car's name in the list. If you do not see it, tap More and then Refresh.
4. If the phone and the car show a code, check that the codes match, then confirm on both. If the car asks for a passcode that you do not have, look in the manual. Google suggests 0000 or 1234 as common codes.
5. If the phone asks to Allow access to your contacts and call history, choose whether to turn it on. You need it if you want the car to show names for calls. Then tap Pair, Accept or Confirm.

You can also pair from the car side. Keep the phone's Bluetooth screen open, choose your phone on the car's list, and confirm the codes match.

Step 3: Pair from an iPhone

1. Open Settings then Bluetooth, and make sure Bluetooth is on.
2. Wait a few seconds for the car's name to appear in the list. Apple says accessories you can pair appear under My Devices.
3. Tap the car's name.
4. If the car or the phone shows a code, check that the codes match, or enter the code the car asks for. If a prompt asks whether to share contacts with the car, choose what you prefer.
5. When the car's name shows Connected in the list, pairing has worked.

Check that it worked

• Calls: make a short test call to someone you know. Check that you can hear them through the car and that they can hear you.
• Music: play a song on the phone. It should come from the car speakers. You may need to choose the Bluetooth or phone audio source on the car's radio.
• Reconnecting: switch the car off and on again. The phone should reconnect on its own within a short time.

If calls work but music does not, or the other way round, check the permissions for that device on the phone. On Android, go to Settings then Connected devices then Bluetooth then Saved devices, tap the gear icon next to the car, and check that the switches for media audio (music) and phone calls are on. The labels vary by phone.

Remove an old pairing

If the car will not connect, or you change phones, clear the old pairing on both sides, then pair again.

1. Android: go to Settings then Connected devices then Saved devices (or Bluetooth), tap the gear icon next to the car, tap Forget, then Forget device.
2. iPhone: open Settings then Bluetooth, tap the More Info (i) button next to the car, then tap Forget This Device.
3. Car: follow the manual to delete the phone from the car's list. Cars can hold only a limited number of phones, and removing ones you no longer use frees space.

If it still does not work

1. Turn Bluetooth off and on again on the phone, and restart the phone.
2. Check that the car is in pairing mode right now. It may time out after a short time.
3. Keep other Bluetooth devices away from the phone, or turn them off, so they do not connect first.
4. Update the phone's system software in Settings. See the car maker's support page for any car software update.

For more help, see Bluetooth won't pair or connect. If the sound cuts in and out, see Bluetooth keeps disconnecting or stutters. For anything specific to your model, use the car's manual and the manufacturer's website.

Frequently asked questions