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Troubleshooting a Bluetooth or Garmin Drive App Issue with a Garmin Automotive Device

Your automotive device uses Bluetooth technology to connect with your mobile phone.

An Issue With the Bluetooth Connection Between the Two can Cause any of the Following Issues:

  • Automotive device and phone will not find one another.
  • Automotive device and phone encounter problems during the pairing process.
  • The pairing process is successful, but devices do not maintain a Bluetooth connection.
  • You are unable to hear the person you are speaking with or vice versa.
  • Hands-free audio quality is below expectations. 
  • The automotive device is not importing or displaying your phone's contacts.
  • Garmin Drive app features like Traffic, PhotoLive, or Weather are not displaying on the device.
  • null.

NOTE: It is not possible to troubleshoot a Bluetooth or Garmin Drive app issue while on an active phone call, as it may interfere with certain features.

NOTE: The Garmin Drive 53 & Live Traffic is not compatible with phone calls and notifications. 

We Suggest Troubleshooting in This Order for Bluetooth or Garmin Drive App Issues:

1. Phone Requirements

Ensure your Phone Meets System Requirements for the Garmin Drive App:

Go to the Garmin Drive app and select either App Store or Google Play to find the current requirements. It is necessary to use a phone which meets these requirements.

Verify your Phone has the Required Permissions Enabled:

See Phone Permissions Required to Use the Garmin Drive App for more information.

Check for Updates to the Phone’s Operating System: 

To Check for Updates on iOS:

(Note: These steps will vary depending on the phone and OS combination)

  1. Open the phone's Settings menu
  2. Touch General
  3. Touch Software Update

To Check for Updates on Android:

(Note: These steps will vary depending on the phone and OS combination)

1. Touch the Apps menu (some phones skip this step)

2. Touch Settings or the Gear icon 

3. Touch About Phone (some phones skip this step)

4. Touch Software Update or System Updates (you may need to scroll down the page)

 

5. Touch Download and install or Check for system updates (some phones skip this step)

6. Touch Download or Yes if updates are available

7. Touch Install Now

The phone should now check for and apply any necessary system updates.

2. Software Updates

Check for Updates to the Software of the Garmin Device:

See Updating Automotive Maps and Software with Garmin Express.

Check for Updates to the Garmin Drive App:

Search for the Garmin Drive app in the Google Play or App Store to check for updates and apply them, if available.

The installed version number of the Garmin Drive app can be found on the phone itself if the app will not launch.

To Locate the Software Version of the Garmin Drive App:

iOS:

  1. Open the phone's Settings menu
  2. Touch General
  3. Touch iPhone Storage
  4. Touch Drive

Android Version 7 or Older:

  1. Open the phone's Settings menu
  2. Touch Apps
  3. Touch Drive

Android Version 8 or Newer:

  1. Open the phone's Settings menu
  2. Touch Apps or Apps & Notifications
  3. Touch App Info (Some phones skip this step)
  4. Touch Drive

The current version of the Garmin Drive app should be displayed here.

3. Restart Phone and GPS

Be sure to completely restart your phone before proceeding.

See your phone's documentation for instructions on fully restarting your phone.

To reboot your Garmin device, press and hold the Power button for several seconds and then touch Off.

4. Re-Pair by Forgetting the device from Phone's Bluetooth Settings/Drive App and Deleting Pairing History on the GPS

To Delete the Pairing History on an Automotive Device:

  • Camper/RV 780, Camper/RV 795, Camper/RVcam 795, Garmin DriveCam 76, Garmin DriveSmart 55/65/66/76, Garmin DriveSmart 65 Traveler's Edition, Garmin DriveSmart 65/66/76/86 with Amazon Alexa, Garmin DriveSmart 71, and zumo XT

    • Go to the Support Center and enter the product name or the serial number of your device

    • Once your device is selected click Other and search for “Deleting a paired phone”

  • Camper/RV 785, Camper/RV 890, Camper/RV 895, Camper/RV 1090, and Camper/RV 1095
    • Go to the Support Center and enter the product name or the serial number of your device
    • Once your device is selected click Other and search for “Deleting a paired Bluetooth device"

Clear the Garmin Device From the Phone’s Pairing History:

Steps for clearing pairing history on the phone can vary by make/model. See your phone's manual or manufacturer if unsure how to clear your phone's pairing history. The steps below apply to most iOS and Android phones:

To Clear Pairing History on an iPhone:

  1. Open the phone's Settings menu
  2. Touch Bluetooth
  3. Touch the info button ("i" icon) next to the paired Garmin Device
  4. Touch “Forget this device”

To Clear Pairing History on an Android phone:

  1. Open the phone's Settings menu
  2. Touch Connections (some phones skip this step)
  3. Touch Bluetooth
  4. Touch the gear icon next to your listed Garmin Device
    • Select the name of the listed Garmin Device instead on some Android phones
  5. Touch Forget/Unpair

The Garmin Device will now be cleared from your phone's pairing history.

To Clear Pairing History in the Garmin Drive App:

  1. Open the Garmin Drive app on your smartphone
  2. Touch the gear wheel in the top right corner
  3. Touch the device you want to delete
  4. Touch Forget Device
  5. Touch Forget Device again 

To Pair the Garmin Drive App and Your Automotive Device: 

1. Open the Garmin Drive app on your phone and set your phone to Find Me/Discoverable mode

    • Refer to the owner's manual or documentation of the cell phone if you are not sure how to set your phone to Find Me/Discoverable mode

2. Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on the Garmin Device. See the owner's manual for instructions

3. Touch Navigation Device in the Garmin Drive app

 

4. Touch Continue if prompted

5. Touch Enable, if prompted

6. The app will begin searching for the device

7. Touch Yes on the Garmin device, if prompted

8. Touch OK in the Garmin Drive app, if prompted

9. Touch Sign In. Touch Create Account if you don't have an account.

10. Enter your Email and Password and touch Next

5. Clear App Cache

Clear the Garmin Drive App’s Temporary Cache Files From the Phone:

Clearing the cache can remove any problematic files from the phone's temporary storage.

To Clear the Cache:

Most iPhones:

  1. Double-press the iPhone's home button
  2. A list of currently running apps will appear
  3. Swipe up on the Garmin Drive app to remove it from the list and close it

iPhone X and Newer:

  1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause
  2. Swipe up on the Garmin Drive app

Android:

  1. Open the phone's Settings menu
  2. Touch Storage (some phones skip this step)
  3. Touch Other Apps or Apps
  4. Touch Drive
  5. Touch Storage (some phones skip this step)
  6. Touch Clear Cache

The temporary files should now be cleared and the app can be re-opened.

6. Uninstall and Reinstall the Garmin Drive App

To Uninstall the Garmin Drive App on Android:

1. Open the phone's Settings menu

2. Touch Apps

3. Touch the Garmin Drive app

4. Touch Uninstall

To Uninstall the Garmin Drive App on iOS:

1. Touch and hold the Garmin Drive app icon

2. Touch the X that appears in the corner of the icon

It can be re-downloaded from the phone's Google Play Store/iTunes App Store.

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