Can you play audio through phone when connected to Mercedes?

Connecting Your Phone to Mercedes Media Interface

The Mercedes Media Interface allows you to connect your smartphone to your Mercedes-Benz vehicle’s infotainment system. This gives you access to features like hands-free calling, music playback, and navigation through the car’s display screen.

There are two main ways to connect your phone to the Media Interface – via Bluetooth or USB cable.

To connect via Bluetooth, go into your phone’s Bluetooth settings and pair it with your Mercedes-Benz vehicle. The car should show up as an available device. Once paired, your phone will automatically connect each time you get into the vehicle. This allows for hands-free calling and wireless music playback.

For a wired connection, use a USB cable to plug your phone into one of the USB ports in your Mercedes-Benz. This typically provides the most functionality in terms of music playback controls, contacts/call history syncing, and charging your phone.

Newer Mercedes models with the Media Interface Plus system also support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, allowing deeper integration and app mirroring from your phone to the car’s display. To enable this, connect your phone via USB and enable CarPlay/Auto in the vehicle’s system settings.

Overall, the Media Interface provides a convenient way to integrate your smartphone’s functions into your Mercedes-Benz vehicle. Bluetooth and USB connections make accessing features like calls, music, messages and navigation easy through the car’s interface.

Playing Audio from Your Phone

Once your phone is properly connected to the Mercedes media interface, you can play audio files and music apps directly through your car’s speaker system. Simply open a music app like Spotify or Apple Music on your phone and begin playing a song. The audio should automatically route through the car speakers rather than your phone’s built-in speaker.

You can control playback functions like play, pause, skip track, etc. either directly in the music app on your phone, or using the buttons on your Mercedes dashboard or steering wheel. The car’s interface essentially mirrors the phone’s audio, so any sounds that would normally play through your phone speaker are redirected to the car speakers.

Note that the quality and volume of the audio may depend on the Mercedes model and sound system installed. Newer models with premium sound may provide a fuller, richer playback experience. Additionally, you may need to adjust the car’s volume and audio settings like bass, mid, treble to optimize the sound.

According to discussions on the Apple Support forums, there can sometimes be issues with no audio when connecting an iPhone or iPad to a Mercedes media interface, especially after iOS updates [1]. Trying different cables, resetting network settings on the iOS device, or updating the car’s firmware may help resolve problems.

Controlling Your Phone’s Audio from the Car

Once your phone is properly connected to the Mercedes media interface, you can control the playback of audio from your phone using the car’s own interface.

From the car’s display screen or COMAND system, you can select tracks, change the volume, and control playback of music and other audio from your connected smartphone. This allows you to keep your phone tucked away while still having full control over your audio playback.

The Mercedes COMAND controller knob and buttons allow you to browse playlists and songs on your phone and start/stop playback. You can also skip tracks and rewind/fast forward as needed. The volume knob or buttons in the car will adjust the volume of phone audio just like it would control radio volume.

Some models also support Mercedes Voice Control, allowing you to use voice commands like “Play song X” or “Call contact Y.” This allows hands-free control over your phone’s audio system while driving (source).

One limitation is that metadata like song titles may not display in older Mercedes models. But playback controls still work even if the COMAND system can’t display full info.

Supported Audio Sources and Formats

The Mercedes media interface supports audio playback from a variety of sources and formats. Here are the main options:

Smartphone Apps – You can play audio from apps on your connected smartphone, such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, and more. The Mercedes interface will show album art and track info from these apps.

USB – You can play audio files off of a USB drive plugged into one of the USB ports. Supported file formats include: MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, FLAC, ALAC (source).

Bluetooth Audio – You can stream audio over a Bluetooth connection from your phone. This allows you to play music, podcasts, audiobooks and more wirelessly.

SD Card – Mercedes models support SD card playback from 2015 onward. Insert an SD card loaded with your audio files.

CD Player – Many Mercedes models still come equipped with a CD player. You can insert audio CDs to play your music.

The system supports common formats like MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV up to total of 50,000 files (source). Larger storage devices may take longer to index and load.

Using Voice Commands to Control Phone Audio

One of the most convenient ways to control your phone’s audio in your Mercedes-Benz is through voice commands using the Mercedes voice assistant system. The voice assistant can understand natural speech, so you can use commands like “Play my playlist” or “Skip to the next song.”

Here are some common voice commands to control phone audio playback:

  • “Play music” – Starts playing audio from your phone
  • “Pause” – Pauses the currently playing audio
  • “Next track” – Skips to the next song
  • “Previous track” – Goes back to the previous song
  • “Shuffle playlist ” – Plays a playlist in random order
  • “Repeat track” – Repeats the current track
  • “What’s playing?” – Tells you the name and artist of the current song

The Mercedes voice assistant connects to your phone via Bluetooth, so make sure your phone is paired and connected. The music playback controls will work for audio apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora etc. You can even control playlist and stations by name.

For best results, speak commands clearly and naturally after pressing the voice control button on your steering wheel. The system works well for music controls, but can sometimes misinterpret more complex or obscure commands.

Charging Your Phone

When your phone is connected to the Mercedes media interface, you have a couple options for charging your device. The media interface port provides power so you can charge your phone while it’s plugged in and being used for audio playback. This allows you to listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks from your phone without worrying about draining the battery.

According to Mercedes-Benz USA, the media interface cable itself can function as a charging station depending on the device [1]. The cable provides power to your phone. Certain Mercedes models and cable types may charge faster than others, so check your owner’s manual or with your dealership if you have questions.

The main downside to charging exclusively via the media interface is that it occupies the port, so you cannot connect other devices at the same time. However, most Mercedes models have additional USB ports that can be used for supplementary charging. You can plug your phone into a separate USB port using your own cable for charging purposes only, while the media interface handles your audio. Just make sure not to have music or audio playing from both connections simultaneously.

Troubleshooting Connection Issues

If you’re having trouble getting your phone to connect or play audio through the Mercedes media interface, here are some common issues and fixes:

The most common problem is a faulty cable. Check that the cable connecting your phone to the media interface port is securely plugged in at both ends. Try disconnecting and reconnecting the cable or using a different cable if available [1]. Faulty cables are a frequent cause of connection issues.

You may need to reset or reboot the media interface system. Try pressing and holding the power button to restart the system [1]. Or go into the settings menu and choose the option to reset to factory default settings.

Ensure you have the latest software updates installed on both your phone and the Mercedes interface system. Outdated software can sometimes lead to compatibility issues.

Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone. The media interface requires an active Bluetooth connection to your phone in order to access music files.

If the issues persist after trying the above steps, schedule a service appointment to have a Mercedes technician inspect the media interface components and wiring. There may be an underlying hardware problem.

Limitations and Restrictions

The Mercedes media interface has some notable limitations when playing audio from your connected phone. According to a Mercedes forum post, you cannot fully control the music playback from the car’s COMAND system when using the media interface (Source). Your phone’s native music app will still be controlling playback, so you won’t have access to features like browsing playlists or tracks from the COMAND display.

Another limitation is that some music apps may not be fully compatible with the media interface. For example, Pandora’s app has limited functionality when connected through the media interface cable (Source). So you may be limited to simpler controls like play/pause, and may not have full track skipping abilities.

Finally, audio quality may suffer slightly when streaming music through the media interface versus a direct AUX input. The digital-to-analog conversion and data compression can degrade audio fidelity compared to an analog AUX connection (Source). So audiophiles may notice a subtle difference in sound quality.

Interface and Wiring Differences by Model Year

The Mercedes media interface has gone through several generations, with differences in compatibility and connection methods between model years:

For model years 2010-2012, Mercedes used a 30-pin connector cable to connect iPhones and other devices to the media interface (1). This 30-pin connector is compatible with older iPhone models up to the iPhone 4S.

Starting in model year 2013, Mercedes switched to using a Lightning cable connector for the media interface (2). This allows compatibility with newer iPhones and other Apple devices using the Lightning port.

The 2014 model year introduced an updated Command interface that is completely different from the 2013 model year systems (2). So cables and connectivity can vary substantially between these model years.

Newer model years, like 2016+, use a USB-C type connector for the media interface. So proper cables or adapters are needed to connect modern smartphones.

Consult your owner’s manual or the Mercedes website to verify which connection type and cables are correct for your model year (3).

Summary

To recap, most Mercedes vehicles produced in the last decade have the ability to play audio from your phone through the car’s speakers. This is done by connecting your phone via USB cable or Bluetooth to the vehicle’s Mercedes Media Interface system. Once connected, you can control audio playback directly from the car’s dashboard interface or steering wheel controls.

The main ways to play phone audio in your Mercedes are:

  • Connect via USB and use the Media Interface to select songs, playlists, etc.
  • Pair via Bluetooth and use phone controls to play audio which will stream to the car speakers.
  • Use voice commands to request songs, playlists, etc. without touching your phone.

The system supports common audio formats like MP3 and AAC. It will charge your phone while connected via USB. Some limitations exist around streaming services, compatibility, and control differences by Mercedes model year. Overall the Media Interface makes it simple to enjoy phone playlists, podcasts, audiobooks and more through your Mercedes sound system.

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