Question for fulltime BT users post-Denim

[andy2windy]

Icon running stock 8.0 prior to Denim with no issues. Never messed with PFD.

I constantly wear a BT earpiece (BlueAnt Q2) except for showering and sleeping. My Icon under 8.0 would read my texts to me AND allow me to reply, call back, or ignore, via BT earpiece. It would also give me Caller ID, answer or ignore, as well.

Under 8.1/Denim, I have not found a way to do this without involving Cortana. So yeah, it's working. But I don't like using Cortana simply because your location has to be on in order to do so.

I reset the Q2 and re-paired to the phone - same thing. Searched the forums and checked all my settings against what few posts there are concerning this issue.

I've already downloaded the Windows Phone Recovery Tool to my PC. So I'm ready to wipe this thing due to the above, plus the fact, after the update, there was a split-second "server error" message on the update screen, so I'm wondering if the update completed 100% - however there seem to be no other problems besides the BT one.

But before I start wiping the phone, I thought I'd check in to see if anyone had any advice I might have missed. Frankly, I'd roll back to 8.0 if I could, just because of the BT issue. But I've read that is not possible.

Much appreciated.

 

[MikeSo]

Well you already answered your own question. This is handled through Cortana. Why would you not have location services on? You're turning off a major part of the functionality of the phone if you don't have it on.

 

[anon(7901790)]

Did you set up your driving mode? Settings > driving mode. That should make it work.

 

[MikeSo]

Driving mode does the opposite... It ignores incoming texts and calls and lets you set up auto responses.

 

[andy2windy]

Gerner, yeah I tried the driving mode - didn't make a difference. Thanks tho!

Mike, in the months that I've had the Icon, the only time I've ever enabled location services was when I wanted driving directions to a location, and have been content with that.

8.0 was able to do what I needed without Cortana and location services. I just wanted to know if anyone was able to do the same with 8.1 but without Cortana and location services.

 

[anon(7901790)]

Gerner, yeah I tried the driving mode - didn't make a difference. Thanks tho!

Hmmm... Interesting. I don't think Cortana is needed to read texts. Since it's not working in driving mode either, then maybe a hard reset is in order. Which sucks of course.

Driving mode does the opposite... It ignores incoming texts and calls and lets you set up auto responses.

Not true. To get it to ignore texts, you actually have to check the box that says, "ignore texts." Without that box checked, you have to tell it to ignore incoming texts for each message. I use it in my car; when a text comes in, it will say, "You have a text message from (states source). Would you like to read it or ignore it?" I can then say, "read it" or "ignore it." If I say, "read it" it will then read the entire text message. Setting up a BT headset in driving mode will allow the same to work.

 

[andy2windy]

I'll mess with it some more Gernerttl....thanks for the input. I agree that if it worked on 8.0 without Cortana, it should work on 8.1 without Cortana.

BTW I like South Park too!! It's almost tree fitty - won't be long before we can go home.

 

[MikeSo]

Not true. To get it to ignore texts, you actually have to check the box that says, "ignore texts." Without that box checked, you have to tell it to ignore incoming texts for each message. I use it in my car; when a text comes in, it will say, "You have a text message from (states source). Would you like to read it or ignore it?" I can then say, "read it" or "ignore it." If I say, "read it" it will then read the entire text message. Setting up a BT headset in driving mode will allow the same to work.

That is all through Cortana. Open Settings -> Applications -> Cortana -> Speech Settings and you can set the options for how it treats incoming texts. Driving Mode is for enabling auto-responses. If you don't have it on, it will do whatever you have selected for it to do in the Cortana speech settings. And if you don't have Cortana enabled, it will not allow you to set the speech settings.

 

[MikeSo]

if it worked on 8.0 without Cortana, it should work on 8.1 without Cortana.

It does not though, not that I have found at least. They moved this into the Cortana umbrella of functions, just like they did with music search.

I don't think it's a problem for most, since having Cortana and location services on is a major benefit.

 

[11B1P]

I don't have Driving Mode configured and Cortana and I talk to each other all the time.

 

[andy2windy]

Well now, driving mode is set to automatic, and it appears there's no way to change it. Settings>Driving Mode> Status is off and greyed out. Don't have a clue.

 

[anon(7901790)]

Well now, driving mode is set to automatic, and it appears there's no way to change it. Settings>Driving Mode> Status is off and greyed out. Don't have a clue.

It will only turn on if you have a device set to enable it. You have to select a BT device to use in driving mode. It will work with both BT headsets and the infotainment systems of most cars and trucks.

Settings > driving mode > add devices: select the device you want to automatically turn it on.

 

[anon(7901790)]

That is all through Cortana. Open Settings -> Applications -> Cortana -> Speech Settings and you can set the options for how it treats incoming texts. Driving Mode is for enabling auto-responses. If you don't have it on, it will do whatever you have selected for it to do in the Cortana speech settings. And if you don't have Cortana enabled, it will not allow you to set the speech settings.

It's under speech settings. Settings > speech > read aloud text messages. You have a choice of: off, always on, Bluetooth and headsets, Bluetooth only, wired headset only.

The speech settings in Cortana takes you to the above mentioned settings.

I turned off Cortana and tested it and it worked. I got a voice prompt saying I had a text message and asked if I wanted to read it or ignore it. When I said, "read it" it opened the text message and read it to me. The voice sounded robotic when compared to Cortana though.

 

[MikeSo]

It's under speech settings. Settings > speech > read aloud text messages. You have a choice of: off, always on, Bluetooth and headsets, Bluetooth only, wired headset only.

The speech settings in Cortana takes you to the above mentioned settings.

I turned off Cortana and tested it and it worked. I got a voice prompt saying I had a text message and asked if I wanted to read it or ignore it. When I said, "read it" it opened the text message and read it to me. The voice sounded robotic when compared to Cortana though.

Going to have to try it. Since driving mode is explicitly intended to keep texts and calls from going through (that is the entire reason for its existence), it seems weird and counterintuitive that it would enable it by being on but disabled. Maybe it's a bug. I will have to try it out with Cortana and location off and see what happens.

 

[Scorpio5x0]

This is all handled through Cortana. The way it was handled changed in 8.1. When connected to my Ford Sync, you will even see Cortana on the display when I get a message or use speech functions. Attached is the initial article when the feature went live. The way it connects to earpieces using Bluetooth would still go through Cortana.

Here is how to use Cortana in your car with Bluetooth | Windows Central


Edit: Also found this previous thread regarding Bluetooth earpieces. Not sure if it would help, but take a look.

http://forums.windowscentral.com/cortana/278697-using-cortana-bluetooth-earpiece.html

 

[anon(7901790)]

Going to have to try it. Since driving mode is explicitly intended to keep texts and calls from going through (that is the entire reason for its existence), it seems weird and counterintuitive that it would enable it by being on but disabled. Maybe it's a bug. I will have to try it out with Cortana and location off and see what happens.

In driving mode, you have the choice to ignore texts and calls and you can choose what BT devices turn on driving mode. The ignore text and calls are not turned on by default. You have to turn them on yourself. You can even set up auto replies. I don't have ignore text turned because I am subscribed to the HPD Traffic feed. My phone is in a CR-200 positioned in my line of sight, so when I get a HPDTraffic text, I can read it kind of like a HUD. And with traffic moving along at a blazing 5-10MPH on the H1, it's not a problem.

 

[MikeSo]

In driving mode, you have the choice to ignore texts and calls and you can choose what BT devices turn on driving mode. The ignore text and calls are not turned on by default. You have to turn them on yourself. You can even set up auto replies. I don't have ignore text turned because I am subscribed to the HPD Traffic feed. My phone is in a CR-200 positioned in my line of sight, so when I get a HPDTraffic text, I can read it kind of like a HUD. And with traffic moving along at a blazing 5-10MPH on the H1, it's not a problem.

Yeah, I use Driving Mode all the time, so I know how it works. But its reason for existing is to allow phone calls and texts to not disturb whole you're driving, and instead send auto replies. If the ignore texts and calls are turned off, it works (or should work) as if you don't even have driving mode on, that's why I'm surprised to hear it might have anything to do with the speech function.

 

[MikeSo]

OK I tried it now.

Driving Mode didn't make a difference either way, it behaved the same whether it was on (with "Ignore Texts" off) or completely turned off (meaning the BT device was not set to active in the list).

Turning off Cortana and Location Services (and restarting the phone as prompted) makes it work like it did in WP 8.0 - that is, it's using the more robotic voice and asks about "read it or ignore" instead of the more advanced and natural sounding commands used in Cortana. I could've sworn this was disabled and only Cortana used now, but clearly that is still in there.

So to the OP, it should work as long as you turn off Cortana and reboot, and have the speech settings correct (and make sure that Driving Mode is either off or that "Ignore texts" is off).

 

[andy2windy]

I like my phone again!!
Cortana and location is off. The BT readouts, etc is working like it was under 8.0. Driving mode off. Oh, I know the voice doesn't sound as good but functionality is more important to me.

Only other thing I've found different is, under 8.0, when time for bed, turn off earpiece, then turn ringer and message sound on, in case a call or text came in during the night it would alert me. During the day while wearing BT, ringers and sounds were turned off - not needed since I would hear the message or call thru BT.

Now, I've noticed there is no option to have no ringer, although there is an option to have no tone for messaging. Ok, so I just turned the volume all the way down. Well that cancels out the BT....it wont read texts. Ok, I'll fix you! Went to PC, recorded a completely silent sound file, then loaded that as a ringtone on the phone. I'll use this as phone and message tone while wearing BT, then use the usual ones at night.

Thanks for all the patient assistance, especially you gernerttl!!

 

[MikeSo]

Thanks for all the patient assistance, especially you gernerttl!!

Here I went through the trouble of testing my phone for the various scenarios and I don't even get a shoutout? Just kidding.
Glad you got it working to the point where you like the phone again. I gotta say though, you are missing out by not using Cortana and location services.