Ford Sync and Visual Voice Mail (VVM) don't mix

[Lock-N-Load]

so I came across an issue that I never expected.

I have a Ford with Sync (love it). So, I get into my car and I see a VVM. I push to listen but I CANNOT listen to my VVM in my car with Sync.

It seems the issue is the Droid is routing the VVM thru the "bluetooth headset" (it shows) at all times once a Ford Sync is connected. I guess that seems logical, kind of. And of course, the Ford Sync does not initiate - so no speaker sound - unless you make a call. So, the Droid is playing the VVM via BT but since BT is not initiated by just listening to a VVM, the VVM is playing into thin air. No way to listen to it. You can't put it on speaker phone the Droid and you can't put the Sync to be able to listen as it can only do that if on a call.

Furthermore, IF you go ahead and dial into your voice mail direct, defeats the purpose of VVM, you have to cycle through all of your VM to get to the new one AND if you delete any, it deletes them off the phones VVM menu.

So, I see only 3 lame methods:

1. dial into your VM and bypass VVM
2. turn BT off on the phone, listen, turn it back on to Sync with your car
3. disconnect the BT Sync on your car, listen, reinitiate the BT Sync with your phone.

 

[Kyreba]

Have you tried putting the sync on the AUX setting to listen to the VVM?

I only say that b/c when I first tried listening to my iPod on the Sync in my car it would only play the songs on my phone at first. So maybe you can get the sound from VVM via the AUX like the songs without placing a call?

Now take what I say with a grain of salt b/c I don't have a smartphone yet & I don't really know what VVM is.....but the above was something I stumbled on while playing with my sync. HTH

 

[Lock-N-Load]

hmm.. interesting

my though would be "no" as the AUX you refer to is generally for streaming music: BTS, AUX, USB are all selections for music sources and not phone methods. So, once it has found the Droid via BT and locked it in, those phone functions seem to be limited to BT and having the phone initiated. I am pretty sure moving to AUX will only effect music, not BT phone connectivity and will not give up the BT connection as mine right now is set to USB, which is not BT, and it did not give up the BT connection. So, I say this would not work.

and even if it did, which I think not, just hitting the BT toggle on the phone to kill the BT and get back my phone independent of the Sync system is actually fewer steps and pushes and clicks.

 

[El Blacksheep]

1) It should play through Bluetooth Audio.
2) If VVM just doesn't cooperate, get rid of it. Google Voice is better and it's free.
3) If all else fails, just wait til you get out of the car before you listen to your voice mail. If you were so busy with your driving that you couldn't pick up the call, you probably shouldn't be dicking around with your voicemail

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Lock-N-Load]

1. sure, it plays via BT audio, but what your missing is that you cannot initiate BT audio UNLESS your on a phone call. you can't just "turn on" some BT audio setting and listen through the speakers. It is initiated by making a call. Checking VVM is not initiating a call so BT in the car is not routed to the speakers.

2. bad answer and not an answer. you don't just throw it out because of a bug AND it is not really a bug??? GV will do the same as VVM. Both send the VVM to the phone. Both you want to listen to, both you cannot as per #1.

3. come on dude.. your on a 10 hour road trip, going to pull over to listen to your VVM? and who says I was so busy I could not take the call. Bad scenario as the real scenario is the call came when I was out of the car. got in, started to drive, saw the alert, saw the VVM, went to play it but cannot as per #1.

 

[3devious]

Have you found a good solution for voice dialing, yet?

I have Ford Sync, too. It was better with my EnV Touch, but I've read that most of the issue is android related and has nothing to do with Sync or our phones.

PS: Wouldn't it be incredible if we could route our Droid's display to the screen? The screen in my Edge probably couldn't do it justice. Then our VVM would truly be visual.

 

[Lock-N-Load]

best voice dialing I have, relative to this thread, is my car my Sync rocks.

as for VD on the phone, nope. The stock one blows and it is just faster for me to click on a contacts shortcut than use VD that never works.

I would say this is a Droid issue if I had to point fingers. Not sure why, just because I am connected to Sync via BT, it feels the need to route my listening experience via the BT as well. it seems to me, a setting or it can sense it is not a phone call so no reason to route via BT.. but I can see both ways. I just wish if I elect ti hit speaker phone icon in VVM it would bypass the BT Sync setup and use the darn speaker phone.

 

[3devious]

I had to tell it that the bluetooth phone was not a music player and it behaved a little better. That was for the Samsung Glyde. I stopped playing around with Sync when I found out that android did not support voice dialing. I was too mad about it to try use it for phone calls.

 

[Lock-N-Load]

Have you tried putting the sync on the AUX setting to listen to the VVM?

I only say that b/c when I first tried listening to my iPod on the Sync in my car it would only play the songs on my phone at first. So maybe you can get the sound from VVM via the AUX like the songs without placing a call?

Now take what I say with a grain of salt b/c I don't have a smartphone yet & I don't really know what VVM is.....but the above was something I stumbled on while playing with my sync. HTH

seems you were closer to right than I thought.

So, my Media > User Device setting is always set to "USB" so I can just get in and play my iPod.

Well, while in the car today, I changed my User Device setting over to "BTST" and sure enough, when listening to VVM they come through the Sync system and plays over the cars speakers.

I still have to switch back to "USB" to get back to my iPod music, but it is yet another work around. Just as many clicks or steps as just turning off BT on the Droid for a few minutes, listen to VVM, and turning BT back on. But, the nice thing this method is that it plays through the cars speaker/sound system.

So, switching to "BTST" to listen to VVM is the best step it seems.

 

[El Blacksheep]

1. sure, it plays via BT audio, but what your missing is that you cannot initiate BT audio UNLESS your on a phone call. you can't just "turn on" some BT audio setting and listen through the speakers. It is initiated by making a call. Checking VVM is not initiating a call so BT in the car is not routed to the speakers.

Wrong.

2. bad answer and not an answer. you don't just throw it out because of a bug AND it is not really a bug??? GV will do the same as VVM. Both send the VVM to the phone. Both you want to listen to, both you cannot as per #1.

Who said anything about a bug? GV is better than VVM, and it's free instead of $3 / mo through Verizon. I don't get why you're so willing to throw money away, but ok.

3. come on dude.. your on a 10 hour road trip, going to pull over to listen to your VVM? and who says I was so busy I could not take the call. Bad scenario as the real scenario is the call came when I was out of the car. got in, started to drive, saw the alert, saw the VVM, went to play it but cannot as per #1.

If I'm driving, voice mail can wait; period. If it's urgent they'll call again.

Plus, I don't know too many 10 hour road trips where you never get stuck in traffic and nobody gets hungry or needs to use the bathroom. Sounds like you're just making **** up.

seems you were closer to right than I thought.

So, my Media > User Device setting is always set to "USB" so I can just get in and play my iPod.

Well, while in the car today, I changed my User Device setting over to "BTST" and sure enough, when listening to VVM they come through the Sync system and plays over the cars speakers.

I still have to switch back to "USB" to get back to my iPod music, but it is yet another work around. Just as many clicks or steps as just turning off BT on the Droid for a few minutes, listen to VVM, and turning BT back on. But, the nice thing this method is that it plays through the cars speaker/sound system.

So, switching to "BTST" to listen to VVM is the best step it seems.

...which is exactly what i said.

Just hit the voice command button and tell your car "bluetooth audio" and you're done.

It's the same way you listen to Last.fm/Pandora/anything else streaming off your phone.

 

[Lock-N-Load]

...which is exactly what i said.

Just hit the voice command button and tell your car "bluetooth audio" and you're done.

It's the same way you listen to Last.fm/Pandora/anything else streaming off your phone.

well, yes, you kind of did... you said "1) It should play through Bluetooth Audio."

however, not until later did it become clear that to get it to "play through Bluetooth Audio." you had to take steps 2-3 clicks on Sync, listen to VVM, undo then 2-3 clicks on Sync to get back your default setup. NOW, after it was already figured out, you say.. "yeah, that is what I said". Don't pat yourself on the back there to much.

If I'm driving, voice mail can wait; period. If it's urgent they'll call again.

Plus, I don't know too many 10 hour road trips where you never get stuck in traffic and nobody gets hungry or needs to use the bathroom. Sounds like you're just making **** up.

oh come on dude, yeah, I am making **** up. what a **** thought. and my reason for making something up would be??? I mean, I cannot even believe you would say that. YES, sometimes you need the Vm right then and right there. Not 1-2 hours later when your ready to piss or a stop is convenient. How lame... you have the most advanced phone and advanced in car Sync system, and your going to wait?? bull... 100% bull

 

[El Blacksheep]

well, yes, you kind of did... you said "1) It should play through Bluetooth Audio."

however, not until later did it become clear that to get it to "play through Bluetooth Audio." you had to take steps 2-3 clicks on Sync, listen to VVM, undo then 2-3 clicks on Sync to get back your default setup. NOW, after it was already figured out, you say.. "yeah, that is what I said". Don't pat yourself on the back there to much.

Maybe you should've read the manual then. It doesn't take 2-3 steps to get Sync to play BT audio, and I figured any sync owner would be familiar with how their system works.

oh come on dude, yeah, I am making **** up. what a **** thought. and my reason for making something up would be??? I mean, I cannot even believe you would say that. YES, sometimes you need the Vm right then and right there. Not 1-2 hours later when your ready to piss or a stop is convenient. How lame... you have the most advanced phone and advanced in car Sync system, and your going to wait?? bull... 100% bull

Again, if it's urgent, they'll call back. No, you DON'T need to access your voicemail the very second you get it, especially if you're driving. You've got more important things to pay attention to, and if you're incapable of using your car's voice commands to switch to BT audio then you're definitely incapable of pulling up the proper voice mail without endangering yourself and everyone around you on the road.

 

[3devious]

Maybe you should've read the manual then. It doesn't take 2-3 steps to get Sync to play BT audio, and I figured any sync owner would be familiar with how their system works.

I am a bad Sync owner.

 

[Lock-N-Load]

seems you were closer to right than I thought.

So, my Media > User Device setting is always set to "USB" so I can just get in and play my iPod.

Well, while in the car today, I changed my User Device setting over to "BTST" and sure enough, when listening to VVM they come through the Sync system and plays over the cars speakers.

I still have to switch back to "USB" to get back to my iPod music, but it is yet another work around. Just as many clicks or steps as just turning off BT on the Droid for a few minutes, listen to VVM, and turning BT back on. But, the nice thing this method is that it plays through the cars speaker/sound system.

So, switching to "BTST" to listen to VVM is the best step it seems.

since getting this to work 1 time, I was never able to reliably make it happen again.

odd thing is now.. the Droid IS talking to the Sync system via BT as I can go to the "Phone" setting and sure enough Sync says and shows it sync'd and all functions work.

BUT, when I go to Media and set it to BTST it says "cannot connect"... despite the fact it is connected, or at least, the Phone setting shows it is connected.

Any ideas on why it makes that claim?

 

[3devious]

I'll try to check that out when I go home tonight. It keeps going BTST when I don't want it to, that would be funny if it kept doing that and then didn't work anyway.

 

[3devious]

Alright, how did you get it to work that one time? Mine does not make the claim, it just doesn't do it! Do you think that Google Voice doesn't see itself as an app to use bluetooth for audio?

My Ford is still mad at me that I let my husband borrow and scratch it so it may just be punishing me.