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Bluetooth texting while driving

Discussion in 'Prius c Audio and Electronics' started by dubit, Dec 10, 2017.

  1. dubit

    dubit Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Indiana
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    I guess my fist question is has this always been available?

    I ask because I have owned my "C" for a year now and NEVER before has it allowed me to do this. However, twice this afternoon I received a txt while driving. Typically, the car will ask if I want it read aloud. Now, Cortana takes over via "Handset mode" (I'm a windows phone guy) and asks if I want to hear the message. I reply and Cortana reads it to me. Then asks if I'd like to reply - to which I said yes.

    viola - txt message sent.

    I have done absolutely nothing to my radio settings, or my phone. Only thing I did do was clear everything Cortana knew about me on my laptop last night. Having difficulty believing this is all it took for this feature to become available. But who knows.

    Any of you out there able to do this via Siri or Alexa?
     
    #1 dubit, Dec 10, 2017
  2. rjdriver

    rjdriver Active Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Three
    Perhaps Microsoft sent an update to your phone with this very nice new feature. Or it could be a Toyota update, but as far as I know, those do not happen automatically. You said Cortana takes over via "Handset mode". Does that mean you have to physically pick up the phone to finish the action?

    I have something similar working in my 2012 C, but it's from an app I purchased for my Android phone. Works almost exactly as you described. When a text arrives it mutes whatever is coming through the car speaker to alert you that a text has been received from a certain telephone number, then asks whether you want it read aloud. You can set it to read it automatically without being prompted, but that could get embarrassing with others in the car :). Then it asks if you want to reply or ignore. If you want to reply it prompts you to speak, reads it back to you, and asks if you want to send. And it does. All hands free.

    Eventually I suspect this feature will be built into all new cars and you may not need an app on the phone.
     
    #2 rjdriver, Dec 11, 2017
  3. dubit

    dubit Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    It's all hands free.
     
    #3 dubit, Dec 12, 2017
  4. dubit

    dubit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2016
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    Location:
    Indiana
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    OK, well apparently I'm an idiot as Cortana has been available on bluetooth enabled vehicles since 2014. Not exactly what I did to make it work. I'm guessing an update happened on my phone while I slept. But at any rate, after digging around today and finding out it's been available for the last 3 years I felt pretty stupid.

    However, I did find some new info that was pretty cool. I can simply press the "talk" button on my steering wheel and tell the car to call "Cortana". viola - digital assistant at my service. Yup, just another sign i'm getting old, before you know it i'll be calling my son and asking him to reset the time on my digital alarm clocks. HAHAHA
     
    #4 dubit, Dec 16, 2017
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