How to pair Bluetooth with iPhone 5-6+ for GMC and Chevy Cars

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bluetoothpairGM’s Stefan Cross demonstrated how to successfully pair Bluetooth with the with Intellilink in-vehicle navigation system on a GMC Canyon for AUTO Connected Car News. If you have another GM vehicle such as Chevy you complete very similar actions for Chevy vehicles, Cadillac systems are a little different.

Here’s how to pair Bluetooth with a GMC vehicle with Intellilink.

  • Go to settings menu, Bluetooth is under Wi-Fi on the iPhone turn Bluetooth on.
  • On the Intellilink screen go to settings, tap Bluetooth pair new device.
  • The iPhone recognizes GMC Intellilink, tap GMC Intellilink.
  • Tap pair on the iPhone.
  • The GMC Intellilnk shows that it has pairing request.
  • Tap yes on the screen.

Once the iPhone is paired with the Intlellilink or Chevy system, it allows to access contacts, Siri eyes free music and more.

You can also set up Bluetooth using your voice:

  1. Press the Push to Talk button, wait for the beep, and say “Bluetooth”.
  2. The system will respond with “Bluetooth Ready”.
  3. Wait for the beep then say “Pair”.
  4. The system will respond with “Please start a search on your Bluetooth phone.
  5. Once the search is complete select “your vehicle” on your phone.”Your phone will either ask to enter a 4 digit code, which is displayed on the radio screen, or to confirm a 6 digit code
  6. The system will prompt you to give a name to your phone.Say a name that best describes your phone (example: Karen’s phone); this name will be used to indicate which phone is connected.
  7. The system will ask you to confirm your name.
  8. If you confirm that name, the system will respond with the message: “iPhone 5s Space Gray has been successfully paired”.

Every time you are in the car, it will automatically pair. You can setup multiple devices then   pick what device you want to pair. Previously, when we checked with Chevy OnStar reps they reported that many users did not have Bluetooth issues. You can call the GM infotainment call center located in the U.S. with trained experts in GM in-vehicle technology. Chevrolet, Buick and GMC customers should call 1.855.4.SUPPORT and Cadillac customers can call 1.855.4.CUE.NOW.

Those readers who are experience Bluetooth issues with iOS 8 and iPhone 5-6+ should note that Cross had not upgraded his iPhone 5S to iOS 8, when we shot the video of the GMC Canyon using Bluetooth and IntelliLink.

Various work-arounds often called the “nuke-it” fixes that sometimes work with in vehicle systems and iOS 8-8.02 problems with iPhone 4S-5-6+.

 If you are having problems with Bluetooth with in-vehicle systems and iOS 8.0-8.2.iPhone 4S/5/5C/5S/6/6+ please let us know in the comments below, be sure to note your make, model and year of your vehicle.

To show your distaste for Apple and the iOS 8 Bluetooth Bungle, you may vote for Apple for the Edsel Yugo Biggest Snafu of 2014 Tech CARS Awards.

58 thoughts on “How to pair Bluetooth with iPhone 5-6+ for GMC and Chevy Cars”

  1. 2015 GMC Terrain SLE-2, paired once, but will no longer pair. Pitiful! COME ON GM, do something!

  2. I have a 2016 Acadia and I can get the texts to come up when they are received but I can’t get the reply feature to open. Any suggestions??

  4. Again, any one using an IPhone if it does not work remove ALL special charaters and Emojis for your contacts, delete and re-pair your phone and it will work. Good Luck!

  5. I own a 2015 Silverado. My Apple 5s paired seamlessly until the latest iOS upgrade. Now, nothing

  6. Hey there…next time getting a ford I never have a problem with my phone since 2013 when I purchased my ford escape

    • When we were given a demo of Ford SYNC 3 at the LA Auto Show, it seemed very easy to pair. However I had Ford Fiesta rental car for a day and never figured out how to pair the Bluetooth.

  7. My iphone 6s pair with the radio however the radio didn’t play in fm mode because he keep confused with the iphone so I have to unpair the iphone 6s to listen the radio. I have a Buick Encore 2015

  9. Had the same problemm. Used the voice command to link up without any problems. Did not use the touch screen on my 2014 Z71.

  11. I have a 2015 Canyon, and a Galaxy Note 4 phone and it is hit and miss with the bluetooth… pisses me off at times, this could cause an accident instead of keeping my eyes on the road I am messing with the music system… next time I will buy a Ford!

  12. I just purchased a 2016 Tahoe had to take it infor an update to the my link system. Now my IPhone 6+ / Bluetooth will not pair back up. I have deleted the App and reinstalled. I have tried put in the PIN number and it goes back to the request pin on the navigation screen. Was back at dealer to pick up tags asked their help to reconnect and was told that it is a glitch between GM and Apple and GM was working on this. It is very frustrating to not have this feature available after buying this vehicle. Hope it gets worked out soon.

    • This does seem like a GM issue because we see a lot of GM models with complaints. However there are no problem reported with Android phones. When Apple issues an update, that is when the automakers get it too.
      Chevrolet, Buick and GMC customers can call 1.855.4.SUPPORT and Cadillac customers can call 1.855.4.CUE.NOW. for tech support.

    • HI Joyce I have a 2014 with my link. If you are trying to pair your I phone You must remove any special characters from your contacts. you cannot have any . $ – & @ NO special characters in your contacts at all this includes any emojis in your contacts. Delete all of these and your phone will sync and voice commands will work. It took me three months to figure this out.

  13. My 2014 GMC Acadia stopped receiving texts from my Iphone 5s over a year ago. I have been into the dealer several times and rebooted my phone and reinstalled it on my van many times as well as activated ‘show notifications’ on the circled i under my bluetooth devices in my phone and it still does not work. Apparently GM needs to update their software on all their radios on a regular basis to try to keep up w/Apple. I can’t believe the dealer acts surprised every time I tell them I am having an issue given all the comments above! Ridiculous! Don’t offer great technology on your vehicles if you aren’t going to support it properly!

    • Try this. Once I figured this out I went back to my dealer and told them so they could tell customer how to make it work. I have a 2014 Chevy with my link. If you are trying to pair your Iphone You must remove any special characters from your contacts. you cannot have any . $ – & @ NO special characters in your contacts at all this includes any emojis in your contacts. Delete all of these and your phone will sync and voice commands will work. It took me three months to figure this out.

      • Hey TW, thanks for the tip on the special characters. Are you saying to remove them from the name or if they exist anywhere within the contact profile, i.e., notes, email address, etc. as the email address has @ in it?

  14. 2012 Lt/RS Camaro~GM music worked flawlessly with my iphone4 and iphone 6, it will not pair with iphone 6s+; it’s highly frustrating.

  15. I have the 2015 Acadia Denali and ever since the Apple update, my texts on the iPhone 6 don’t work through the Bluetooth. This is very frustrating. I have deleted and re-paired the phone several times, but it doesn’t work.

  16. I-phone 6 Chev 2015 silverado: trouble pairing,if it pairs will not stay paired, will not load contacts. I have had this back to dealer more then 4 times for this phone and nav system. Dealers say all chevs have a problem with Apple phones. Voice commands are a piece of c*****p.

  17. I am unable to set up text messaging for my iphone 6 in my 2016 GMC Acadia Denali. It paired fine but unable to set up the text messaging part.

  18. Buick enclave 2014 with updated radio / onstar connected to iphone 6s+. Music plays phone calls come in but no incoming text. Samsung note 3 worked perfectly.

  19. I used to have my iPhone 6 paired with my Chevy Cruze but ever since my ISO updated I’m not able to pair them.

  20. I can get my Iphone 6s to pair with my 2013 Acadia. However, it will not recognize the names in the iphone contact list. If I say call Joe Smith the infosystem comes up with a 4 digit number but nothing related to what is under Joe Smith in my Contact List. I have had the car at the dealer a number of times but they have been unable to go beyond what I can do. Interestingly, if Joe Smith were to call me, it would recognized and I can hear him through the infotainment system. This all worked fine with an Iphone 5s for a long time before it stopped.

    • I am currently fighting the same issue… My iPhone 5 suddenly stopped recognizing my voice commands and my I phone 6 as well. If I say call home it gives me a series of numbers, yet my contact list is available

      • I’m having the same issue with my 2014 Acadia. It doesn’t recognize my voice either when I try to call someone or do anything. It comes up with numbers or says command not understood. My husband has the iPhone 5 and rarely does updates and his phone works perfectly, but my iphone6 doesn’t. I don’t know if it’s a setting or what but it’s SO frustrating. Has anyone figured it out?

    • Having similar issue. Have a 2014 Acadia and an iPhone 5S. Everything was synced and operating fine until a few months ago. Voice command will not recognizing contacts by name although my contact list is synced. I’ve had the dealership install updates and I’ve done everything everyone else has tried above. Still not working. Anyone have any luck resolving yet?

  21. iPhone 6 Plus will sync to our 2016 Chevy Equinox, but for voice calls only. It will not allow you to play music through the phone via Bluetooth. Tried deleting and re-syncing, etc. Any other ideas?

  22. I bought the iphone 6 it will not sync text messages to my 2014 Acadia. My iphone 4did this. It is frustrating that the upgrade phone will not do better

  23. I just got my iPhone 6s and it won’t pair my messages. I was able to read them after a phone update. They don’t sync anymore. Is there a way to fix it.

  24. My iphone 6 worked fine in my 2014 GMC Acadia for a year, now the people I talk to all say that they cannot understand what I am saying (too much static) or they cannot hear me at all. I deleted my phone from the cars list and re-added it, but that did not help. Prior to the problems I was hearing a very faint sporadic beeping sound coming from the dash. I had to turn off the radio for my husband to hear it.

  25. Purchased GMC15 Terrain in the Spring…3 months later syncing with iPhone stopped. Tried repeatedly to pair. It will not. Called onstar..they referred me to GM. The rep at GM said she had not heard of anyone having similar issue. I was unable to reach her at her scheduled work times and she would call while I was at work. Took it into Apple, they reset the phone. That did not help. Besides the GM rep suggested stuff I had already done, like rebooting my phone, clearing out devices on intellilink. I was surprised to see several complaints online dating back to 2014 about same issue, since GM is saying they never heard of it. Nonsense. I will cal them again and see if they have any idea how to resolve because it is very frustrating. Unlike some complaints I reviewed, I only noticed the problem after Apple released the new iwatch icon, which you can’t remove. My system seems to continuously reach or try to activate
    /pair the watch(which i do not have) every time I try to pair it with my vehicle.

  26. Not sure . My phone works because I have the On Star hands free phone and GM’s assigned phone number.

    Even so, using the Hot Spot … my Pre-Paid (to Skyoe) SKYPE and Apple’s Messaging work OK & thru the Bluetooth.

  27. I can pair and it is connected, but I can’t hear anything. (calls or messages)
    iphone 6, iOS 8.4
    2011 GMC Terrain SLT-2

  28. I will try again tomorrow. I have a 2014 Cruze LT and the new Hot Spot midule. The Hot Spot works perfectly, but I must be doing something wrong with the Bluetooth as I try to pair it to my iPad Mini2

    … It seems to take a while to light up the car screen’s native BLUETOOTH icon… Only then Ican I get the Google Routing audio thru to the car’s speakers.

    Fantastic technology …. Simply amazing,

    • It’s me sgain! Bluetooth works fine now … My problem was self inflicted…

      You see … I always used to keep the USB in to charge my “cellular” iPad. I forgot that such a USB in its charging state blocks the Pad’s Bluetooth functionality. Otherwise, Google’s “GPS” spoken directions come thru the loudspeakers .

      NOTE:
      My Car does not have a native GPS — so there is no onscreen mapping with Googke I Love this gear.

  30. 2015 GMC Canyon. Bluetooth worked fine until i had to reset the phone. Now the phone will not auto connect like it used to. All other functions are fine, i just have to manually select the device through intellilink instead of auto connecting like it used to.

  31. I got my iphone 6 to work with my 2015 Canyon. This is a setting in the iphone. Once your phone is connected to GMC IntelliLink hit the info button, and turn on “Show Notifications”
    Iphone automatically has this feature off.

  33. My iPhone 6+ will not sync text messages. The phone and all services work fine. Very bad to sell a truck with a feature that clearly doesn’t work with the best selling phones in the country.

    • Like several others that have posted, the text messages from my iPhone 6S will not sync. It worked with my iPhone 5.

  34. my apple iphone worked great my samsung s6 shows duplicte phone numbers on the screen,
    but correct on the phone. Help

  36. My iphone6 is connected to my 2015 GMC Acadia but I cannot listen to music on my phone without using a cable…why?

  39. I have a 2014 Buick Encore, and iPhone 5s. Bought my Encore in September 2014.. Bluetooth has constantly been kicking out, I can be talking to my husband and it will go off. Last week actually deleted my phone from the car and from the phone. Have had in shop for repair 3 times and the last time was some computer update. The kicker is I work at the dealership where I got the car. Very frustrated…..

  40. 2011 GMC Sierra. Bluetooth worked perfectly with IPhone 4S. With 6 Plus, only incoming calls work. No outgoing, no voice mail.

  41. I got my Chevy Cruze last year in October, it is a 2014 LT. I have been having issues with the bluetooth ever since I started driving the car. I had 2012 Cruze prior, with my iPhone 5 and never had any issues. It is very frustrating when the bluetooth now doesn’t even pair with my phone more than 50% of the time.

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