Text volume via Apple CarPlay

I did some testing on this. When using CarPlay, I am also experiencing very quiet Siri/voice. I noticed immediately that the vehicle does not pause nor mute playing music when there is voice, except for the front left speakers (where the driver is).

You CAN adjust the voice volume up if you are quick on the rotary volume knob while Siri is speaking, but I discovered that this volume setting is limited to 17, whereas music volume goes to 35+. So, there seems to be a bug in the Tundra infotainment configuration for Siri/voice that has a lower volume limit.

Tip, to give yourself plenty of time to adjust voice to the max level, activate Siri and ask her to tell you a joke

 

Bringing some life to this thread, did anyone figure out any other solutions. It is clearly a Toyota issue with this tundra. In my mustang when I have Siri read a message the music or anything else being played is muted. Kind of annoying, I had a decent commute and using Siri for messaging is very useful, but a PITA if I have music or radio on.

 

There's no updates or changes at all.

It's really disappointing as I would have thought by now there would have been an OTA update but the issue still remains, and it's literally the only disappointment I have in my new Tundra.

 

Hey man,

I don't know if you had any luck yet with this, but if and when the txt msgs start coming through have you used the +/- volume button on your steering wheel? I can turn the volume knob all day it does shit, but if I hit the volume button on steering wheel it adjusts the volume. This is the same way I must adjust my android auto direction voice. You got to be quick but this is how i'm able to adjust....during speech use the volume control on steering wheel.

Best of luck!

 

Holy cow no, I have not tried, and thank you - I can't wait to see if that does the trick. Never thought of that!!!

Thanks again - hope it works and will report back

 

No worries, that's what the forums are for. Honestly I just figured this out on the weekend, I was getting savage about it not working.

I Look forward to hearing if it solved your problem.

Cheers,

 

Just tried this by accident this morning and it definitely works, much better now but still wish it would mute anything else like my ford.

 

All 3 will be grayed out and inoperable when phone is not connected via cable or bluetooth. Once connect the Ringtone and Received Volume are adjustable. The New Message volume is adjusted when the message is being read. Sorry just getting caught up on all the threads when I go to this one, there is an older thread like about a year ago covering this same issue and volume knob adjusts the volume when Text message is being read.

 

Took a few minutes and found it, here is the thread I mentioned: https://www.tundras.com/threads/apple-car-play.106715/

 

So....yes, the volume on the steering wheel does work to increase during the reading of a text but there are still two very flawed issues that I've never encountered with any other vehicle with wireless Apple CarPlay:

1.) Music is not muted when the text is being read out, and,
2.) There appears to be a volume limiter and I'm not able to increase the incoming text being read loud enough to satisfy my shitty hearing...lol

Oh well...

 

@Me, too. <big sigh>. WTF, Toyota??

 

Oh, and you don't have to play around with the steering wheel volume button to get the text or phone to be audible over the music. Before you do a Siri command, make or answer call, or read a text, just press the big main volume button to mute the music. I know, an extra step we shouldn't have to do, but it is a good workaround for now.

 

Just a follow up and another data point... it seems the system works fine for incoming phone calls. The music audio mutes as soon as the phone starts ringing and stays muted throughout the call. Outgoing calls, Siri, reading texts, and other voice commands, not so much.

 

Hi all,

I’m accurately ran across this thread because I’m having the same issue with my new bZ4x (the Toyota EV that I noticed the day after buying looked like a Stormtrooper, cool, right?).

While I’m happy to hear I’m not alone, I’m shocked to hear that Toyota hasn’t resolved the issue. My husband has a RAV4 2020 and we haven’t had a single issue. I don’t think my husband has gotten at text while using my car…we just got it. My father-in-law just got a 2023 fully-loaded Highlander. Just for comparison, I’ll update everyone if I have the same issue with my phone on that one. It might be a few weeks before I get the chance to connect to itC but as soon as I can, I’ll give the test update.

Sorry if it seems like I’m hijacking’s the thread, so admins, I won’t be offended if you delete this since I’m talking about different cars. I just figured since we are dealing with the same bug, we might be able to isolate issues with some cross comparison…between phones that are experiencing the issue and then attaching to different Toyotas.

 

We've experienced this only with the 2022 Tundra (Limited) that we have. It doesn't happen on the 2021 Rav4 hybrid. It didn't happen with a 2022 Corolla we had as a rental a few months ago, and with a 2022 4Runner rental either.

but it's still happening. I too have the volume button fix, but it doesn't pause music (like the others have noted) and there are volume limits as well. annoying!

bright side: I just ignore messages while driving now. totally forget they're even there.

 

Last time there was a post here seems to be 2022. being 2023 has there been any fixes found by users or Toyota to fix this problem... because a year late and a brand new Tundra 2023 and the problem stil exists.

 

Problem still exists and no updates for the head unit yet.

 

Bumping this as it seems to be the best topic with the most info. Full disclosure I am an engineering manager at a major technology company and I have decades of experience with gathering technical details on support issues. It seems like a lot of folks are describing the same UX issue and talking past each other, but the bottom line is the issue still remains and Toyota owes us an answer on if this is a product defect or it is working as intended.
I moved from a 2018 Tundra Limited with an after market Alpine and wireless Car Play with the JBL speakers and had zero issues with Siri functionality or any voice assistance functionality for that matter. My wife took delivery of a 2022 Sienna Platinum with JBL system and it also works as expected- get a text or activate Siri and music volume mutes and Siri is loud and clear.
In both my 2023 Tundra i-force max Limited with the JBL speakers and the rental of the same model I had today as the dealer did some installs, this issue presents itself the exact same way. Text message comes in, notification is pressed on screen, Siri reads text, yet the music at any volume no matter the source is too loud to hear the assistant. There is absolutely no logical way to remedy while the message is being read. Volume knob won't turn the music down, volume knob won't turn Siri to an audible volume, and the end result is having to adjust settings while you are driving causing a potential hazard. The same issue occurs when trying to talk to the voice assistance (Siri or Toyota) if you have music playing.
Now, I totally get that some folks are OK with this and don't seem to "have a problem" with how the issue is presenting itself, however this doesn't change the fact that this is operating differently and unexpectedly than every other implementation of Car Play in other vehicles by Toyota.
This is what makes me think this is either a limitation of the infotainment system and Toyota isn't admitting to it, or it is working as designed to move you away from Car Play and into their 15 dollar a month navigation and remote assistant package.

Anyway, sucks to be disappointed about something that you love and want to enjoy 100%, but I don't like our chances of getting a fix at this point. But hey, I'm also a Harley owner so I'm used to this from a company that I give lots of business to.

 

So glad to find this thread. Just picked up 2023 sequoia trd pro. Same issue as reported by others. Text messages are not even worth having CarPlay if the music doesn’t stop while messages are being read. And when using voice to text to respond it doesn’t seem like the feature is as accurate. Either that or I can’t hear Siri repeating what I said before choosing to send my message. Super annoying.

 

Glad I found this thread, as well. I thought I was missing a setting somewhere.

Using CarPlay and Siri for hands free messaging is rather pointless. if it doesn’t automatically mute the music when messaging.

I’m not losing any sleep over it, as I normally ignore texts while driving anyway. But I was hoping that I could at least hear the contents of incoming messages, so I’d know whether or not I needed to pull over and respond.

Just another item on the growing list of things I don’t like about my 2023 1794, unfortunately.

Matt

 

I wish that on apps like GAIA or OnX, CarPlay would actually show the interface like on your phone rather than just "Routes". Kind of useless and defeats the purpose. Also this radio and Toyota's need to control the layout, lacks a channel knob to roll through stations on SiriusXM, and instead you have to button or touchscreen channel by channel, stupid. Instead of searching all 900 channels and scrolling it makes you search via genre or hop between favorites saved. It's an annoyance, but another one of many. Really hoping this truck grows on me but long term, I'm not sold on it just yet.

 

I had the same issue. I left my phone in the house, activated SIRI and turned the volume up for SIRI. I then went back and connected my phone and it works like it should but who knows for how long. It worked fine the first two months I had the truck. O/W, I really like the performance of the truck.

 

I've slowly gotten used to hitting the big volume button to turn the music off, then tap on the incoming message and adjust the volume with the steering wheel volume buttons.

It's still an annoying extra step, the music should automatically mute whenever any interactive voice features are being used. It works fine with navigation and phone calls, why not messaging?

Matt

 

Not 100% sure now but I think in my truck also just messages were quiet with the music on. Solution was easy though - turn the volume up at the time the message was read.

 

Ya I don’t get why this is so difficult, just turn the big knob to adjust the volume

 

The issue is, if you don't turn the music down, or off, before selecting the incoming message, you can't hear the message being read out over the music. That's an extra step. On almost every other car that is compatible with CarPlay, or Android auto, when you either select an incoming message, or compose a new message using Siri, the music automatically mutes, just like it does for navigation prompts or phone calls.

 

Then have someone on a passenger seat text you so you now when message is being read. It's really easy to fix that issue.

 

I'm not sure what you mean.

Try this. Connect to your truck using CarPlay, then crank up some favorite music from your music library. Then have someone text you. Let me know what steps you have to take to hear the message being read back to you.

 

That's exactly what I did. When I got my truck I could barely hear the message. Instead of waiting for a random message coming who knows when I've had my wife sitting next to me and sending text. Even though I couldn't hear the message being read I saw the anouncement on a screen and knew when I need to turn the volume up. That solved the issue.

 

2023 Limited Tundra here. Problem still exists. Just isn’t loud enough even your music volume is high with Wireless CarPlay. Had a Crystler Pacifica rental last week with wireless CarPlay and this wasn’t an issue. Music paused when using Siri. HOWEVER, for what it’s worth, this isn’t an issue when I’m listening to Podcasts through the Apple Podcasts app. May just be isolated to the music app???