# Trouble linking my iPhone to Honda CRV **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 6, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554 "2017-03-06T16:45:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/1 "2017-03-06T16:45:03Z")
I’m trying to link my iPhone to my Honda CRV handsfree link and have run into a problem. I follow the steps with the Honda to the point where it says “as soon as your phone finds our link, enter code XXXX” But my iPhone seems not to recognise the Honda. I go to “Settings”, then “Bluetooth” and click to turn on the Bluetooth link. And then I get a message on the iPhone “Searching for devices” with the little swirly indicator. But it never seems to find any devices, and the swirly thing never stops. I never get to a prompt on my iPhone to enter the code that the Honda has given me. Any thoughts, O techno-Dopers? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/2 "2017-03-06T17:45:55Z")
Have you been able to link your iPhone by blue tooth to other devices successfully? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/3 "2017-03-06T17:46:36Z")
Bluetooth can be finicky IME with iPhones/iPads/etc. Try “forgetting” any Bluetooth devices the phone already knows. Try shutting everything down and starting again. Try starting the phone before the car and vice-versa. Eventually everything will work, but you might have to try repeatedly. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/4 "2017-03-06T17:54:20Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Have you been able to link your iPhone by blue tooth to other devices successfully? Techno-peasant talking, remember? The CRV is the _only_ Bluetooth device I have! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/5 "2017-03-06T17:56:18Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Bluetooth can be finicky IME with iPhones/iPads/etc. > > Try “forgetting” any Bluetooth devices the phone already knows. Try shutting everything down and starting again. Try starting the phone before the car and vice-versa. Eventually everything will work, but you might have to try repeatedly. I can’t see why it would have any Bluetooth devices (see above 🙂 ). But how would I get my phone to “forget” such a thing? Forgot to mention: I also tried to link Mrs Piper’s iPhone as well, and it also gave me the swirly thing without ever finding the Honda’s link. Both phones are relatively new, and have never been linked to the Honda before. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/6 "2017-03-06T18:32:56Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I can’t see why it would have any Bluetooth devices (see above 🙂 ). But how would I get my phone to “forget” such a thing? > > Forgot to mention: I also tried to link Mrs Piper’s iPhone as well, and it also gave me the swirly thing without ever finding the Honda’s link. > > Both phones are relatively new, and have never been linked to the Honda before. I recently tried to connect some Bluetooth Boise headphones to my Ipad and Iphone. The “forgetting other stuff” was recommended in the Boise instructions and it worked. If you have connected to other devices they would show up on a list when you have Bluetooth running. “Forgetting” is one of the options you are offered when looking at the list of devices. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/7 "2017-03-06T18:35:17Z")
There are many Apple threads discussing [how to get an iPhone to work with Bluetooth.](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7722994?start=0&tstart=0) ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/8 "2017-03-06T19:07:50Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I recently tried to connect some Bluetooth Boise headphones to my Ipad and Iphone. > > The “forgetting other stuff” was recommended in the Boise instructions and it worked. If you have connected to other devices they would show up on a list when you have Bluetooth running. “Forgetting” is one of the options you are offered when looking at the list of devices. Boise headphones? Are you sticking potatoes in your ears again **kayaker**? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/9 "2017-03-06T19:16:02Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Boise headphones? Are you sticking potatoes in your ears again **kayaker**? Hah! Can’t believe I did that. A buddy of mine has an inside connection at **Bose**. He gives me a **Bose** product (speaker, headphones, CD/Radio unit, etc) for xmas every so often. As an “in-joke” I always call them Boise when I text with him.😃 ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/10 "2017-03-06T19:20:01Z")
I assume you have your iPhone opened to “Phone” before you turn the key. If not, do that. I have a Honda Fit and had no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/11 "2017-03-06T19:42:28Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > There are many Apple threads discussing [how to get an iPhone to work with Bluetooth.](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7722994?start=0&tstart=0) Thanks, I went and looked at those threads. They seem to be raising a different problem - that once paired with the vehicle, their phone isn’t working properly. I can’t even get to that stage: the little whirligig thing is still going on the Bluetooth screen of my iPhone: [QUOTE=my iPhone’s Bluetooth screen] Bluetooth [[On]] Now discoverable as “Piper’s iPhone”: DEVICES [[whirligig]] [/QUOTE] There is no list of devices previously connected, no list of devices that I could try to connect to, nothing but the whirligig. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/12 "2017-03-06T19:43:33Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > I assume you have your iPhone opened to “Phone” before you turn the key. If not, do that. I have a Honda Fit and had no problem. I think I turned the car on first; will try turning the phone on first next time. Thanks for that suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/13 "2017-03-06T19:48:50Z")
Are you sure the car is also searching for the phone at the same time? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/14 "2017-03-06T19:54:38Z")
Yes, I start by pushing the lever on the steering wheel to start the linking process, choosing “Phone setup” and then “Pair” at the prompts. It then gives me a four digit code to enter on my phone to complete the link process, so it’s ready to pair with my phone. It seems to be the phones that can’t find the Bluetooth connection, given the perpetual whirligig thing. Should add: this is a 2010 CRV, so the pairing prompts and commands are given orally; there’s no screen in the console to handle the process, which a bit of googling around seems to be the case for later model CRVs. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-linking-my-iphone-to-honda-crv/781554/15 "2017-03-08T00:14:41Z")
Try starting the Bluetooth pairing process on your iPhone first. I have a BT speaker that was a bit hard to pair with my phone. I found the most reliable method to establish the pairing was to get the iPhone (5S) looking first, then start the speaker pairing sequence. It may not be the same with your Honda, as the speaker does not require a PIN, but I know when I tried it the other way, (speaker setup then iPhone) I just got the spinner for OTHER DEVICES. My iPhone is on iOS 10.2.1 BTW.