iPhone/iSMART App: Can the MG4 be set up for more than one person to simultaneously interact with?

[Shimi6]

If and when received, my wife and I will be sharing the vehicle (MG4 Trophy). I am curious to know whether:

1. As and when we each drive the vehicle will our phones automatically connect to the infotainment system when we enter the vehicle - or, on each occasion the driver changes, do we need to go through the steps to unbind the phone that is currently connected in order to then connect an alternate?

2. I will download the MG iSMART app for use on my phone, and it will be the main one used to interact with the vehicle. However, what happens when I am away for a few days somewhere, using in a different vehicle? Can my wife nevertheless also use her downloaded iSMART application such that she too can independently interact with the MG4 using her phone?

 

[JohnInFrance]

In a word, no. Two phones cannot connect at the same time. The iSmart app can only be used by one person at a time and only one account can bind to a car (so to use multiple phones you have to use the same account on both and when one logs in, the other is immediatly logged out).

 

[D1no]

In a word, no. Two phones cannot connect at the same time. The iSmart app can only be used by one person at a time and only one account can bind to a car (so to use multiple phones you have to use the same account on both and when one logs in, the other is immediatly logged out).

What happens with the infotainment screen, particularly CarPlay/Android Auto? Does it just recognise whichever Bluetooth device it picks up?

Current car is a pain to switch between devices so have ended up leaving it just paired with the wife's phone and I've put a Bluetooth speaker in a cupholder for me to use. Not ideal but I get less grief that way!

 

[siteguru]

Bluetooth pairing (and thus AA/CP use) shouldn't be restricted to just one phone. It's the binding of the car to the iSmart app (using the car's QR code) which is restricted to one phone (so I believe).

However other phones can have the iSmart app and use the same login details, but when a phone logs in then any other connected phone will be logged out. (That's how I understand it to work).

So if your main issue is AA/CP use and connecting the phone to the car to make/take calls - that shouldn't be a problem. Don't forget that you need to connect the phone via cable to the left USB-A socket for AA/CP to work.

 

[the briggie]

This is an area of confusion I believe. Yes you use one phone to bind the car...it can be any phone...that is just to set up the account initially. Then you can also sign in with other devices not bound but only one can be active at ant time. I believe the original phone is not bound to the car...why should it be? Surely the logic dictates that people lose phones, change phones so it is the account that is bound not any physical device. Just theory but?

This all conjecture but that is how mymazda app works for me. Once the account is set up you can change phones freely with no loss of functionality.

Has any tried a second device and do all app functions work?

Has any one tried it on a third device just see what happens?

As for Bluetooth again the car will connect to the first device recognised if both are registered in the car. If plugged to AA or carplay that device becomes the active phone.

Is that correct or am I missing something?

Alan

 

[Shimi6]

Thanks all for your replies.

It seems straightforward then that my wife and I should each download the iSMART app and use the same account details to log in. As a result, the person logging in automatically obtains 'control' of the iSMART app and the consequence is that previous user is 'nudged' off the app.

However, does it therefore follow that our phones will automatically pair with bluetooth and thus immediately be able to instantly make and receive calls - or does each phone have to be individually paired with bluetooth on every occasion when the latest person logging into the same iSMART account changes?

Or, does the car allow multiple iPhone users to be able to bluetooth and use their phones independently from logging in to the iSMART account?

Robert

 

[Diggsy]

The linking of the phones for calls etc is done via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay as far as I’m aware, so it should have nothing to do with the MG app.

I also thought the phone had to be connected via USB, not Bluetooth for the above apps, but I stand to be corrected…

 

[the briggie]

You can only have one active Bluetooth connection at any time irrespective of app or android Auto.

As for AA and Bluetooth, extract from article

But what’s sometime confusing for many is that despite using a wired connection, Bluetooth is still required for Android Auto to run. In other words, despite running Android Auto on your car’s screen using a USB cable, the device still needs to be paired with the vehicle’s head unit via Bluetooth as well.

And it’s all because of the way Android Auto was developed in the first place.

Technically, Bluetooth lacks the necessary bandwidth to offer both audio and video for Android Auto, so what Google did was restrict the use of Bluetooth for phone calls via the Hands Free Protocol, also known as HFP. So despite most of Android Auto running through the cable, the Bluetooth is used for phone calls.

As a matter of fact, all head units installed in a car must support audio over USB because Android Auto sends the music audio over USB. At the same time, phone call audio is sent over Bluetooth. The difference between the two is made by the audio quality. The music that Android Auto sends to the HU features a higher quality, typically CD quality, so it needs more bandwidth to work properly.

The drawback is that when having Android Auto running on the car’s screen, no other device can connect to Bluetooth, even if technically the system runs over USB. And of course, there’s no way to disable phone calls via Bluetooth to leave it open for other devices.

 

[the briggie]

As for carplay that is more confusing. Not being an IOs and carplay user I have not tried it. Bluetooth is required on the initial set up but after that?

Alan

 

[Diggsy]

Have yet to see a car where Bluetooth is required for CarPlay. Any I’ve seen / used have been a simple case of plugging the USB cable in.

 

[the briggie]

Diggsy, that is true after initial setup. Does that mean another device can use Bluetooth whilst carplay is active? If so what Bluetooth functionality can that device use? As stated not an IOs offecianado?

Alan

 

[Diggsy]

Hmm, I’m lost now!

 

[NickHeynes]

I'm sure I've seen filly wireless acp and aa advertised on cars

 

[Diggsy]

I'm sure I've seen filly wireless acp and aa advertised on cars

You can definitely have fully wireless, as I’ve seen that too. I just never knew about having to use Bluetooth to setup wired CarPlay.

 

[JohnInFrance]

Thanks all for your replies.

It seems straightforward then that my wife and I should each download the iSMART app and use the same account details to log in. As a result, the person logging in automatically obtains 'control' of the iSMART app and the consequence is that previous user is 'nudged' off the app.

However, does it therefore follow that our phones will automatically pair with bluetooth and thus immediately be able to instantly make and receive calls - or does each phone have to be individually paired with bluetooth on every occasion when the latest person logging into the same iSMART account changes?

Or, does the car allow multiple iPhone users to be able to bluetooth and use their phones independently from logging in to the iSMART account?

Robert

iSmart and Bluetooth are mutually exclusive. The iSmart app doesn't use Bluetooth at all (unless you have enabled the digital key), it's all OTA.
Only one user can have 'control' of the car at any one time, so, you use the same account details on bit your wife's and your phone and when one logs into iSmart, the other phone is logged off.
You can connect as many phones as you like via Bluetooth for phone and music playback, all done via the infotainment screen, but obviously only one can be connected at any one time. If both yours and your wife's phones have been registered in the Bluetooth module and you're both in the car at the same time, it should automatically connect to the last phone it was connected to - to change that, disconnect it in the infotainment menu and click connect on the (already paired) phone you want connected.
The key to remember is that Bluetooth functions (phone, music) and iSmart are not interlinked.

 

[Shimi6]

Hi John, that's a very clear and succinct summary, even though my French is not very good. Thank you.