kge350

Thanks Defuse for the information - setting the Bluetooth to Show Notifications did the trick. Should have realized that myself.

BenzV12

I thought I have to share my experience with my new phone SONY XPERIA Z2 along with the Comand .
In my old phone Android XPERIA S , there was no way you could see the sms messages in the comand screen .
I paired my newest phone Adroid 4.4.2 Kit Kat and came across a nice surprise , sms in my phone could be viewed in the comand menu
So, I think it's Android 4.4 and SONY XPERIA Z2 get along well with Comand

Soxigirl

I did the following on my iPhone 6 for my 2014 E350 and I now can click on the TEXT MSG in the command center but when I have a new message it just says "no new messages" any ideas what is set wrong? I'm sure it's somet on the phone or car. It's hooked up to Bluetooth.

noka

My BMW X3 could receive texts from my Droid RAZR Maxx HD but now with the E350, the "Text" button is greyed out

BeachBunny

Unfortunately I'm not going to have my E until mid-late December to try it out, but I have a Droid RAZR Maxx HD as well. I use the Textra app (had to after the KitKat upgrade had the most UNusable colour scheme I've ever seen, white background with light grey text) and I know it supports all sorts of notifications.

noka

The DROID RAZR Maxx HD is not on MBUSA compatibility list but my wife's Droid RAZR M is and it says her phone can do text functions. I'll try pairing hers and see how that works. I chose the Maxx HD for it's great battery life and larger display. The Maxx (successor to Maxx HD) is listed by MB as being SMS compatible. Anyone try that phone?

noka

Comand manual says SMS requires MAP, which my phone supports (Droid RAZR MAXX HD) yet I still cannot get text messages to appear ([txt. msg.] selection at bottom of phone menu is always greyed out). I tried deleting and pairing again but no change. During that process a pop- up requested access to phonebook, which I granted but there was no pop-up requesting access to messages. The phone's BT configuration has no related items to enable. I verified that "notifications" box is checked in default messaging app. Interesting is that 2013 selection in Owner's Online support section shows Droid RAZR HD is compatible, including messaging. I wonder if some update to Comand made it incompatible for later model years. Still looking for a solution but I don't think there is one. MBUSA has no clue.

BeachBunny

Noka: The problem is 99% because of the recent software updates made to the phone (Android KitKat), which has broken quite a few things. I doubt anything was changed in COMAND which is causing the problem.

The one thing I've found which sometimes fixes broken Bluetooth things on this phone since the upgrade is to go to Bluetooth, UNpair the device on the phone, UNpair the phone from the car, do a soft-reboot of the phone (hold down the TOP button and VOLUME DOWN simultaneously and hold for at least 10 seconds or until the phone starts to reboot), then try to re-pair the two. I've had to do this with mine a few times to get everything working properly with it.

I wish my car was over here rather than in production. This is something I could probably hammer out in a half hour or so.

noka

Thanks for the suggestions BeachBunny. I have Android 4.4.2 (KitKat upgrade a few months ago). The only difference I noticed is:

- New s/w defect causing intermittent problems between BT and WiFi (e.g. my Panasonic link-to-cell connection sometimes interferes with phone's Wifi connection and I need to switch off/on BT to get Wifi working again). Found something about it on the web and apparently Motorola is aware. Strangely, I haven't had that problem in a while and it has gotten much less frequent.

- Before the upgrade, text messages on my BMW X3 only were shown for messages I received while in the car with BT connected. After the upgrade, all new messages in my phone since last car connection were downloaded and visible.

Since texting still worked in my BMW until I traded it for the E350 a week ago, I find it hard to believe it's a problem with my phone and not with Comand. However, it's also difficult to say where the incompatibility really lies,...probably a little blame on both sides (Motorola/Google and MB) I suspect.

If you figure it out, let me know!

silorlando

you need to go to application manager on your phone
Scroll over to "all"
Select Bluetooth
Push "force stop"
Push "clear data"
Push "clear cache"
Reboot the phone.
I just did this today and it worked.
Good luck.

pamiboy

I recently found out about this. I ticked on the "show notifications". But still the text message option on command unit appears grey'ed out. I tried pairing the phone again several times. So no luck for my iPhone 5. Does anyone has any other trick. Thanks.

Abrown3mtg

Very excited to try this with my note 4 later today!!!

aaacsdai

My S5 was intermittent until I did turn off my Wifi and only used BT. Ice Cream Sandwich was intermittent at best. Turn off Wifi completely, for obvious reasons (location is required with Wifi, at least Samsung Wifi). I believe location as required with WiFi is the culprit and especially if Mbrace is not updated for on board Navigation and GPS, clearing the cache as suggested will also help because as of 1 July Samsung had to quit eavesdropping on their clients via their products, they do a lot of that for Market Research. Can anyone confirm this is only a Android issue because my niece who is a Cell Phone Guru explained this to me in 25 words or less and I was lost at the 5th word out of her mouth, But she got my S5 to do the following on my E-350 and I do not even take my S5 out of my manbag: SMS Text, Talk to Text using the MB Speech RP, Priority Caller ID, Appointment alarm and MSG, Samsung Audio and Video via the 32GB SD Card and they said it only worked up to 16GB at MB. I have my sounds and I never would have believed my two favorite TV shows that total close to 17 GB of videos I wanted to watch but never have time, damn I can watch my movies now in bumper to bumper traffic in A/C comfort, good thing the MB does not have a refer and stove or I would never go home.

silorlando

Wow! Wish I had mbrace!

pamiboy

Just an update guys. After fiddling with my iPhone 5 for a while I managed to get it working. I had to reboot the phone so that text function was available on comand screen.
Now if only someone would text me while I was driving .

silorlando

Good for you. Congratulations

Abrown3mtg

No dice on getting messages to appear with the above mentioned process. I'm on a Note 4. Need to update the cars firmware as it seems to never have been done since 2010!!! naturally the warranty just expired on it. :/

aaacsdai

I wonder if there is a forum for Firmware and Mbrace assistance. Listening to everyone this seems to be the underlying issue, not your flavor of I or Android phone. Just wondering because the Dealer said he had just uploaded a current Mbrace and installed the I-phone-video chipset (I do not know what he did and I do not to this day think he did because all E class come with the AVI-I-phone Plugs) to sweeten the sale, he did give me a new 16GB SD Card, they cost like 20 bucks right. Just thinking out loud because there are some smart guys at MB World that actually know what they are talking about.

Abrown3mtg

I couldn't agree more.

However these firmware updates are typically on a service disc that they will not sell (20.00 in parts catalog, but cost 200+ for their tech to pop it in the comand cd player).... and other firmware updates. It is sad as I just bought a STAR computer and doubt even with that that I will be able to obtain these updates to install on my own

aaacsdai

The reason only the Dealers can download is because the OS needed to download the Firmware is per them "Proprietary" and cannot be sold or given away because it would be decompiled and used by every person on the planet like shareware, which would then support black market updates for someone who his Gray area-network or E-bay savvy and you would get probably old updates vice current or worse like an ECU virus or worm that could kill the ECU and mess with the electronic systems at any given time.