MIB2 with Apple and Android

[p3asa]

So my wife has a GTI with the MIB2 unit.
She has an iPhone and I have the Android.
When I use her car I get full access to the text messages so can read or send them on the head unit. It also displays the contact pictures.

When using my wife's iPhone you don't get access to the text messages and it doesn't display the contact pictures.

I know all about RSAP and Apple not allowing it so just put it down to that.

So I was surprised when I was talking to a work colleague that had recently bought a new Astra. He was telling me about his car displaying texts and having contact pictures displayed and he uses an iPhone that hasn't been jail broken.

Anyone know why these details don't display on the Golf with Apple when they do with other car manufacturers?

[mcmaddy]

It must be the differences between the vw and Vauxhall systems or your colleagues iPhone is different.

[JoeGTI]

Opel (Vauxhall) have a system called "OnStar connect" which is probably their variation of VW's CarNet. Ford call their variation "Sync". Perhaps those versions are more sophisticated than VW's.

Then there is Android Auto / CarPlay which are universally the same across any radio - i.e. carplay works the same in a VW as it does in a Ford - as it is an Apple implementation.

[Sootchucker]

Actually the MIB II can display text messages form the Iphone (I do this in my GTD). The "secret" is to go into the bluetooth settings on the Iphone (something like "VW BT 1234"), click on the small "i" to the right hand side and make sure you tick the "show notifications" check box (as below).



Once I did this in the phone menu on the Nav Pro, a new Icon appeared at the bottom for text messages, and you have access to your Inbox, Sent messages etc). When a text arrives it shows a small envelope icon at the top of the screen near the clock, and allows you to respond with either preset responses or via voice control (if you have it installed). You can't type a text message on screen, or read them out whilst driving, the system reads them to you (at least it does on mine) :-)

Not sure if this just works on the Nav Pro or all models of MIB II ?

The display of contact photos though is a limitation of the iphone - not the VW head unit. However, as the MIB II units now allow you to have two phones connected at the same time (I have my personal Galaxy S7 and Work Iphone 6 connected at the same time), it seems that as the Galaxy S7 shows all the contact photos, if a call comes in on the Iphone 6, if the contact number exists in the Galaxy with the same number (which it should because my phone book is pretty much identical between the two phones), then a contact image displays on the head unit - pretty cool !

If you want I can take some images at lunchtime to show you.

[Sootchucker]

Just because I'm so nice, I took some photos over lunch (note contact details blurred deliberately for privacy) - as everyone likes photos don't they 

Here's how my Galaxy S7 looks default (with contact photos) - notice the text message logo at the bottom.



Here's how my Iphone 6 looks - no contact images but it still has the text logo.



This is what the Iphone's text directory structure looks like when the text logo is pressed at the bottom of the screen



Here, I've sent my Iphone a text (from the S7) and you can see it shows I have a new text



And on going into the inbox, it shows this



and finally the text itself (engine off). Note the reply buttons at the bottom



Very finally, this is how an incoming call looks (coming in on the iphone 6 from the Galaxy S7), notice that t's picked up the contact logo from the S7. I'm not sure it it transfers Iphone calls (as that's the secondary phone) to the Galaxy S7 and that's why the contact pictures are showing when receiving a call on the Iphone as well as the S7 ?



I hope this is of some help ?

[JoeGTI]

wow... Sootchucker I cannot believe I didn't know that feature existed! Thanks very much, that's definitely a "tip of the day" contender!

I tried it in my car there (MIB2 - small screen nav, not pro) with my iPhone 6S and I saw the envelope icon appear on the bottom. When I clicked into it, my inbox and sent items were empty but I got my missus to send me a test text message and that did appear.

The problem is these days (for me at least), most messages I get tend to be via WhatsApp and the likes, not imessage/sms and those obviously won't work with it. Handy all the same though!

[Sootchucker]

You are most welcome Joe. That's what this site is for - sharing of information 

I only found out as I was annoyed that when we took delivery of my GTD and the wife's Polo Blue GT back in May, hers showed texts out of the box (the setting must have already accidentally been switched on with her phone), and I was annoyed that my more expensive and supposedly "better" Nav pro didn't, and a bit of web searching later found this.

[JoeGTI]

Nice one. I wonder is it a recent iOS (9 or 10?) addition as I'm sure I clicked into BT settings on the phone before and I didn't see the option to toggle "Notifications". Or maybe it's dependant on the unit (i.e. the MIB2) it is connected to.

EDIT: it's the latter - I also have my wife's car's BT configured on my phone and there's no "Show Notifications" option in that one.

[p3asa]

Thanks for the comprehensive info and pictures Sootchucker much appreciated.

I'm sure I had the "show notifications" ticked on her iPhone but I will double check and report back.
Interesting that you can't read the message on the go with the iPhone as the Android allows you to compose messages from the head unit while moving.

I wonder if my colleague is connecting via "OnStar connect" and this allows him contact pictures.

You would think you could add pictures to the contacts if using an iPhone the same way you had to add radio station logos to the MIB1's

Thanks again.

[fredgroves]

Its perfectly possible to access the contact photos on an Iphone using the API, it just seems that VW haven't bothered to implement it.

Quite why is anyone's guess.

Its about time car manufacturers got with computer technology and actually did progressive feature updates to existing devices rather than only do upgrades to newly fitted models on brand new cars.

I don't buy a new computer or phone or games console to get the latest upgraded software feature set... and i don't pay anything like as much for those devices from new as i do a flipping ICE device for a car!