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Troubleshooting Smartphone Link Live Traffic on Automotive Devices
Your device is compatible with Smartphone Link Live Traffic. Not all devices are compatible with Android and iPhone. See Smartphone Link Compatibility and Availability.
See the troubleshooting below if you are not receiving traffic information. See Smartphone Link Lifetime Subscriptions Display an Expiration Date and/or Restoring In-App Purchases in the Smartphone Link App for additional troubleshooting.
NOTE: If your device was preloaded with full map coverage (i.e. North America), and full map coverage is not installed, you may not receive traffic updates on your Automotive device. See Maps Missing After Updating Maps on a Full Coverage Automotive Device for more information.
Garmin Suggests Troubleshooting in the Following Order:
- Set up Live Traffic
- Update device software
- Update Smartphone Link
- Restart the phone and Garmin device
- Close all other Apps on the phone
- Force close Smartphone Link
- Toggle Bluetooth on the phone
- Confirm coverage
- Enable traffic service
Set Up Live Traffic
See below for a detailed video tutorial on properly setting up Smartphone Link traffic.
Smartphone Link Traffic with an iPhone
Smartphone Link Traffic with an Android Phone
Update Device Software
See the Software section under your device in Support Center.
Update Smartphone Link
Ensure the latest version of Smartphone Link is running on your phone. All updates are downloaded with the App Store or Google Play Store.
Restart the Phone and Garmin Device
Restarting both your smartphone and Garmin device can establish a fresh connection between the two.
See your phone's documentation for information on fully restarting. See your owner's manual for information on restarting your Garmin device.
Close All Other Apps on the Phone
Other Apps running on the phone may interfere with the connection
Steps for closing Apps on the phone can vary by make/model. You may need to consult your phone's manual or manufacturer if you are unsure how to close Apps.
To Close Apps on Most iPhones:
Double-tap the Home button to show your most recently used Apps
Swipe right or left to find the App that you want to close
Swipe up on the App's preview to close the App
To Close Apps on an iPhone X:
From the Home screen, swipe up and pause
Firmly touch and hold the App, then tap the minus symbol. You can also swipe up to close the App as soon as you see the minus symbol
To Close Apps on an Android Phone:
Launch the recent applications menu (this can be done on most phones by holding the button at the bottom of the screen)
Find the applications you want to close on the list by scrolling up from the bottom
Tap and hold on the application and swipe it to the right
Force Close Smartphone Link
The steps to force close an application can vary by phone model.
- On Android, the easiest way is to reboot the phone
- Instructions for iPhone can be found here: https://support.apple.com/HT201330
Toggle Bluetooth on the Phone
To Turn Bluetooth Off and On Again on the Phone:
Open your phone's Settings menu
Open the Bluetooth menu
Touch the on/off button to disable Bluetooth
Touch this button again after a moment to turn Bluetooth back on
Confirm Coverage
Confirm you're using your phone and automotive device in a traffic coverage area.
You will need to be traveling within a coverage area and have a data connection on your phone to receive traffic information. The easiest way to test if your phone has data reception is to pull up a website like www.garmin.com on your phone. Your phone will only load the website if you have data reception.
Enable Traffic Service
It is possible the traffic service was disabled on your Garmin device.
To Confirm Whether the Service is Enabled:
Connect the device to power using the appropriate vehicle power cable
Touch Settings
- Touch Navigation
- Some devices skip this step
Touch Traffic
You can enable traffic here if it is disabled.