Mazda: Track details do not appear, unable to control playback

[krutsch]

2023 w/ Mazda Connect Gen 6 Pandora was working great with Android, but I switched to an iPhone 16 Pro and it is broken.

Yes, Mazda Connect Pandora starts the iPhone app in Accessory Mode and plays music, but the Mazda Connect display never updates with the "next song" details, I cannot pause/FF tracks, the "thumbs" do not work, and the album art only shows the first song. In other words, the extra Pandora functions (above and beyond just Bluetooth audio) do not work.

I have been scouring the web for an iPhone Bluetooth security setting or anything that would explain this behavior, but no luck. It seems to me that once automotive start into Accessory Mode, the infotainment system looses connection with the Pandora app on iOS (though the music keeps playing through Bluetooth). Note this is accessory mode playback ... NOT through CarPlay.

I assume this is in reference to PandoraLink.

From the Mazda Miata forum:

It’s an issue since iOS 18. It worked fine on 17

[AdamPandora]

@krutsch I have created a ticket with our support team for you.

They will be contacting you privately via email to help look into this further, so please keep an eye out for their message.

Thanks for your patience in the meantime!

[krutsch]

@AdamPandora Thank you. I did receive an e-mail from your technical team and answered his questions. Hopefully PandoraLink with iOS 18+ will start working again. People on the Mazda forum are telling me this is an iPhone issue new (or restarted) with version 18.

[krutsch]

Any updates on PandoraLink with iOS 18? I updated to iOS 18.2.1, hoping something might change, but PandoraLink is still broken with Mazda Connect.

[TannerPandora · Accepted solution]

Hi @krutsch 

Thanks for following up. I reached out to our teams, unfortunately, we don’t have an update or a timeframe to share, we will provide updates if they become available.

Thank you for your continued patience.

[krutsch]

I traded in my 2023 MX-5 GT for a 2024 MX-5 Club. The new car does not even HAVE a Pandora option for the Infotainment system. Of course, you can just use Bluetooth, but that removes the niceties of having a dedicated app in the car (i.e. thumbs, album art). Oh well... that solves that problem.

[TannerPandora]

Hi @krutsch!

Congratulations on your new car! I hope you're enjoying it. 🙌

If you're new Mazda has CarPlay or Android Auto, that can be an alternative to Bluetooth or PandoraLink. It may also provide a better overall experience.