You probably own a Honda car because of its high reliability, excellent performance, and practicality. To add up, Honda is a forward-thinking brand, geared up with innovative features that can surely entice anyone to experience its autos!
Honda’s infotainment system is one of the distinctive components that will surely assist you with your driving journey. However, this is not free from glitches that can seriously upset you!
You are in this article because you are having trouble with the Honda smartphone connection, right?
Well, continue reading to know how you can solve this mishap!
Causes Why Honda Smartphone Connection Is Not Working
You can either install Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to fully experience Honda’s infotainment system. However, either of these two can still make your hands sweaty with frustration when it comes to smartphone connection. Both an Android smartphone and iPhone may not work properly with the system due to some reasons.
Take a look below at the causes of why your Honda smartphone connection is on the fritz.
- Your smartphone is outdated
- The port of your smartphone is faulty
- Apple CarPlay or Android Auto’s software is not updated
- The USB cord is damaged or not compatible
- Your smartphone is not compatible with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
- Your car is not compatible with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
- Your Honda car is not paired successfully to your smartphone
How To Fix The Honda Smartphone Connection Not Working?
To fix the Honda smartphone connection that is not working, you should update your smartphone’s software and the CarPlay/Android Auto application. Check the USB cord – use only a compatible cable and replace it if damaged. Additionally, check your smartphone’s port – clean it if clogged and have it repaired if faulty already.
Check also if your smartphone and Honda car are compatible with the infotainment system’s application (Apple CarPlay or Android Auto). You can also restart your smartphone and the infotainment system. Lastly, you can restart the connection of Bluetooth and reconnect the USB cord.
With Honda cars, you can use the features of your smartphone without any hassle. Imagine answering a call or navigating a map without worrying about getting into accidents.
Thus, the failure of your smartphone to connect to its infotainment system can surely freak you out!
Before losing hope, check the recommendations below to resolve the smartphone connection issue of your Honda car.
Update your smartphone
To update your Android smartphone, go to “Settings” and pick “About Phone”. Select “Check for Updates” and the “Update” button will appear if there is an available update.
Tap the “Update” button and choose whether ” Install Now”, “Reboot and install” or “Install System Software” based on your OS. Your phone will reboot after the installation.
To update your iPhone, go to “Settings”, then “General”, and click “Software Update”. Check the available software updates and choose which one you prefer. Tap the update that you want and click either “Install Now” or “Download and Install”.
Update Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
To update Apple CarPlay, you should update your iPhone device. Go to “Settings”, then “General”, and pick “Software Updates”. Click “Automatic Updates” and choose “Install the new updates”.
For updating Android Auto, open Google Play Store and search for “Android Auto”. Under the “What’s new” section, you can see the latest version of Android Auto if there are new releases. Simply click on “Update” to start downloading the new releases.
Check the USB cord
Check the cord for any tears and deterioration. You may need to purchase a new cord if it is faulty already.
Make sure also that you are using a compatible cord in connecting your phone to the infotainment system. It is recommended to use only a cable from the manufacturer or the same brand as your phone.
Check your smartphone’s port
The USB cord may not be the damaged one but the port of your phone. It may have accumulated lint, dust, or pocket fuzz blocking the connection. Check and clean it with a wooden toothpick if needed.
If the port is not clogged, it can be busted already. If it is damaged, you need the help of a professional technician to repair or replace it.
Check the compatibility of your smartphone with CarPlay or Auto
Your smartphone will not connect properly if it is not compatible with the application that you will connect to the infotainment system. Below is the list of suitable smartphones with CarPlay and Auto.
*Apple CarPlay
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, 13, 13 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini
- iPhone 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 11,
- iPhone XS, XS Max
- iPhone XR, X
- iPhone 8, 8 Plus
- iPhone 7, 7 Plus
- iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, 6, 6 Plus
- iPhone SE (1st generation)
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
- iPhone 5s, 5c, 5
*Android Auto
- USB cable – An android phone with Android 8.0 (Oreo) and up, an active data plan, and the latest version of the Android Auto app.
- Wireless – An android phone with an active data plan, 5 GHz Wi-Fi support, and the latest version of the Android Auto app
Check the compatibility of your Honda car with CarPlay or Auto
If your Honda car’s infotainment system is not compatible with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, your smartphone will not be able to connect to it. Check the lists of compatible Honda cars below:
*Apple CarPlay
- Accord (2016 – 2022)
- Civic (2016 – 2022)
- Ridgeline (2017 – 2022)
- CR-V (2017 – 2022)
- Pilot (2017 – 2022)
- Odyssey (2018 – 2022)
- Clarity (2019 – 2022)
- Fit (2018 – 2020)
- HR-V (2019 – 2022)
- Insight (2019 – 2022)
- Passport (2019 – 2022)
*Android Auto
- Accord (2016 – 2022t)
- Civic (2016 – 2022)
- Clarity Fuel Cell (2017 – 2022)
- CR-V (2017 – 2022)
- Fit (2018 – 2020)
- Odyssey (2018 – 2022)
- Passport (2019 – 2022)
- Pilot (2017 – 2022)
- Ridgeline (2017 – 2022)
Restart your smartphone
To restart your Android smartphone, press and hold the Power button for 5 to 10 seconds until the Power Menu shows up. Tap “Restart” to turn off your phone and turn it on again after a while.
To restart your iPhone X and later models, press and hold the volume button and the side button until the power-off slider appears. Move the slider from left to right to shut down the phone. Wait 15-30 seconds and press the Side button until it turns on again.
For restarting other iPhone models, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button (located at top of the phone for older models and on the right side for iPhone 6 series and newer ones). Next, move the “Power off” slider from left to right. Once turned off, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until your iPhone turns on again.
Reboot your Honda car’s infotainment system
Rebooting Honda’s infotainment system is so simple and quick; it will only take a minute of your time! Start by hitting on the power button of the audio system.
Next, press the power button for 5 seconds and select “Yes” once the option for rebooting the system appears on the screen. Wait for the rebooting to start.
If no option appears on the screen after pressing the power button, the infotainment system must reboot on its own.
Reset Bluetooth connection
To make the Honda smartphone connection work again, you can try resetting the Bluetooth of both your smartphone and the infotainment system.
First, turn off the Bluetooth of your smartphone and turn off the device itself. Turn it on again after a minute and be ready to reconnect it again.
Next, remove your smartphone’s name from the infotainment system’s connection history. Turn it off after and turn it on again after a minute.
Once both your smartphone and Honda’s infotainment system are powered on again, reconnect them from each other.
Reconnect the USB cable
Sometimes, you just need to reconnect the USB cable because it is not plugged in properly. Make sure both sides of the cable are connected to your smartphone and infotainment ports suitably.
People Also Asked
How do I reset my Honda smartphone connection?
You can reset your Honda smartphone connection by turning off both your smartphone and Honda’s infotainment system. Turn on both devices after a couple of minutes, pair them again, and reconnect with each other.
If using a USB cable, remove the cord from both your smartphone and the infotainment system. Reconnect again after a couple of minutes, making sure both ends are plugged in properly.
What to do about this error, “Unfortunately SmartPhoneConnectUtils has stopped”
This error means that the application called “SmartPhoneConnectUtils” is experiencing errors so the Android had to stop it from running.
You can fix this by stepping on the brake and starting the engine. Press the Reverse button right away which will turn on the reverse camera.
After 2 to 4 seconds, press the Neutral button which will begin the restarting of the head unit. You can confirm the restarting process if the OK button is grayed out or not available on the disclaimer screen. If the OK button on the head unit is available after shifting to neutral, the restarting process is not successful. Try pressing the Neutral button again, but this time do it faster.
Next, go to Settings to recheck the “Uptime” to see if the infotainment system has been restarted smoothly.
You can also try to fix this error by doing a factory reset of the unit.
References:
Honda Universe. (2022). How to Connect to Apple CarPlay® or Android Auto™. https://www.hondauniverse.com/manufacturer-information/how-to-connect-apple-carplay-android-auto/
Teague, C. (2019, November 4). The Honda infotainment system: Everything you need to know. Digital Trends. https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/honda-infotainment-explained/
