Car Radio and iPhone XR

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Not able to find an answer online…not even sure what question to ask dear Mr Google…so…

I’ve been plugging my iPhone XR into the USB slot of my (circa 2014) Sony car radio…but it sees really flakey…continually cutting out and ‘USB device not supported‘ type messages. Really frustrating.

Checked Sony online and the manual for the model of radio says up to iPhone 6 supported. And no firmware updates available.

Then yesterday I plugged in my iPad to see if that was any better. And it was…or seems to be. Then later tried my phone again..and the issues I was getting seem to have vanished (touch wood) as quickly as plugging in my iPad…?

Has plugging in my iPad done a ‘fix’ to the firmware without me realising - it’s not even a very recent iPad.

Just curious.

 

[RichA]

The lighting socket in the phone gets clogged up with lint if you keep it in your pocket, which often affects the connection. Try blowing it out or carefully picking it out with a needle - it might make a difference.
Or try a different cable.

 

[nickjdavis]

Buy a new car.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Buy a new car.

It’s an idea but I won’t be wasting my money on a metal box to get me from A to B, when A is home and B is my golf club, and the distance between the two is under 2 miles. Besides…I’m pretty sure it’s the radio firmware thats the problem and not the car ?

As it happens my iPhone XR to Radio USB connection seems to have become a lot more stable since I plugged my iPad into the radio for a while. Weird.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Another day on and weirdly the much improved stability of the USB feed from my iPhone XR to car radio continues…and all I did on Friday was plug my iPad into the radio for a while.

As mentioned, the manual for the radio only shows support for up to iPhone 6 so it seems that the iPad had somehow enabled the radio to better take a feed from my XR. Could that have happened or is it just coincidence. Weird.

Anyway, whatever, I’m a happy bunny that it works and so can listen to Spotify, BBC Radio 6 Music and other digital channels.