I am looking at purchasing a 2016 IS 350, and the bluetooth text message notification is an important feature for me. While test driving this particular vehicle, I connected my iphone 6 plus to the bluetooth but could not engage any messaging notifications. The screen kept providing an error message that my phone needed to be engaged or activated. The sales manager (not a Lexus dealership) says the feature only works if you have less than 100 text messages stored on your phone, but this does not sound right. Can anybody offer any help with this issue?

 

The only issue I can think of is you might not have the latest OS version. So check that first and second make sure your Bluetooth setting under your Lexus IS on your phone is configured to “show notification” see below. Mine is turned off
because I find it quite annoying.

 

The 100+ text overload is half (OK a quarter) correct...5 years ago Android phones (not Apple) would try to transfer
all stored e-mails (not texts) and jam up the Bluetooth. Solution at the time was to delete All E-Mails which nobody
wanted to do. Android eventually released the next OS, KitKat if memory serves, and solved the bottleneck.

As for the original problem, Zoomoom1 has it correct, be sure Notifications are enabled. Note: Apple phones will
turn off notification every time you download an iOS update, if set to update automatically you won't know till you
miss a text. Apple does not transfer e-mails to the Lexus at all BTW.

 

Thank you for your response. I have ensured that the latest IOS has been downloaded to the phone and also that Show Notifications has been enabled. The salesman's phone would not show texts either when connected. The sales manager connected his iphone with no problems and insists that it is the 100 texts issue. I will head back to the dealership and see if the software update makes any difference. If not, do you think I am stuck just keeping texts saved on my phone under 100 if I purchase this vehicle?

 

When pairing your phone watch the phone's Settings/Bluetooth page for the
car's name (default was Lexus IS or Car Multimedia) to appear. Wait just
an extra second to tap the phone screen to advance the pairing process.
When tapped too quickly it can "incompletely" pair, calls will work but texts and
media may be glitchy. Have not seen it happen immediately after pairing
but if your phone's Settings/Bluetooth page ever show "Car Accessory System"
rather than the car's Bluetooth name in the future it must be unpaired and
repaired, this is also a defective condition.

 

You should not consider message option as purchase decision for the car. I turned it off completely. You cannot read texts while driving of course and it will read you out loud but I find it hard to understand. You cannot reply to message either.

 

If it's really that important to you, then a car with Carplay/Android auto; or a IS with android auto/carplay would do everything better than the stock text message system. The brand new 21 IS comes with the new lexus head unit with AA/Carplay from the factory, and there are some aftermarket alternatives for 2014-20 cars. The OEM system is a lot better than nothing, but if your moving it only reads out texts. You can't reply unless it's by voice and you can't physically see the text message till you come to a stop.

 

Even iMessage in CarPlay isn’t that great. It won’t let you read texts while not moving Siri reads out everything I don’t even use iMessage in the car. Everything can wait while driving already have enough distractions.

 

Why would you want/need to read them when Siri reads them out loud? IMO, the messaging system in Apple CarPlay is awesome.

 

dojoman et al, couple methods of responding to a text beside CarPlay/AA.

Apple phones can use Siri by pressing and holding the steering wheel "off hook" button
long enough to hear the Siri trill. Then just say "text John Smith mobile" A couple of
steps follow to let you confirm what and to whom you are texting and you're done.

Both Apple and Android can open the quick reply button and choose from 15 cannedd
responses. While you can not compose replies when moving you can edit them while
stopped and then use when driving.

Note: when using Apple CarPlay you can not use the simple steering wheel button hold,
you gotta use the on screen icon.