TomTom app and OEM stereo mute query

[Mackle]

Back in the "old days" before Bluetooth, a lot of car stereos had a car telephone mute lead - is there a way that this can be used with an iPhone cradle to just get car stereo volume to mute and then the instructions can be heard through the iPhones cradle speaker or even just the iPhones internal speaker?

I don't want to use my iPhone for music via an AUX connector, I'd much rather be listening to the radio instead, so having a solution that somehow got the iPhone cradle to send a signal down a piece of cable to the OEM stereo mute lead would be perfect and would get around the problem of the OEM stereo only having HFP Bluetooth and not A2DP...

 

[mikealder]

There is no mute signal available from the iPhone but it is possible to do what you want by adding a unit called iO-Play to the car, this lets you play music on the stereo or listen to the radio and issue Nav App instructions via the car stereo speakers with the stereo music switched out. When the iPhone is silent the device automatically switches back to the radio etc.
Added bonus is your phone calls also go out via the car speakers with no wires involved as the iO-Play adds both Bluetooth HFP and Bluetooth A2DP capability to your stereo - Works a treat although availability outside of Europe can prove difficult, typical cost of the accessory is around ?80 - Mike

 

[Mackle]

Mike,

Thankyou for your response. So there is no car kit for the iPhone that includes an ISO mute lead? The stereo in the car already has a very good HFP Bluetooth and can play MP3s off USB and CD, so the iO-Play sounds like it might be trying to reinvent the wheel in this instance.

The *worst case* scenario is that I connect the iPhone to the AUX socket on the car, but I am very loathed to do this as the car will be trying to amplify an already amplified headphone signal plus I'd also have to control music through the iPhone rather than having a USB attached that I can control via the OEM steering wheel controls.

If only the iPhone App could somehow output via HFP and, that would solve everything as it would natively work in every car that has the manufactuers Bluetooth fitted

 

[Mackle]

Okay, there is a device from the same brand called iO-Connect, and this sounds like it might do what I want, as long as when the phone makes/receives a call that it does not send anything out of the 3.5mm jack which makes the iO-Connect mute the factory fit bluetooth handsfree...