Does phone need to be connected via USB for Entune to work?

The short answer is yes. I believe that there is an iPhone issue that is being worked on.

 

My IPhone does not connect to speakers via USB (works on other cars) - my Ipad does work in car. If I try to use the other phone cord (not USB) connector with Iphone - Static - unusable (tried 3 different cords). It appears to be the car that is not working . . . very frustrating since I use podcasts from my phone for my daily drive.

 

I was told by my dealer that Entune will only work when connected with USB. They are working on the bluetooth version and the plan is for it work with bluetooth eventually

 

I was told this has do with ATT, but I'm not sure that's true unless we have Verizon iphone users chime in.

 

iPhone is via USB unless you have "Personal Hotspot Tethering" for your data plan, then it can connect via Bluetooth.

As long as you enter your Entunes ID and PWD on the nav's setup screen, it doesn't look like Entunes needs to be running on the iPhone in either case, USB or Bluetooth. Looks like the Nav unit logs in by itself.

 

The Premium HDD Navigation system in the Prius Plug-in Advanced does not require a USB connection to use Entune with the iPhone app. The instructions for Display Audio with Navigation (in the base model Prius Plug-in) indicate that a USB connection is needed for iPhones. See the "How Do I Connect to the Internet?" section on this page:

How to Pair a Phone

 

Curious. On Verizon, I don't have tethering, and everything works fine. Over Bluetooth. To a Blackberry. Mine is the Advanced package; what works seems to depend on whether you have the Base or Advanced package.

The interactions with the phone are complicated.

The phone call and media player functionality uses core features on the phone and not the Entune Application.

There are the "Entune Applications" on the car such as Pandora that use the Entune application on the phone.

The Traffic overlays on the Nav System use Sirius/XM data on the Advanced Package, but use the phone's network connection on the Base package (I don't know if this uses core phone features or requires the Entune App).

PlugIn applications on the phone such as Charge Management and Vehicle Locator in the Advanced Package use the built-in Safety Connect cell phone.

 

Folks,

As a follow up, does the base version give out a traffic overlay over the map if I enable traffic with my iphone connected via USB?

Right now if I select traffic I only get a list of readouts on a separate screen. It will be great if it can display traffic like Google maps while I am driving but not sure if this is possible with the base version.

Thanks!

 

Yes, it will overlay traffic conditions like on Google maps. Green for free flowing, yellow for reduced speeds, and red for stop-n-go. The screen resolution makes a little difficult to discern things sometimes. Especially in bright sunlight. To get more traffic details you don't have to use the traffic app, you can just hit the Dest button on the main map screen, and it will give you a list of options. The third one down is traffic info. It took me a little while to figure out this shortcut. If you have a route programmed, it'll give you the options of looking at problems along your route. It'll also automagically try to re-route around traffic jams. Sometimes the re-routing is worse. Don't ask how me I know this...

 

It sounds like the really great features of Entune wireless operation are hobbled in the Base model.

The Advanced system works flawlessly. As soon as I start the PiP, the system pairs with my iPhone and starts playing from whatever playlist I have going. Bing, and the other features of Entune also work wirelessly - in the Advanced system.

It would be of interest for any Base system users who have connected and operate via BT to give their observations.

 

I own and use an iPhone 4S with a OS 5.1 update and am unable to BT to the car for functions others that the core phone list, phone usage and think that's it.
I'm doom with the other features for not having/paying for a hot-spot/tethering @ 30 buck a month through Sprint. Awaiting for a jailbreak to proceed......

 

You should also be able to stream music over Bluetooth.

It's not the iPhone. The Display Audio w/ Navigation can't connect to the internet over Bluetooth, only USB. You also don't need hot-spot/tethering on the iPhone as Entune provides internet access via the Entune app. Of course, that also means the Entune app has to be running in order for it to work.

 

I believe for the usb/whatever button to work correctly it does need to be connected via USB. I had my PiP Advanced Package working correctly for only a few days. Just for grins and chuckles one day I went to info/apps and got an upgrade permission message. I wanted to try locate charging stations, which I saw work exactly once. After the upgrade was complete I got a message that in order for apps to work an application had to be running on the phone (which it was). Also unavailable after the upgrade, perhaps only coincidentally, was the browse function under audio when usb/whatever was selected. I also saw it work at one point too. Where the browse button should be there was only connect. If I selected connect, I was told the phone and player were already connected and did I want to disconnect them first. I tried everything. I also brought the car back to the dealer, to no avail. What may help someone diagnose is if I disconnect and reconnect the usb I briefly see the iPod button under setup/phone go from disabled to enabled (for a second or two) then back to disabled. Also the IPOD tab at the top appears then disappears. I also sporadically see the message "iPod not authorized", I believe from the info/apps selection. It only displays for a moment and generally I am driving so I don't stare at the display. I did, however go through that exercise at the dealer when I brought it back and the sales guy, who is their 2012 Prius guru didn't know what was wrong. Any thoughts?

 

I am seeing similar issues. I usually drive with an iPod hooked up to the USB port, and my iPhone hooked up through BT. Usually, I can listen either to the music through BT (iPhone) or through iPod (USB).

From time to time, my iPod hooked up through USB will "crash" and I will lose the ability to playback through USB. Resetting the iPod and restarting the car seems to fix the problem temporarily. However, BT audio through my iPhone has always worked flawlessly.

 

I don't know if I would say always works flawlessly but, in my case, yes, bt always seems to work. However there is no browse and what it plays seems to be uncontrollable, at least through the car. I think all my albums just get mashed into n consecutive tracks, no selection by artist although artist does display.

I had it working the other day but the second time I went into apps, it failed. I am not sure these aren't two issues, app and ipod mode but I am not sure they aren't. All I know is Toyota's superior technology is not evidenced through Entune and, I believe, that was part of the $7,000 upcharge for Advanced Package.

I didn't think I was going to like the heads up display...I love it. I think DRCC is brilliant.

 

Could you be clearer. Do Toyota's Entune apps work with a cellular iPad for the data connection or are you referring to playing audio from the iPad via USB.

The 2012 iPad 4G works perfectly with the bluetooth connection in a 2012 Camry for providing wireless audio.

 

I use my iPhone for calls, an iPod that lives in my car for audio; the iPod stays tethered to the car, and works fine.

If I unplug the iPod and try to use Entune with the iPhone, it won't connect without my tethering the iPhone to the car. Once I do that, Entune works every time without any trouble.

I haven't tried my iPad in the car, but am assuming it'll fail without a tether just like the iPhone does.

 

The solution to USB connectivity issues seems to be to power down the iPhone, then power it back up, works %100 of the time for me.

By power down, I mean hold the top button, and then use the slide switch to power it off.