Activate Cortana in-car via the Cortana 5555559876 contact - not working?

[neil_th]

Hi, I'm trying to use this feature with the built-in Bluetooth connectivity on a C class Merc.
From what I've read online the 950XL will put a "Cortana" contact into the cars contacts list (and it has). The number behind this contact is 5555559876. If I call that contact it is supposed to wake Cortana, but it doesn't. Has anyone got this working please?

 

[extrikate]

I have seen the contact activate in my wife's Ford Edge w/ Sync. In my truck, I use an aftermarket Pioneer head unit and haven't seen the number.

Are you just trying to activate Cortana to initiate a command? Hey Cortana works in both vehicles without me having to "call" it via phone number. I don't know if this is what you're trying to do.

 

[xandros9]

I believe you ask the car to "Call Cortana" rather than manually dial out that number.

 

[anthonyng]

on my 2006 acura, I call Cortana which keeps the car connected to phone and I can process commands that way, like calling another number... but it's awkward... It's really only for older cars where activating cortana doesn't wake up the car's handsfree system.

 

[neil_th]

Piecing together those replies, think I have figured this out...

When I dial the Cortana contact using the car's in-built connectivity (by voice or from the dashboard-screen) it works if I have "Hey Cortana" enabled - that was the bit I was missing. Thanks to all who responded.

 

[xandros9]

that's odd. None of my phones ever had Hey Cortana.

It'd work in the Hyundai I drive since it has its own voice recognition thing and by asking it to call Cortana it'll pass it onto my phone so I can talk directly to it. But I'd prefer the quicker holding-the-search-button on the phone itself manually then talking.

 

[neil_th]

I spoke too soon - whilst Cortana does fire-up this way, still getting reliability issues like it will read out some texts but not others.

 

[sinime]

You may need to adjust a Bluetooth setting...

Settings -> Devices -> Bluetooth -> hit "Advanced" below the list of Bluetooth devices...
check "Use an alternate Bluetooth audio connection for speech"

 

[206Husky]

Cortana just reads me text messages through my cars bluetooth. Pretty cool when it first happened.