No Longer Hear Notifications thru Bluetooth Speaker

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Steveromo

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Before, when listening to music thru my Bluetooth speaker, the music would be interrupted with alerts for incoming calls and texts. NOW, it only happens for calls but NOT for texts. I'm not sure why and can't find any solutions online. NOTE: The info button next to the speaker's name does not offer any options for notifications (just disconnect or forget.) AND Do Not Disturb is NOT on (but in that menu Silence While Locked is checked and can't be unchecked if that means anything.) This worked with my old Iphone 7 but I recently got a new one and I think this problem began then. Thanks for any halp!
 

cjmnews

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Is your alert tone set to none? That could cause this.
Setting->Sounds & Haptics->Text Tone
 

Steveromo

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Yes. All notifications work properly when not connected to Bluetooth. However no sounds other than ring when connected to BT
 

Steveromo

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So I got my OLD iphone7 (my daughter inherited it from me!) and did a test. That one, when connected to a BT speaker, WILL make an audible notification thru the speaker when a text is received. My NEW iphone7 will NOT! I went thru EVERY setting side by side and everything is identical but yet the new phone does not notify thru bluetooth. Any ideas?
 

cjmnews

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Odd, are the versions of iOS different? Settings->General->About, Software Version
There have been updates to Bluetooth in the later updates.
 

cjmnews

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I bet if you upgrade the old one it will stop doing it too. Not that is what you want.
I can test this this weekend to see if my Bluetooth also doesn’t play notifications as well with the newer iOS. I am also on 13.3.1. Don’t have any Bluetooth with me at the moment.
 

Steveromo

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thanks but i should point out that the new phone’ IOS was just recently updated in an attempt to fix it. It did not fix the problem. I don’t know the version that was in the phone before updating but it hadn’t been updated since my purchase in December.
 

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I am on 13.3.1 and I get no notifications through Bluetooth either. Even when trying to select a new ringtone, I don't get to hear it over Bluetooth.

I tried using Apple Mail, Spark (mail), Messages and Phone. None would play. Music was fine.

Based on what I am reading on Apple support, there are many complaints and no fixes.
 

Steveromo

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I did a FULL reset / restore and the problem still exists. Some notes: I own a set of Hesh bluetooth headphones also, and the text notifications DO work on those. But not on my JBL clip2 speaker or in my 2015 Ford Explorer that uses Microsoft Sync. Also, the camera shutter "click" DOES come through the speaker. So the only things that don't come thru my BT speaker are text notifications and keyboard clicks when typing. (Those sounds DO come thru when using my old Iphone7.) I have been communicating with Apple Support on this for a month now but no resolution yet. Just did a IOS update to 13.4.1 - still no luck! Thanks for any replies / suggestions.
 

cjmnews

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The JBL Clip2 speaker uses Bluetooth v4.2
Hesh 2 headphones uses Bluetooth v4.0 (guess based on an ad I found)
Hesh 3 headphones could use Bluetooth v5 (since they are newer)
The Ford should be Bluetooth v4.2 based on age (pre Bluetooth v5)
iPhone 7 uses Bluetooth v4.2

Based on this perhaps the phone can only send notifications to Bluetooth v4.0 devices and older. Probably not though. You are seeing inconsistencies with the same hardware.

Apple has not been good with working with legacy Bluetooth devices, my Buick used to be able to make and take calls with the car controls, touch or voice, until iOS 10, which then the car said my iPhone X has no voice control capability. Which is not true as voice control over Bluetooth is one of Apple's advertising points. My Plantronics headset says the same thing. I had to manually dial the phone and then it would connect to the car and I could talk through the car. When iOS 13 came out, it was partially fixed. If I use the power button to initiate voice control (Siri is OFF) then I can voice dial and take calls with the car controls. I can't initiate voice dialing with the car, but I am limited to Bluetooth 4.0 A2DP (no music/podcast streaming only phone calls) and the car no longer recognizes the iPhone X on USB either, when it did under iOS 10. Deleting the phone and re-paring did not help.

I also logged bugs against iOS with Bluetooth, but they don't seem to be resolving them very quickly. The recent no handset laws are making this more important than ever.

Maybe you need to make custom buzzing patterns for Text message notification. Stop depending on Apple's broken Bluetooth support.
 

Steveromo

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I had given up hoping for a fix, but thought maybe IOS 14.2 might finally resolve my issue but nope! I am very angry that something that I was able to do before cannot be done anymore! It's absurd to LOSE features with updates!!! This is not only inconvenient but is actually unsafe! I used to have my Ford read texts to me when driving but not anymore so I have to look at the phone now! I am I the only one upset about this???
 
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