[Michigontario]

I've had my Insight since last November and in that time, I've had the typical but infrequent CarPlay disconnections and rarely, head unit rebooting. Otherwise, things worked as they should.


However, starting about a month ago, I've been experiencing a new problem. Siri will not read my text messages anymore, nor will it respond to commands after holding down the talk button on the steering wheel. When I select a message on the screen for it to read, it flashes immediately to the screen with the options "read again," "reply," "don't reply."


When I long-press the talk button on the steering wheel, the Siri screen comes up but I never hear the little chime that indicates it's listening. It simply hangs on the screen and gives up after about 20-30 seconds. I've tried talking anyway but it doesn't recognize the command. Siri works fine when not connected to CarPlay.


I read a tip somewhere to turn off "Hey Siri" so I did that. Afterwards, everything functioned fine for about a week. However, it's happened again and this time, toggling Hey Siri isn't working. I've rebooted the phone a few times, checked all the relevant settings (allow Siri when locked, allow Siri for messages, no parental controls on), and no dice. I am using an Apple-supplied cord.


This problem happened at some point after I'd updated my iOS to 12.4 and did not change after the most recent 12.4.1 update. I've also tried the other USB port and another (Apple-brand) cable.


Anyone having a similar problem?

 

[andrew28]

I've had my Insight since last November and in that time, I've had the typical but infrequent CarPlay disconnections and rarely, head unit rebooting. Otherwise, things worked as they should.


However, starting about a month ago, I've been experiencing a new problem. Siri will not read my text messages anymore, nor will it respond to commands after holding down the talk button on the steering wheel. When I select a message on the screen for it to read, it flashes immediately to the screen with the options "read again," "reply," "don't reply."


When I long-press the talk button on the steering wheel, the Siri screen comes up but I never hear the little chime that indicates it's listening. It simply hangs on the screen and gives up after about 20-30 seconds. I've tried talking anyway but it doesn't recognize the command. Siri works fine when not connected to CarPlay.


I read a tip somewhere to turn off "Hey Siri" so I did that. Afterwards, everything functioned fine for about a week. However, it's happened again and this time, toggling Hey Siri isn't working. I've rebooted the phone a few times, checked all the relevant settings (allow Siri when locked, allow Siri for messages, no parental controls on), and no dice. I am using an Apple-supplied cord.


This problem happened at some point after I'd updated my iOS to 12.4 and did not change after the most recent 12.4.1 update. I've also tried the other USB port and another (Apple-brand) cable.


Anyone having a similar problem?

Do you have type to Siri turned on?
Settings app > Accessibility > Siri (should be on the bottom) > Type to Siri

Have you try doing a clean pairing again?
Erase your phone from CarPlay on the Insight and your iPhone.
Settings > Connections > CarPlay > Then there should be a delete button (instruction for deleting on Insight)
Settings > General > CarPlay > Honda Display Audio > Forget This Car (instruction for deleting on iPhone)


Is location services set to "while using" within privacy settings for Siri on your iPhone?

If all else fails you can try Settings app > General > Reset > Reset all settings on your iPhone. It will reset all the settings in your settings app to factory default without erasing your personal data.

 

[insightfully]

These troubleshooting questions might be too basic, but...
- Could your cord be going bad? Does issue continue with other OEM cords?
- Do you have any issues with sending messages via Siri?
- Do you have Apple Watch that might be confusing/interfering with Siri reading texts? If so, does resetting the watch help?
- What iPhone model are you using? This article offers troubleshooting suggestions for iPhone XR, but may help on other models as well (?) - https://www.ikream.com/2019/08/how-to-fix-carplay-that-is-not-working-on-your-apple-iphone-xr-troubleshooting-guide-32063

 

[Michigontario]

Thanks for the suggestions, andrew28 and insightfully.

To answer your questions, I’ve re-paired the phone a couple times (from the car and from the phone) and no dice.

I have tried two different OEM cords in both USB slots, also no dice.

Coincidentally, I ended up dropping my phone last night and cracked the back. I have AppleCare so I took it in today and got a replacement (iPhone X, by the way). Tried the new phone in my car hoping it would work and nope, still doesn’t work.

To clarify, Siri will not read messages nor will it accept any microphone input, no matter how I try to activate the microphone. I noticed Waze doesn’t work if I tap the microphone to speak an address.

I guess at this point, I should visit the dealer.

 

[andrew28]

Thanks for the suggestions, andrew28 and insightfully.

To answer your questions, I’ve re-paired the phone a couple times (from the car and from the phone) and no dice.

I have tried two different OEM cords in both USB slots, also no dice.

Coincidentally, I ended up dropping my phone last night and cracked the back. I have AppleCare so I took it in today and got a replacement (iPhone X, by the way). Tried the new phone in my car hoping it would work and nope, still doesn’t work.

To clarify, Siri will not read messages nor will it accept any microphone input, no matter how I try to activate the microphone. I noticed Waze doesn’t work if I tap the microphone to speak an address.

I guess at this point, I should visit the dealer.

Not sure if the car's mic is faulty. You can test it by seeing if the Insight's own voice command works by pressing the voice command button on the steering wheel. iOS 13 will be release soon so that might fix your issue.


Edit: Just want to add that resetting network settings could be another option on your iPhone. (Settings app > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings)

 

[insightfully]

Does Siri respond in the same way to other cable-connected phones in your car?

Maybe it's trying to pick up sound directly via your phone, rather than the car's speaker.

Not sure if this will work, but came across the following tip in an Apple forum on similar Siri issue:

"Discovered by chance that, when plugged in to my car's USB socket and I press/hold the HOME button, on the lower right of Siri screen there appears a small icon which enables one to select the VOICE SOURCE (phone or car speaker mic)."​

 

[Verdier]

Thanks for the suggestions, andrew28 and insightfully.

To answer your questions, I’ve re-paired the phone a couple times (from the car and from the phone) and no dice.

I have tried two different OEM cords in both USB slots, also no dice.

Coincidentally, I ended up dropping my phone last night and cracked the back. I have AppleCare so I took it in today and got a replacement (iPhone X, by the way). Tried the new phone in my car hoping it would work and nope, still doesn’t work.

To clarify, Siri will not read messages nor will it accept any microphone input, no matter how I try to activate the microphone. I noticed Waze doesn’t work if I tap the microphone to speak an address.

I guess at this point, I should visit the dealer.

I almost never use Android auto on the car but I have to report the identical problem with the Google assistant.

 

[krys18]

I've had my Insight since last November and in that time, I've had the typical but infrequent CarPlay disconnections and rarely, head unit rebooting. Otherwise, things worked as they should.


However, starting about a month ago, I've been experiencing a new problem. Siri will not read my text messages anymore, nor will it respond to commands after holding down the talk button on the steering wheel. When I select a message on the screen for it to read, it flashes immediately to the screen with the options "read again," "reply," "don't reply."


When I long-press the talk button on the steering wheel, the Siri screen comes up but I never hear the little chime that indicates it's listening. It simply hangs on the screen and gives up after about 20-30 seconds. I've tried talking anyway but it doesn't recognize the command. Siri works fine when not connected to CarPlay.


I read a tip somewhere to turn off "Hey Siri" so I did that. Afterwards, everything functioned fine for about a week. However, it's happened again and this time, toggling Hey Siri isn't working. I've rebooted the phone a few times, checked all the relevant settings (allow Siri when locked, allow Siri for messages, no parental controls on), and no dice. I am using an Apple-supplied cord.


This problem happened at some point after I'd updated my iOS to 12.4 and did not change after the most recent 12.4.1 update. I've also tried the other USB port and another (Apple-brand) cable.


Anyone having a similar problem?

I’m having the exact same problem! I think it’s an Apple bug vs. a problem with the Insight. Hopefully there is a bug fix soon.

 

[Michigontario]

I’m a little relieved others are experiencing the same thing, even if that feels a bit odd to say.

I haven’t tried resetting the network settings but I just did a few more tests. My husband’s iPhone XS Max has the same issue in my car. Also, I tested the car’s own audio assistant and that worked fine.

I guess I’ll wait for iOS 13 and see if that fixes it. I commute two hours a day and so this is a super annoying problem.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I’ll update if resetting the network settings helps.

 

[krys18]

I’m a little relieved others are experiencing the same thing, even if that feels a bit odd to say.

I haven’t tried resetting the network settings but I just did a few more tests. My husband’s iPhone XS Max has the same issue in my car. Also, I tested the car’s own audio assistant and that worked fine.

I guess I’ll wait for iOS 13 and see if that fixes it. I commute two hours a day and so this is a super annoying problem.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I’ll update if resetting the network settings helps.

Like me, you probably want to use other things in CarPlay but a temporary fix for your commute might be to use Bluetooth instead. Last I checked, I think my Siri worked to read/send texts with a long hold of the talk button when connected via Bluetooth.

 

[insightfully]

Like me, you probably want to use other things in CarPlay but a temporary fix for your commute might be to use Bluetooth instead. Last I checked, I think my Siri worked to read/send texts with a long hold of the talk button when connected via Bluetooth.

Bluetooth is rock solid for me as well...

 

[Michigontario]

Like me, you probably want to use other things in CarPlay but a temporary fix for your commute might be to use Bluetooth instead. Last I checked, I think my Siri worked to read/send texts with a long hold of the talk button when connected via Bluetooth.

That's good to know, thank you for the tip!


This morning on my drive into work, the Siri functionality randomly was working. I haven't changed any settings since I last tried (last night!), nor has the iOS updated. Sigh...I'm happy it works but it's also frustrating because what the heck!

 

[andrew28]

That's good to know, thank you for the tip!


This morning on my drive into work, the Siri functionality randomly was working. I haven't changed any settings since I last tried (last night!), nor has the iOS updated. Sigh...I'm happy it works but it's also frustrating because what the heck!

Siri/Google Assistant does require a working data connection to process voice commands. I sometimes can't initiate voice commands when my data is slow or not available due to coverage/congested cell tower.

 

[krys18]

That's good to know, thank you for the tip!


This morning on my drive into work, the Siri functionality randomly was working. I haven't changed any settings since I last tried (last night!), nor has the iOS updated. Sigh...I'm happy it works but it's also frustrating because what the heck!

Mine also started working again this morning! My Siri sporadically changes between a robotic sounding voice and a more normal sounding one. Today, it was suddenly the robot voice and working with CarPlay.

 

[insightfully]

Mine also started working again this morning! My Siri sporadically changes between a robotic sounding voice and a more normal sounding one. Today, it was suddenly the robot voice and working with CarPlay.

Is the robot-voice different from the car's voice recognition system? Could you be hearing the car's voice recognition instead of Siri variation?

 

[krys18]

Is the robot-voice different from the car's voice recognition system? Could you be hearing the car's voice recognition instead of Siri variation?

No - it’s definitely Siri’s voice that changes for some reason. It has been buggy on my phone for a while even when not connected to a car and when using British Siri...strange.

 

[insightfully]

No - it’s definitely Siri’s voice that changes for some reason. It has been buggy on my phone for a while even when not connected to a car and when using British Siri...strange.

Maybe the tips in this article can help? Their theory is that the phone ran low on memory and the iOS stopped using the newer Siri voice (larger file size). - - https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/04/10/stop-siris-voice-reverting-to-a-robot-on-ios

It suggests the following:
0 - Confirm you have enough free space on your iPhone (up to 500 MB)
1 - Go to: Settings --> Siri & Search --> Siri Voice
2 - Force iOS to redownload the right voice by selecting one of the other accents
3 - Tap back to preferred setting

But then again, it also sounds kinda fun to hear different Siri's randomly.

 

[Michigontario]

Siri/Google Assistant does require a working data connection to process voice commands. I sometimes can't initiate voice commands when my data is slow or not available due to coverage/congested cell tower.

Good thinking, but I don't think that's the case with mine. I have unlimited data and live in an urban area. I cross into Canada every day for work so I'm constantly changing my network, and it acts differently when there is no connection at all. It was happening at different parts of my drive, as I have dealt with congested towers a bit and notice it slows down the response time.

No - it’s definitely Siri’s voice that changes for some reason. It has been buggy on my phone for a while even when not connected to a car and when using British Siri...strange.

This exact same thing happens to me, too. And it's painful because the robot voice speaks slower, so it feels like you're waiting forever for Siri to finish talking, haha. It hasn't happened in quite awhile, though.


CarPlay worked again today as it should. Hopefully it stays working now.

 

[andrew28]

No - it’s definitely Siri’s voice that changes for some reason. It has been buggy on my phone for a while even when not connected to a car and when using British Siri...strange.

Hopefully iOS 13 will fix this. Siri is getting a new voice in iOS 13.

https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-13/features/
Improved voice with neural TTS
Siri sounds more natural than ever, particularly while speaking longer phrases, with a voice that is generated entirely by software.