post Re: iOS/Subaru: Pandora won't connect in Automotive

iOS/Subaru: Pandora won't connect

miniyoda3 — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:01:48 GMT

Were you ever able to figure this out? I have an iphone 13 doing the same thing....

Re: Not connecting to Subaru app in car

miniyoda3 — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 19:10:08 GMT

Have you figured this out yet? It's frustrating!

Subaru - No longer able to connect to PandoraLink

miniyoda3 — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 18:07:15 GMT

My iPhone 12 will not connect to 2018 subaru forester. Pandora will play in the "Bluetooth" section but not in the pandora icon. Has anyone had luck getting rhat to function correctly?

Moderator Edit: Changing title for clarity

Re: iOS-Subaru: Pandora not connecting in vehicle

TannerPandora — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 19:18:38 GMT

Hi @miniyoda3! Thanks for posting your experience.

I'm happy to pass this along to our engineering team. Can you let me know a few details about your mobile devices

Make and Model
OS version
Pandora version

Thanks!

Re: IPhone won't connect to subaru forester

miniyoda3 — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 19:51:11 GMT

Thank you very much for the reply. I am still having trouble! 😞

2018 Subaru Forester

iphone 13

pandora version 2208.1 - I noticed you saying to try an older version but I am struggling to find a way to do that.

Re: IPhone won't connect to subaru forester

miniyoda3 — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 18:52:11 GMT

still no luck. if you have other ideas it would be much appreciated!

Re: iOS/Subaru: Pandora won't connect

dlwr300 — Sat, 10 Dec 2022 18:47:38 GMT

My wife and I own a couple of 2016s: Impreza and Forester. The correct method to play Pandora through the 2016 stereo's Pandora app is to connect the iPhone and car via Bluetooth and plug a lightning cord into your iPhone and the USB port in the armrest or the one in the hole under the stereo (where you stash your phone or shades or Butterfinger).

Step-by-step instructions:

Plug lightning cord in your iPhone and car's USB
Turn on the stereo, select a Pandora station on your iPhone, wait until the iPhone and stereo connect via Bluetooth,
select Pandora on the car stereo,
control the app with the stereo's buttons:
1. skip song,
2. thumb a song,
3. read song title and artist,
4. see list of your Pandora stations,
5. select a new station,
6. delete a station
7. add a station.

[This method is strictly for iPhones and 2016s. There's a possibility that the Starlink app is needed on the iPhone for 2017 and newer Subarus. I expected this awkwardness (using a cord and Bluetooth) from Android but not from iPhones. There's only one iPhone operating system instead of 100 flavors of Android!) Androids play Pandora through a 2016's stereo Pandora app without a USB.]

Downloading the Starlink app isn't required for playing the Pandora app through the 2016 Subaru Impreza stereo Pandora app.

I hope that somebody chimes in with instructions for 2017 and newer Subarus.

Re: iOS/Subaru: Pandora won't connect

dlwr300 — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 19:34:52 GMT

My wife and I own a couple of 2016s: Impreza and Forester. The correct method to play Pandora through the 2016 stereo's Pandora app is to connect the iPhone and car via Bluetooth and plug a lightning cord into your iPhone and the USB port in the Subaru’s armrest or the one in the hole under the stereo (where you stash your phone or shades or Butterfinger).

Step-by-step instructions:

Have the stereo tuned to the Pandora app. (either tune to the stereo Pandora before shutting off the ignition or turn the key to accessory, wait until the stereo finishes booting up and connecting to your iPhone, tune to the stereo Pandora app and then shut off the ignition)
Plug lightning cord to your iPhone and car's USB (in the armrest or in the hole under the stereo where you put your shades, iPhone or Butterfinger. Plugging iPhone into a 12-volt charger/cigarette lighter charger won’t allow Pandora to fully function. You’re stuck with playing your iPhone’s Pandora through the stereo’s general Bluetooth connection)
open the Pandora app on your iPhone and start playing a Pandora station
start the car
control the app with the stereo’s buttons
downloading the Starlink app to your iPhone might not be necessary for playing Pandora through the stereo, it wasn’t necessary for 2016 Subarus.
The next time you want to use Pandora, you’ve got to start with step 1 above. I haven’t any good luck with having Pandora work when the iPhone app is open but not inactive/not the app filling up your screen if I don’t start at step 1 each time I get in the car. If you get to your destination, make a call/take a pic/look up something on Safari/use a non-Pandora app at your destination, you’ve got to make sure the iPhone Pandora app is open, active and filling your iPhone screen before starting your car when you return to the car.

Re: iOS/Subaru: Pandora not connecting in vehicle

Wiseb10 — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 17:22:04 GMT

This app. Was working fine and it just stopped working so it only works on
Bluetooth but no longer on app. So what you suggested it did not work so I
wish pandora could find a patch to get it back to app on starlink on my
Subaru.

Re: iOS/Subaru: Pandora won't connect

dlwr300 — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 11:06:27 GMT

Sometimes the phone, between Bluetooth, Pandora and phone, need to be reset. Give these a shot:

Bluetooth: forget your car on your iPhone and delete your iPhone on your stereo. Reconnect/reinstall/reintroduce your iPhone to your Subaru

App measures:

1) Sign out of the Pandora app on your iPhone. Close app/swipe up. Sign back in. Attempt to use Pandora on stereo.

2) if signing out and then back in doesn’t work, delete and then reinstall the app

Sometimes, I have to unplug and the plug back in to the USB port and then the iPhone and stereo resume working together when I first start the car. That solution inconsistently works and I don’t know the conditions when it works.

At least Pandora has people acknowledging and replying to our trouble tickets unlike Aha. :[

Re: iOS/Subaru: Pandora not connecting in vehicle

miniyoda3 — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 20:17:17 GMT

Thank you for this. I was finally able to get mine going. I do have to unplug my usb each time before using. It's not the easiest connection but it finally works. Thank you for sharing. I have a 2018 Forester.

Re: iOS/Subaru: Pandora won't connect

sky_2_kno — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 02:23:08 GMT

I used Pandora on my 2017 Subaru Forester for a 5 years until just a month ago, or so, when it stopped working and dash screen just shows spinning ball, trying to connect. Same problem as above, apparently (I use iPhone 13 Pro Max and USB cord). And coincidentally this was about the same time as the iPhone app shows it was updated... I'll try doing as you say and see if it works. Otherwise I'm dropping Pandora.

Re: iOS/Subaru: Pandora not connecting in vehicle

sky_2_kno — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 02:31:32 GMT

One problem with your method is that "Pandora" does not even show as being accessible, on Subaru's dash screen, *until* the car is USB connected to iPhone. I did try the first step in your suggestion but it's not helping. The car stereo cannot tune to the Pandora app without being USB plugged in. It never connects, just that spinning wheel, searching... So no way to even have it "on" when turning key off.

Re: iOS/Subaru: Pandora won't connect

dlwr300 — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 12:30:52 GMT

Have you tried factory resetting the stereo?

Re: iOS/Subaru: Pandora won't connect

sky_2_kno — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 17:22:15 GMT

Hadn't considered that, since (a) nothing else is not working in the stereo, and (b) taking the car to the dealer costs an arm and a leg. Regarding point "a", I look for convergence and the recent update to Pandora app seems to have happened about the same time as its not working in the car for me. I realize I did not consider resetting Bluetooth... I should try that next.

Re: iOS/Subaru: Pandora won't connect

cybirr — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 17:06:24 GMT

With an upgrade to a new iPhone 14, the Subaru/STARLINK/Pandora connection appears to be irretrievably broken. STARLINK is dead abandonedware and Apple couldn’t give a flip about the situation. This is on Subaru.

2017 Subaru Outback

Re: iOS/Subaru: Pandora won't connect

thargan — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 02:09:44 GMT

Any solution. I have downloaded all of the latest updates. I am having trouble off and on in my 2019 subaru outback. It was working fine with the phone connected by cable but the last time I connected my phone after I had started the car and pandora - and it said it could not connect and now I cant get it to connect again even after restarting my car and plugging in the phone first etc...

Re: iOS/Subaru: Pandora won't connect

sky_2_kno — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 18:41:39 GMT

I've stopped using Pandora. They don't respond here (or anywhere else) to our problems. I followed all the recommendations from helpful users, but nothing worked. Just checked it the other day, wanting to see if it works for a big Labor Day trip, but endless spinning circle, no connect. Pandora is either cheap, running on fumes, or there's no one at the wheel. IOW they don't care so I stopped subbing. Too bad, they were a good alternative to Spankify.