Settings->Sound missing with Android Auto connected and playing audio

[csilvest]

I searched the forums and couldn't find any posts on this, so here goes.

While happily driving about town in my MME today, I noticed that the sound settings I had entered didn't seem to be what I was hearing - it sounded like everything was at default. (I'm a sound engineer on the side so I do hear those kind of differences). So I go to the settings menu where normally "Sound" is listed right under "Controls" - but it wasn't there. I initially thought I was mis-remembering and it was some place else in the menus, and hunted around for it at least 10 minutes or more. Of course, no luck.

I then tried to switch the audio to FM - only Android Auto wouldn't let go. Tried switching stations - nothing. Then I shut off my phone (I'm pulled over in a parking lot at this point). Finally the radio switches on and I go to the settings menu again - this time, the Sound option is there and I'm able to select it.

Now I turn my phone back on, and after booting up and connecting to Android Auto, I go into the settings again and the Sound option is still there. Obviously some kind of Sync bug. Anyone else experience this? If so, any explanation or fix?

I'll keep an eye on this to see if it happens again.

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[daath]

Usually the menu item is there but greyed out when using Android Auto or CarPlay? ...

 

[csilvest]

Usually the menu item is there but greyed out when using Android Auto or CarPlay? ...

Wasn't there at all before disconneting the phone. Afterwards, it was not only there, but selectable and configurable.

 

[dj_stang]

Usually the menu item is there but greyed out when using Android Auto or CarPlay? ...

No it’s always available when audio is playing, even using AA or ACP.

 

[daath]

Weird bug then. I've never seen the menu item available when I had AA activated.

 

[hack-e]

I found this thread when searching on the forums for a missing Sound menu. My Sound menu went missing this morning. When I was driving I noticed that the alert sounds sounded different and someone a while back explained that if the computers cannot push the alert sounds out the regular speakers then there is a backup speaker in the dash somewhere that is always available.

So I went into the menus to see what's going on with my sound and couldn't find the Sound menu anywhere. So I looked back some photos I took when updates 6.7.0 and 6.8.0 that I received in the past week came in and I definitely see the Sound menu in the photos, but it was nowhere to be seen in my car today.

Monday when I got the 6.8.0 update:

Today when I heard sounds sounding different:

I will check again when I get some free time a little later today to see if it shows back up after sitting for a while.

 

[hack-e]

I checked at lunch and my Sound menu is back.

 

[skyfxl]

I'm having the same issue in my 2023 MME with the sound controls not being there while using Android Auto. The sound in the car is also noticeably different like everything is default as the OP described. I swear this wasn't the case when I originally bought the car because I'm pretty sure I customized the sound settings while my phone was connected. That aside, it can't be by design that neither FM nor XM radio work while Android Auto is connected. Notably, the soft touch audio power button in the volume dial doesn't work either. Is there a fix for this?

EDIT: Even when disabling Android Auto from the Phone List on my paired phone, the radio doesn't work nor do Sound controls appear.

 

[CTZ]

I just went to my car to test this. I have the sound menu with or without AA.

 

[skyfxl]

I just went to my car to test this. I have the sound menu with or without AA.

That's what I figured. Thanks for testing this, Greg. I'm inclined to just do a factory reset to see if that fixes things. If I do, I'll report back.

 

[skyfxl]

The plot thickens. I just paired my wife's Android 14 phone (Pixel 7) and everything is as expected - no issues at all. I switched back to my phone - same issues as before. I removed my phone from the paired phone list and also "forgot" the MME Bluetooth connection on my phone and reestablished the connection from scratch - same issue remains. Bizarre.

One difference I did notice between the initial connection of each phone is that mine initially always appears as shown below (even though I'm not making a phone call), whereas hers doesn't. To my recollection, my phone never used to do that until today.

Any ideas?

 

[csilvest]

It does seem to be an issue with the phone that Sync is not properly handling. As I found out when I posted this, rebooting the phone seemed to make it go away, at least for a while. I have upgraded my phone since this started and so far it has not happened again.

 

[antilight]

Ran into this issue with my wife’s phone this morning. We did some testing to find a root cause or at least a workaround. What we found most odd was the car attempting to make a phone call to the 10000000 number but the phone itself is not dialing. This call shows up in the car’s call history but not on the phone itself. So it seems like the car is attempting to make a call and getting stuck in some weird phone Bluetooth profile and won’t switch to the more robust audio profile because the call isn’t complete yet.

To fix this, she deleted her phone from the paired list (deleting and forgetting both devices from each other)and then re-paired it, this time denying the car access to the phone and contact list. She first went to the phone setting > Connection and Sharing > Android Auto and disabled everything under messaging (she hates the popups). She then went to Bluetooth settings, selected the Mach E, and turned off both phone calls and contact sharing. No more call attempts, Sound setting is available again.

Not the best fix but hopefully helps someone else.

 

[Jeffersonian]

Ran into this issue with my wife’s phone this morning. We did some testing to find a root cause or at least a workaround. What we found most odd was the car attempting to make a phone call to the 10000000 number but the phone itself is not dialing. This call shows up in the car’s call history but not on the phone itself. So it seems like the car is attempting to make a call and getting stuck in some weird phone Bluetooth profile and won’t switch to the more robust audio profile because the call isn’t complete yet.

To fix this, she deleted her phone from the paired list (deleting and forgetting both devices from each other)and then re-paired it, this time denying the car access to the phone and contact list. She first went to the phone setting > Connection and Sharing > Android Auto and disabled everything under messaging (she hates the popups). She then went to Bluetooth settings, selected the Mach E, and turned off both phone calls and contact sharing. No more call attempts, Sound setting is available again.

Not the best fix but hopefully helps someone else.

This worked for me thanks. Pixel 8 pro caused the issue somehow

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