Android: Unable to connect Pandora in various vehicles after 2208.1

[TannerPandora]

Pandora Update: 10/6/22

I'd like to again thank everyone for posting their trouble with connecting Android devices to Pandora in the car. We understand how frustrating this experience can be and wanted you to know that we're working hard to resolve this issue.

If you're new to this thread and experience an issue connecting to Pandora with your Android, feel free to post. Your information will be passed along to our engineering ticket.

Updates will continue to be posted in this thread as they are given to the Community Team.

In the meantime, these steps may help to connect to your vehicle:

• First, make sure your phone is not connected to your vehicle via Bluetooth.
• Then, launch Pandora on your phone before starting you car.
• Once Pandora is playing, then connect to your vehicle via Bluetooth.

Thank you all for your continued patience.

Use your mobile device only when conditions allow and as permitted by applicable law.

---

Pandora Update: 9/20/22

Hi everyone! Thanks for posting your experience to community.

Since many of you are having trouble on various Android phones and in different vehicles I've gone ahead and merged all related posts into one thread to help stay organized with updates and information.

If you're new to this thread, please note that this is for Android users who are unable to connect to Pandora in their vehicle or in-vehicle device with version 2208.1 or later.

An internal ticket has been created and our engineering teams are investigating. Updates will be made in this thread as they are made available to us.

We appreciate your continued patience while we look into this.

Use your mobile device only when conditions allow and as permitted by applicable law.

[varnk]

Took my 2018 Mazda 6 to the dealer to see if they could fix this issue thinking maybe I needed an update to my Mazda Connect system.  Turns out I already have the latest update of Mazda Connect.  I showed a technician the issue I was having and he couldn't figure out the issue.  He paired his iPhone with my car and Pandora worked fine there, but it didn't work when he switched the Bluetooth connection to my Samsung S9 phone.  Pandora can play over Bluetooth, but it can't be launched from the Pandora selection on the audio input selection page.  This problem has been going on for months! When is pandora going to fix it!

This is just a workaround and not really a solution. The solution would be for Pandora to fix the app!

Moderator Edit: Merged posts and format

[barnesmjsa]

That isa good and reasonable approach.
If Pandora follows Spotify's suit and discontinues, fine.
I do understand deprecating technology.
But FFS, manage it better. As you pointed out, as part of these releases
there should have been much better communications.

Oh well. I'm looking at a complete tech refresh at this point. From pocket,
to auto to home.
What a **ahem** of a time it is trying to not get locked into a single
vendor's technology.

Best of luck to you all out there..

Merry Christmas,

Michael

[Ken65]

In my OP, I have a 2016 Buick Encore. At some point in time autos came with a touch screen so using Android Auto can display the audio source and as well as display Navigation apps like Maps and Waze.

Since my car does not have the touch screen, using the 2203.1 version is the viable solution in my case, and apparently for others.

If Pandora is moving forward,  then I would recommend that the powers that be note this version for those users with similar auto conditions.

....note that I'm currently using a 2017 Samsung Galaxy J327V Eclipse with 16G internal memory, so being able to move the app to the SD card is a nice bonus.  Eventually, I will upgrade my phone ‌😁‌

[tparris2005]

I've been listening to pandora in my 2018 Kia Soul for years with no problem. Since September my android won't play pandora anymore. It just spins and says that I need to start pandora from my mobile device. Pandora is open on my phone but it still won't play. I've uninstalled and re-installed it. I've even changed storage and battery settings. Everything else connects through the car though. Thinking I'll cancel my Pandora subscription!

[vrrroom]

It's been over 2 months since your 10/6/22 update and I am still unable to play Pandora in my car through the car's Pandora Audio Source, only works through the car's Bluetooth Audio Source. I'm using app version 2211.1  Is this issue really being looked into?

[Stinger22]

Doesn't appear they are going to fix a very simple problem. It's been months and no update, no it's in beta testing, no we're working on it. Just dead.

[billyga]

It's quite obvious now that Pandora support for the radio app is history. It seems to me that TannerPandora would post a sticky comment alerting users to that and close this conversation.

[punkrock714]

Good day!

  Everything your experiencing I've been experiencing the same thing. I've must have sent 15 emails to Pandora and they never can give me a reason why it's taking so long and what caused this. I even asked them to send me an educated response of what the actual problem is and nobody has. I mean you would think that if you have engineers working on this that it would take a lot less time than over 5 months. Completely blows my mind I don't understand it. Did somebody do something stupid there to cause all this? Who knows but all I know is that it is not working. I have two Alpine receivers in my two Silverado trucks that are just a couple of years apart from each other and just recently I went to my stereo guy that installed them and he even contacted Alpine and I might have thought it was a firmware issue but it wasn't. I have the latest firmware in my Alpine units so this is all on Pandora. Another thing I thought that since my phone now is not getting software updates it might be a software issue with my Android but I'm guessing that it's not either. I need to update my phone and get a new one anyways so if that works then obviously it might be a software issue with Android. But then again I don't think that's the problem but I need to get a new phone anyways. Hopefully this problem will be solved who knows. ✌️

[billyga]

On the android issue, I recently updated from an S9+ to a new S22+ and nothing changed in regards to Pandora. It's over.

[vrrroom]

@TannerPandora It's been over 2 months since your 10/6/22 update and I am still unable to play Pandora in my car through the car's Pandora Audio Source, only works through the car's Bluetooth Audio Source. I'm using app version 2211.1  Is this issue really being looked into?

[BigRed61]

I have a Samsung S22 and I was able to fix this issue. Go to Settings > Apps > Pandora > Permissions and select Nearby Devices. Click Allow. It took a while for it to initially connect in my car, but once it did it works fine.

[barnesmjsa]

Just an FYI for others, the "Settings > Apps > Pandora > Permissions and select Nearby Devices"

Was already applied to my configuration prior to the new release (back a few months) removing/breaking connectivity. Not downplaying others contributions, just sparing ant remaining hair for those still trying.

I am still on a deprecated version of Pandora that I don't allow to update. 

Isn't that special.

[billyga]

Nearby Devices is selected on my S22+. As before with my S9+, I can play on my Pioneer radio with the Bluetooth app but not with the Pandora app on the radio. I can't even roll back the Pandora software to an earlier version and get connected. I've jumped through all the hoops and it still doesn't work for me.

[Tjmorette]

Yes this worked for me too... FINALLY!

[Fhb]

Here is the situation with "upgrade" issue with the Pandora App and not being able to connect the vehicle.

1.  In Android 12 Google released a new permission called nearby device permission.

2. Pandora upgraded the Android app to be compliant with this new device permission.

If you are running Android 11 the App will no longer connect to the Vehicle system.

If you are running Android 12 the Nearby device permission on the Pandora App is set to off.

So if you are running Android 12 go to Settings  -> Apps -> Pandora and select Nearby devices

If you are running Android 11 like I was, you need to upgrade to Android 12 and turn on the setting for the Pandora app select Near by  devices.  This fixed the issue for me.

I am quite surprised that Pandora did not determine what the issue is.

[SixStrRzr]

Did this on an S-10. Got Pandora on the car, but no volume?Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[CharlieD]

Regarding the Android 11/12 issue.  Unfortunately, my phone is a verizon branded OnePlus8.  It's on Android 11 and Verizon has not upgraded it to version 12.  I kind of doubt they will.  That aside, the developers could have easily written the app so that it could tell which version of Android it was running on and "do the right thing."  It's called backward compatibility.  Very common in software development.  Probably take an additional 2 or 3 lines of code.  How could they not consider this?  Who's doing the software development?  And don't tell me to buy a new phone.  It's still actively getting security updates.

[barnesmjsa]

Thanks for the post.

I have checked two different model phones. Both already had the correct nearby setting.

Neither worked until I once again backed off the Pandora release to an older version as noted far, far upstream at this point.

This solution worked for YOUR configuration (which we have no idea what that is).

Best~

[barnesmjsa]

"How could they not consider this? "

I've come to the conclusion that its just a matter of SiriusXM owning Pandora.

Only way we will get traction is by pestering advertisers on Pandora's network with boycotts and the reason why.

Only problem is, we are a minority with a technical issue. Nothing woke here.

Pandora leadership know this which is why we've been given the middle finger.

I'm a paid member. I won't be once this annual subscription is up.

Sad too. But, things always change and these days, never for the the better.

[Ken65]

If this is truly an Android version issue with this new permission,  my situation is having version 8.1 on a 2017 Galaxy J3 Eclipse phone. Have 2016 Buick Encore and 2022 Honda CRV and  works with Pandora 2203.1 including the functionality of running Pandora from the SD card. I did install the latest version 2212.1 and the portability to the card works when listening through the phone or on a bluetooth device. I haven't checked it out on the cars though, but it sounds like from other replies this won't work since I'm most likely limited on updating to a later Android version. We'll see.