Lightning Bluetooth Behavior Not Too Smart-Holds Onto Phone Connection When Driver Not In Truck

[Jim Lewis]

Hi, @Ford Motor Company

Here's something pretty basic that doesn't work right and shouldn't be too hard to fix. It's a problem with iOS 17.x (and probably earlier iOS versions on the iPhone) and may be an Android problem, too.

I describe this as a problem for a hearing aid wearer (me), but since modern BT hearing aids are akin to a special form of earbud, earbud wearers in or near their trucks may encounter the same hangups, too.

My truck is parked in a garage built into our house, abutting the kitchen. I spend a lot of time sitting around the kitchen table, about 10 to 15 feet from my truck.

What happens every now and again is that the truck grabs my Bluetooth audio output from my iPhone, even though I am a 78-year-old hearing aid wearer and have the iPhone accessibility settings to ALWAYS route iPhone audio output to my hearing aids (I guess Ford and/or Apple decided to ignore what a hearing-impaired user might want, override that setting, and let the truck commandeer the BT audio output regardless).

It could be that what happened tonight is that I went to the garage, got into the truck to check something, and then went back into the kitchen. Hours later, in the kitchen, the truck still had a firm hold on my BT audio output from my iPhone.

What happened next is even better. I went to dictate some task notes using any of the several phone keyboards I have on my iPhone. Nothing happened in response to my voice dictation. The keyboard microphone appeared but didn't ding with the usual "I'm ready" noise, and no words appeared as I spoke to the phone. I was baffled. I rummaged through all sorts of iPhone settings. I tried dictating a Voice Memo. Nothing. I tried playing a previously recorded Voice Memo. Nothing. I tried playing a podcast. Nothing. When I finally looked at the Apple Podcast Player audio output settings, I saw that "Ford F-150 Lightning" is checked as the selected BT audio sink. Apparently, any audio I tried playing in the kitchen went to the truck's speakers in the garage. I presume the same was true for dictation. It was being sent to the truck's speakers, I would bet, rather than whatever voice recognition software is behind the keyboards I was using (Apple, Swiftkey, Gboard, Grammarly).

I never consciously switched my BT audio connection to the truck. The truck just grabbed a hold of it when I was nearby and never let go of it.

The truck should be smart enough to know I'm not in it. It has the BlueCruise cameras and seems to have seat sensors that automatically choose driver-focused AC/heat or not, depending on who's in the truck in what seat. The sensors ought to be employed to tell the stupid BT system that, "HEY, no one's in the truck. Let go of the BT audio. Give it back to the iPhone...." And, oh, yeah. There were those intrusion sensors that Ford had to remove from the 2023 Lightnings due to chip shortages and poor planning. It's too bad for that, or those sensors could also have been used to inform the BT audio system that no one's in the truck and it's high time to release a BT audio grip on personal devices. Perhaps Ford audio designers only have garages more than 40 feet away from any room in their houses???

The same oddball behavior is basically true of Apple CarPlay. That's why I always turn it off under the iPhone settings when I get out of my truck parked in the garage. Otherwise, if I'm in the kitchen, Apple CarPlay may commandeer my Wi-Fi connectivity and screw up my phone connecting with APs in my house.

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[H8N-8NT-EZ]

Is your truck on? When I turn off my truck and open the door the head unit turns off and disconnects the Bluetooth.

 

[invertedspear]

This shit bugs the hell out of me. I'm pretty sure it's an iOS thing, but the car is the #1 top priority device. When I had a MME (Premium trim so equivalent feature-wise to OPs Lariat), even with the car off it would Bluetooth connect to it, because that's how the frunk and lift-gate controls would work, only over Bluetooth. I use Apple Shortcuts to automate turning my hotspot on and off, and Bluetooth can not be the trigger else anytime I get close to the car my hotspot turns on and burns down my phone battery.

These days I sometimes use my truck to run deliveries. I'm in and out of the truck every 10-15 min or so. I'd prefer to keep the music in my earbuds the entire time, but no, every time I get in the truck the truck takes over my audio and I have to hit a button to swap back to my headset.

Devices need to let you prioritize where you want your audio to go. Not everyone wants the truck to be the primary device.

 

[TheWoo]

That is bizarre behavior - maybe it's an iPhone issue? I don't have this problem at all with my Android phone. Yes, bluetooth connects when in proximity to the truck, but it doesn't switch audio until the truck is actually on. I've never heard of anyone having this issue of the truck grabbing audio/mic when it's off.

 

[Jim Lewis]

Is your truck on? When I turn off my truck and open the door the head unit turns off and disconnects the Bluetooth.

BINGO! That's probably the explanation but not the justification for the bizarre behavior. And doesn't change my view that it's incredibly arrogant for Ford/Apple to assume that if I'm near my truck or even in it, the default, automatic behavior is for the truck to GRAB Bluetooth audio output whether I want it or not. Implicit is the dumb assumption "If the truck is on, you must be in it, and you must want all audio sent to the truck audio system." The grabbing behavior renders meaningless my iOS accessibility choice to always route audio from my phone to my hearing aids.

Every evening, I let my truck run and plug it in Full Accessory Mode for 1 to 2 hours to keep the LVB charged to at least 70% to 80% SOC (all accessories including Pro Power Onboard are shutoff, though). Since I drive less than 3,000 miles a year and have the high-end version of the Ford extended warranty through Grainger, I'm not worried about wearing anything out and don't have to be wiring up the LVB with a trickle charger, yada yada. If I walk into the back hall or laundry room from the kitchen, I'm even closer to the truck, 5 to 6 feet, since the truck is parked in the garage parallel to the back hall wall and is just an interior sheetrock wall away.

I previously mentioned that CarPlay similarly forces audio output from apps running in CarPlay to go to the truck. Thus, my wife has to listen to Waze babbling for hundreds of miles whether we want that or not. If the audio routing just respected my iOS accessibility choice, "ALWAYS send audio output to my BT hearing aids," I'd be the only one listening to Waze output, and she wouldn't have to.

In the Apple Podcast player, while in the truck, I do have the choice to manually route audio output to my hearing aids while in the truck, but no such option for Apple CarPlay. And again, my default iOS accessibility choice, "ALWAYS route audio output to my hearing aids," has been rendered meaningless.

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...ting-in-apple-carplay-and-android-auto.17919/

Maybe Ford can claim to be the Boeing of vehicle manufacturers? Design something but never thoroughly check out exactly how it works and whether all the hatch bolts are in place.

Since BT hearing aids are kinda like a special form of earbud, I wonder if folks who wear BT earbuds experience the same audio tussle when in or near their trucks?

 

[Henry Ford]

@Jim Lewis, I'm guessing your use case is on the tails of the standard deviation curve. Maybe something could be done to better integrate hearing aids into the system but I think for most users it makes sense for Bluetooth to connect when the truck is on rather than when the phone is in a specific location (in the vehicle).

 

[H8N-8NT-EZ]

Am I wrong for thinking it's way unnecessary to leave your truck running for two hours just to charge the LVB? Mine charges every night while its plugged into the EVSE level 2 charger. Seems like running the fans and other items on the truck just to keep a $150 batter charged is silly. On top of that it's messing with your hearing aids. Seems like a simple fix... turn your truck off. But that's just me. Now the other issues with it prioritizing audio when you are actually using your truck seems like it is either the truck or phone issue that should get sorted out. But I'd bet that won't happen as fast as you could turn your truck off.

 

[Jim Lewis]

@Jim Lewis, I'm guessing your use case is on the tails of the standard deviation curve.

Agreed on HA wearer standard deviations away.... As I edited into my post in this thread, it might be a more significant problem if it also affects earbud wearers as well...

Something I'm very much interested in. The upcoming version of the Apple AirPod Pro is rumored to have a hearing frequency test built-in and the capability of functioning as an OTC hearing aid (the FDA recently authorized direct-to-consumer sales of over-the-counter hearing aids capable of correcting mild to moderate hearing loss, obviating the need to buy an expensive prescription package from a professional audiologist or hearing care center or from a more reasonably priced Costco Hearing Aid Center or the like).

So, if Apple includes the accessibility option in its upcoming AirPods to always route audio output to the AirPods but overrides this in various vehicles, there may be more disgruntled iOS users than just little old me. Ford (or Apple) should offer the option to turn off automatic phone audio routing to its vehicles.

 

[G-Zeus]

Ha. This happened to me on a conference call, and when my wife started up the truck it stole my call. I had no idea what happened! Lol

This is a Bluetooth thing. I was walking the dogs listening to an audiobook, and my daughter drove by in her Kia, and my audio jumped into her car. But as now I’m aware of these things, as soon as the audio cut out of my headphones, I knew what had happened and I manually switched it back from Bluetooth to her car and back to my headphones. Sometimes these smart phones try to do too much!

 

[Jim Lewis]

Am I wrong for thinking it's way unnecessary to leave your truck running for two hours just to charge the LVB? Mine charges every night while its plugged into the EVSE level 2 charger. Seems like running the fans and other items on the truck just to keep a $150 batter charged is silly.

If I'm not driving, there is no chance to charge the LVB while charging the HVB. Also, since some of you folks are driving/using your trucks 8 hours a day or more, my truck is just sitting sheltered in a garage and having ~1 A of current delivered to it with the Pro Power Onboard off (according to CarScanner). AFAIK, besides a fan I hear running in the background, nothing else about my truck is running. I'm 78 years old, and the truck will probably far outlive me by many years (I have atrial fibrillation and take a strong direct anti-coagulant to mitigate the stroke risk).

Ford's very scheme for maintaining LVB SOC (not to mention the FordPass app eternal glitches, the truck/FCSP/HIS unit debacle, the unreliable report of HVB SOC after long-term use as you approach 10% to 15% HVB SOC, etc.) go along with the idea that Ford needs to spend A LOT more time and effort thinking through all aspects of design and demand the same of any folks, even Apple, who want to have their software incorporated into its vehicles.

 

[Heliian]

Try renaming your devices to something in an alphabetical order you want them prioritized if they aren't already.

The problem is the Bluetooth standard, don't hate on truck.

If you are so worried about the 12v then get a maintainer wired in with a plug conveniently located.

 

[Jim Lewis]

@Heliian. I have several battery tenders. I'd have to run wires and remember to unplug and possibly screw my frunk seal or other junk. Always have to avoid walking (or driving!) on a wire running across a floor, etc.. Have the wires always connected to my battery, etc.

Thanks for the tip on alphabetizing the names of devices. But Ford and Apple could build prioritization into their software interfaces*** - and remind a user with a notification or icon what they're connected to in an obvious way if the user opts for such a reminder. The Apple "Always hearing devices" routing option works great if I'm not in or near my truck. Why should a user have to live with a kludge rather than good software engineering?

Normal users of the truck should just have things work right. An owner shouldn't have to be a geek diving into trickle chargers and BT connectivity details to get things to work the way one would like...

*** For example, I just got a TP-Link Deco Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router system at Costco (only four 2.5 GHz Ethernet ports per mesh unit compared to two 5.0 GHz and one 2.5 GHz Ethernet ports on the much more expensive Best Buy version of the same highly rated system - when our neighborhood gets 5 Gbps fiber, I'll start to have buyer's remorse!). The iOS Deco app is great. I can easily prioritize the devices I want to be first in line for attention and bandwidth. Apple has built that sort of prioritization into accessibility hearing devices in iOS, but somehow, Ford and Apple presumably together have agreed to ignore it in the truck. iOS could at least have a little Settings warning "This prioritization will be ignored in a motor vehicle..." Part of my complaint is I get switched without warning.

 

[Heliian]

But Ford and Apple could build prioritization into their software interfaces - and remind a user with a notification or icon what they're connected to in an obvious way

That's the limitation of Bluetooth unfortunately. Bluetooth is archaic and is problematic across the spectrum of devices. It uses less energy than other current options and is so entrenched in society that it will be a long time before it goes anywhere.

I understand you don't want a cable on your floor so in the meantime just turn off the truck Bluetooth when you do your charging idles.

Remember to keep your HVB at 50% SOC since you're sitting for so long.

 

[chl]

That's the limitation of Bluetooth unfortunately. Bluetooth is archaic and is problematic across the spectrum of devices. It uses less energy than other current options and is so entrenched in society that it will be a long time before it goes anywhere.

I understand you don't want a cable on your floor so in the meantime just turn off the truck Bluetooth when you do your charging idles.

Remember to keep your HVB at 50% SOC since you're sitting for so long.

Indeed.

Everyone in my family has had issue with BlueTooth in their vehicles from Toyota to Subaru to Ford.

I bought a 2023 Pro when the price was right. No SiriusXM on-board the factory SYNC4 ACM.

And, SYNC4 would not play my iPod OR my Zune through the USB data port.
It would connect via BlueTooth.
However, there were so many f-ing drop-outs it drove me nuts! More than 1 a minute.

So, I pulled out my old FM connection device, the iTrip, that I bought when I got an XM Roady to use with my 2001 Ranger back in the day. It works perfectly with the iPod, the Zune and the Roady in the Lightning tuned to 87.9FM where there is no interfering station.

But wires wires everywhere for power and audio signal and Satellite anteana for the Roady. Spaghetti.

So I tried a USB stick copying music files from my PC onto it after reading some Ford propaganda that you could play them in Ford vehicles with USB data ports.

Well, the default formatting on USB sticks is FAT32 - the SYNC4 system reads them as charge only USB devices!

Then searched the issue and found a YouTube video about how to fix the problem - format the USB stick in EXFAT then load the music files.

That worked perfectly, but I have more music files than what would fit on the USB stick I had.

So I thought, I have a spare unused 500GB SSD and a USB HD enclosure for SSDs, maybe that would work as well with SYNC4.

So I load all the iPod music and the Zune music files from my 'puter onto the SSD after formatting it in EXFAT and it works fine with SYNC4. Now I have more music than I know what to do with in the truck.

Sometimes if I change from ARTIST to SONG or ALBUM, there is a pause while SYNC4 is indexing it tells me, but no more than 60 seconds or so - no surprise with multi-GB of music. On SONG it goes alphabetically through all the song titles - but lots of repeats, several copies of a song on multiple albums.

Anyhoo, the bottom line, IMHO vehicle BlueTooth has too many issues and something better is needed.

 

[H8N-8NT-EZ]

Again, my truck charges the LVB while it is plugged into the level 2 charger at home without me leaving the truck running. I park it and the LVB is around 85% at 6pm and in the morning the LVB is at 92-96% regularly. All without me running the truck. I know this because I have been checking almost every evening and morning since I was not receiving OTA updates.

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