[Update: Feb. 7] Google Pixel 6 & 6 Pro intermittent Bluetooth connection problem frustrating some car owners

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on November 27, 2021) follows:

Some users of the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro series of phones are facing Bluetooth connectivity problems with cars.

Multiple reports point out that the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro suffer from very annoying intermittent Bluetooth connection issues.

According to reports from some users of Google Pixel 6 phones, the Bluetooth connection with cars is intermittent and shows erratic behavior (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

In some cases, connectivity issues affect calls. Users report that Bluetooth disconnects in the middle of a call, and that it begins in a connection and disconnection loop.

Please help me. I traded in my Samsung so I’m stuck with this phone and this Bluetooth issue is driving me nuts.

My pixel 6 pro disconnects Bluetooth phone calls in my Prius after a few minutes on the phone call and sometimes will drop the call in the process. The car will then disconnect and reconnect the Bluetooth in a loop. After that, I have to restart the phone for the Bluetooth to work again.

I’ve tried so many “fixes”. Reset Bluetooth, updated prius firmware, deleted alibaba app. Only thing I haven’t done was to do a factory reset. I’m not going through that nightmare. This is a common issue and Google needs to correct it.
Source

In other cases, the car connected to the Pixel 6 reportedly shows random calls. But, the phone is not making any calls. The issues would have started since a recent update.

Does anyone else have issues with the bluetooth on there pixel 6 pro? My car will show the phone randomly calling my phone number for 2 send then ending and calling again. The phone isn’t making any calls. My bluetooth headphones also have connectivity issues. They keep dropping the connection. Any idea if there is a good for this? It only started after the mid November update.
Source

In addition to calls, music playback is also affected. Some users report stuttering sound during songs using wireless headphones.

Pixel 6 pro keeps skipping during songs when on bluetooth

Came over from the Galaxy Gang and decided to give the 6 pro a shot, I’m loving it other than the music thing. It’ll work fine until connected to Bluetooth, then every 7 seconds or so the song will skip. Almost like it’s buffering but the song never stopped, just went silent for a second like it was censoring a cuss word if that makes sense.. idk what to do but this is going to drive me fucking crazy..
Source

At the moment, it is not clear if Google is aware of the bug. A Google product expert recommends sending feedback to Google to study the issue, but does not confirm whether it has already been escalated.

In the coming days, if there is any new development in this regard, we will update this article. You can also check the bugs/issues tracker dedicated to the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

12:00 pm (IST): Google is seeding out the December 2021 update to Pixel devices. The changelog notes that this build holds general fixes & improvements for audio playback issues in certain apps. Here’s a snippet of the same.

Bluetooth

– General Bluetooth stability improvements for certain conditions.
– Fix for distorted audio over Bluetooth in certain scenarios.
– Fix for issue causing Bluetooth to turn on after disabling in certain conditions.
– Fix for volume adjustment issues with certain Bluetooth audio devices.
Source

Please note that the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro update is set to roll out next week but other Pixel devices can get this update now.

11:36 am (IST): New reports from users suggest that even the January update hasn’t fixed this Bluetooth connection issue. That means users will have to wait a little longer to get it fixed.

11:08 am (IST): The latest February 2022 update for Pixel 6 and 6 Pro includes fix for Bluetooth connectivity issue.

But despite the fixes included in the latest update, some users are still reporting (1, 2) Bluetooth connectivity issues with their vehicles.

11:04 am (IST): Google released March 2022 update for the supported Pixel phones with Pixel 6 and 6 Pro getting it later this month. It brings several improvements, bug fixes, and new features.

This update also carries various improvements for Bluetooth. And this should fix the Bluetooth connectivity issues on Pixel 6 devices as well.

Bluetooth

– Fix for issue causing Bluetooth to turn on after disabling in certain conditions.

– Fix for issue causing occasional audio glitches during playback with certain Bluetooth devices.

– Fix for issue preventing Bluetooth to be enabled in certain conditions.

– General improvements for Bluetooth stability & performance. (Source)

12:04 pm (IST): According to some users (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), the Bluetooth connectivity issues on Pixel 6 devices have been fixed after the Android 12 QPR3 beta 1 update.

10:53 am (IST): Pixel 6 and 6 Pro users are now receiving March 2022 update along with improvements for Bluetooth. This update may fix the Bluetooth connectivity issue.

03:42 pm (IST): It appears that the Bluetooth connectivity issue persists with the latest April 2022 update as fresh reports (1, 2, 3, 4) are still coming in.

04:14 pm (IST): The latest September 2022 update for Pixel 6 brings a fix for the bluetooth connectivity issue. Hence, you can install it and see if this issue is resolved.

02:07 pm (IST): Google has released some fixes for the Bluetooth connectivity issues on Pixel 6 and 6 Pro in the latest January 2023 update.

– Fix for issue occasionally preventing certain Bluetooth Low Energy devices or accessories from pairing or reconnecting
– Fix for issue preventing audio from playing over certain headphones or accessories while connected in certain conditions (Source)

03:45 pm (IST): Some users are now reporting (1, 2, 3, 4) that they are unable to connect their Pixel 6 to car’s Bluetooth after January 2023 update.

09:00 pm (IST): Those who are still facing Bluetooth connectivity issues with cars can try out some workarounds we have highlighted here.

10:38 am (IST): Google has released a fix for the Bluetooth connectivity issue with the latest February 2023 update.

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