Conditions: 2020 GTR Pro with WiFi disabled and car profile removed from Mercedes Me but with phone connected via bluetooth and contacts configured to auto sync.

Issue: Neither I nor Mercedes Support Center nor the dealer can get phone contacts to work for navigation ... mine's a reasonably recent iPhone and the shop foreman was using a reasonably recent Android phone. Both phones give the same (non)results ... in Navigation:
- visit "Previous and Other Destinations"
- visit "Contacts"
- select a contact with a valid address entry
- verify that the correct address is shown when the contact detail is displayed
- activate navigation to that contact
... and my car will _never_ successfully start navigation to that address -- instead, you get:
- a "Please Wait ..." notification dialog with a "busy wheel"
- followed by an "Establishing Internet Connection ..." notification dialog
- followed by "WiFi is not activated [etc]" notification dialog which, when cancelled
- is followed by a display of the valid address and a "No Results" line
... and you're done, it won't use that (correct) address

However, you can enter that _exact same_ address manually via "Enter Destination" and it will work and can be saved as a favorite and will work both as a favorite or as a previous destination ... but _only_ if entered manually via "Enter Destination".

QUESTION:
Does anyone know a way to get this nav system to use the addresses from the sync'd contacts in an iPhone (and yes, I did also try transferring the contacts to the car, re-entering a contact, entering the address different ways, and other stuff ... but it still won't use the iPhone-supplied contacts)?

The answer cannot be "enable WiFI and/or Mercedes Me" ... these will never be used.

ANOTHER QUESTION:
I can also find no way to store an address that's been manually entered via "Enter Destination" back to a contact in the iPhone (maybe then they'd work?) ... can anyone describe how this can be done?

COMMENTs:
While it's true that both my 2016 C63 S and 2017 C43 have problems using some of the iPhone contacts for navigation (perhaps ones that were entered many years ago on a much older OS?), at least they have a usable response in such instances in that they indicate that the contact can't be used and allow you to (re)enter it then provide the ability to save it back to the phone's contacts, after which it _will_ work (there will then be 2 identical looking address entries for that contact). I've tested the GTR using contacts that both the C63 S and C43 can/will use.

It's amazing how much more difficult it is (more selection/clicking) to use the nav system on this "improved" version of COMAND. For many things, it's also noticeably slower than the older COMAND on the C63 s and C43 (especially voice commands ... and no, they don't work any better). Unfortunately, it seems to be common for newer UIs to make it harder (more steps) do do things. <sigh>

 

I have the same COMAND system and an iPhone XS, and yes this doesn't seem to work. I played with it a while back due to similar reports and I somehow got it to work back then, but it doesn't seem to work anymore. However, I get a different error. For me it says the address is incomplete and lets me complete it. It somehow misses the street number. My Mercedes me services are active, though. Not sure why you'd turn them off. They are complimentary for 3 years and it does check against the online POIs.

To be honest I never tried to actually navigate to a contact, so I didn't even know it wasn't working until somebody pointed it out. I usually look stuff up on my phone, either pull up a contact, calendar appointment or search for the place I need to go and then simply send it to the car. The address will then pop up on the screen and I can start navigation with like two clicks. I only really look up a destination directly in COMAND if I have a change of plans and I can search for it by name. I just use voice control and say "Navigate to ..." and the name of the place and that usually finds it in the online POIs. Trying to enter destinations otherwise, even by pulling up a contact seems to be cumbersome given that there is no keyboard. My phone is basically my wireless input device/keyboard. I generally send the destination to the car while walking up to it, and then by the time I'm ready to move it has popped up on the screen and I can start the navigation. Seems much more efficient to me than getting into the car and then having to search for and enter the destination first before I can start driving.

 

What do you use to send the address to the car?

I have and would use the Companion App for that, but it only works with the C43.

 

Just the Mercedes me connect app, but you don't actually have to open the app. You can share a destination from Google Maps, Apple Maps, Yelp etc. and select the Mercedes Me app as the share target and then confirm with send.

In Google Maps for example just tap the share icon in the top right corner and the Mercedes Me app is one of the options to share it to. You may have to swipe left and tap "More..." to see the app. You can move the apps around, so you see the ones you use most often first and don't have to tap "More..." every time.

 

Thanks for that info.

For security reasons, I don't/won't use the Mercedes Me app. Though I'm retired, I still have a secure software licensing product that's used by vendors around the world and my licensing server gets dozens to hundreds of attacks, daily. As such, one of the many layers of defense involves keeping my network attack surface narrow (and segmented). Since Mercedes Me ends up on my LAN, when I'm at home, it's a non-starter.

Still, the fact that a 2020 vehicle can't use the addresses from a connected phone for navigation is not only lame, it's completely unacceptable. I'm going to request that a TIPS case be opened with AMG on this. Sounds like others are/will have the same issue.