I have my phone set to remember my car, my wife’s car, and a pair of bluetooth headphones. When it’s within range of one of them, it connects and all is well… until it detects another one, then it changes to that.

On the way home from work yesterday, I passed my wife on the interstate. Didn’t notice her car, but did notice my music suddenly stop… oh well; not gonna futz with bluetooth when I’m driving… guess it’ll just be quiet for the rest of the trip.

Couple minutes later, it comes back. Yay!

Make it home, and as I’m getting out of the car, the wife pulls up, so I wait for her and we’re chatting our way back to the apartment. She mentions her car randomly started playing heavy metal on the way home for a minute, then stopped. Now the gears are turning - I ask if it was around the area when mine went silent, and yup! I was a couple lanes over, but my phone detected her car and ditched mine to connect to it.

I’ve noticed it auto-hop from my car to my headphones or vice versa before, but car to car is a new one.

It’s really annoying… and seems like the kind of thing that should be a check box in the settings, but I got nothing.

Phone is a Google Pixel 8 if that helps.

I’d really like it to connect when it comes in range of a recognized device ONLY if it’s not already connected to another device…

Am I just stupid? This seems super basic…

  • MrJameGumb@lemmy.world
    72·
    8 days ago

    It sounds almost like there may be something defective in the phone. Every Android device I’ve ever owned including my current one won’t change devices until I disconnect from the one it’s currently on.

    • Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works
      2·
      8 days ago

      I think it’s tricky because of different connection types. Mine stays connected to my watch but switches to android auto car and routes audio through there automatically despite being connected to the watch.

  • RisingSwell@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    3·
    8 days ago

    This happens to me as well, some Bluetooth devices appear to have a higher priority than others. My friends car will always steal my Bluetooth, and I’ve had my headset steal it from a co-worker over his actively in use ear buds.

    I have a xiaomi redmi Note 8 pro, and my co-worker has an iPhone of some kind, so i don’t think the problem is the phones but rather the devices.

  • Toes♀@ani.social
    2·
    8 days ago

    My pixel 6 doesn’t do that.

    I’m wondering if there’s something screwy with the android auto settings.

    Try renaming your device and unpairing everything.

  • TheMinions@lemmy.world
    1·
    8 days ago

    Afaik there is no way to change this, at least not in iPhone settings.

    I haven’t really researched it, but I will just plug into my car instead of using Bluetooth and only connect to one headset or power off my peripherals unless they’re desired.