Car won't sync contacts from phone

Symptoms

• Phone is paired for calls but contacts don't appear
• Contact list on the car is empty or outdated
• Calls work but caller names don't show, only numbers
• Sync works for one phone but not another

Likely causes

• CommonContact sharing permission not grantedPhones often ask separately whether to share contacts, and this can be declined by accident.
• PossibleLarge contact list timing out during syncPhones with thousands of contacts can sometimes fail to fully transfer within the car's time limit.
• PossibleOutdated pairing needing to be refreshedAn older pairing may not include newer permissions added in phone software updates.
• Less commonCar's contact storage fullSome systems limit how many contacts can be stored and won't add more once full.

What to do

1. On the phone, check Bluetooth settings for the car's connection and confirm 'share contacts' or similar is enabled.
2. Delete the pairing on both the phone and car, then re-pair and accept all permission prompts, including contacts.
3. If your contact list is very large, wait several minutes after pairing for the sync to complete fully.
4. Check the car's phone or contacts menu for a manual 'sync now' or 'import contacts' option.
5. Restart both the phone and the car if contacts still don't appear after re-pairing.
6. If using an iPhone, confirm you tapped 'Allow' when prompted for contacts access during pairing.

When to call a pro

If contacts still won't sync after a full re-pair with permissions granted, a dealer can check for a known Bluetooth software issue.

Safety