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Regular phone calls work fine but not Watsapp. Is that because a Watsapp call is actually internet-based?
I should think so. It just uses the app and data so isn't seen by the phone or the bluetooth kit as a phone callIs that because a Watsapp call is actually internet-based?
It will be how the app deals with the call coming in and interacts with the phone. My facebook messenger calls come through the car system fine and it's a similar VOIP based system.
IOS or Android?
Normal calls are converted to digital data and transmitted pretty much the same way, it is just the access that the phones OS allows to the API controls to allow the blue tooth connection, or the app developers not implementing it.
Android. I've just deleted and re-loaded Watsapp, will see if that makes any difference.
I use it a lot for talking with my customers in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Sudan. The clarity of the calls is fantastic. Just not in the car.
This is pure speculation but,
Bluetooth isn't a protocol in the strictest sense but rather a suite of protocols called "profiles." A given BT implementation on a device can support some, all or none of these profiles. This makes sense if you think about it; it'd be nonsensical for a microphone to accept BT connections from a printer.
There are a number of profiles which cover hands-free car kits. You may remember in the early days having to choose between confusingly similar options like Hands-Free or Headset when pairing; you're actually selecting different BT profiles here.
Now, it's possible that your car stereo supports the correct profile for basic hands free (HFP) but WhatsApp is trying to use a different profile which isn't supported by the stereo. I've had similar myself trying to stream audio on my old Mondeo; hands-free worked fine but music requires the A2DP profile which wasn't included in the BT stack on the Mondy. If WhatsApp calls are stereo that's probably the issue.
If I'm right, then there may be merit in seeing if there's a firmware update for your head unit. Other than that, you're probably stuffed. Or, y'know, I'm way off the mark.
I believe it's an inbuilt limitation of the phone - 3rd party apps are not given the same level of hardware functionality as native ones.
Same goes for my fitbit smart-ish watch, if I get a call or SMS it displays on my watch, but whatsapp doesn't, same goes for e-mails, if they come via my iPhone in-built e-mail function they're displayed in a different way that if they come via say my Outlook app.
I can bluetooth the audio from episodes of CBeebies radio via the car's BT, so it doesn't seem to matter whether it's a 'proper' phone call or something else.
What Pjay says, my whatsapp messages dont get reported in the same way as email or sms on my windows lock screen.
Can you not give it permission manually? Bluetooth profiles can be set on a per app basis?
My whatsapp works fine in the car on iPhone, used to use it to talk to the other side of the world and hers worked fine in the car too. Both iPhones so maybe android is your issue?