Does anyone know of a way to send audio output to a Bluetooth device, while still using the internal mic(s)?
Did web searches, and found it's a common desire, but didn't find any solutions. One answer from Apple saying "make a suggestion and it will be considered..."
My application is for an older car (2008 Mini Cooper) that doesn't have CarPlay or Bluetooth.
I just added a nice permanent mount that bolts to the tach cluster on driver's side and puts the phone in as good a position as possible for viewing (to R of steering wheel, or just above when you tilt it horizontal) without blocking either TOO much of my view ahead, or too much of the phone screen (lower left corner is behind steering wheel I can live with that) and really an idea position for mic pickup. Better than the mount I had suctioned to the useless and comically-large center speedometer display! (It would occasionally fall off...)
But the iPhone speakers suck in that location. I use it mainly for navigation, but would be more clear over car audio speakers, and as well I might want to stream music. I only occasionally have calls in the car, but I would like to use Siri to be hands-free.
I have an aux jack, but it's buried in a cubbyhole at the bottom of dash behind the manual shifter. I got a cheap Bluetooth receiver meant for car (GoXT). But it has a mic, and that cubby seems a horrible place to pick up voice, plus want to take advantage of the good pickup quality of iPhone 15 Pro Max multiple mics. It has a built-in plug, so would hide neatly in the cubbyhole out of the way. I'd have to charge the battery periodically or perhaps it will work with the charging cable plugged in.
On MacOS, there are many apps that allow you to route audio in and out however you'd like. But doesn't seem to be anything like that for iOS either built-in or as a third-party app. I did find an app that will let you do it low-quality mono, emulating phone profile.
Maybe I need to find a receive-only dongle? What would happen then? I know there should be plenty for connection to home audio equipment. But most wouldn't be so compact.
Maybe fool iOS with accessibility options? What do people with Bluetooth hearing aids do? Do they use the mic in the hearing aid, so that wouldn't help me?
Not about to do a Carplay-equipped after-market system installed in place of the comically-large center speedo, as some have done. (And where Mini has decided subsequently to put theirs on newer models.) Not on a 2008! Next one will have Carplay.
Another alternative would be earbuds that have a good "transparency" feature. But leery because of safety and as well laws about wearing headphones while driving. I'd imagine they vary by state, but seems not a good idea in any case. I AM in the market for earbuds, though. Because I've moved recently, and they're great for discrete turn-by-turn walking directions. I have some old Moto behind-ear headset somewhere. And Sennheiser Momentum 4 that I use at home. lol those would surely get me stopped in a state that bans headsets. So, maybe thinking Sennheiser earbuds to match.
Did web searches, and found it's a common desire, but didn't find any solutions. One answer from Apple saying "make a suggestion and it will be considered..."
My application is for an older car (2008 Mini Cooper) that doesn't have CarPlay or Bluetooth.
I just added a nice permanent mount that bolts to the tach cluster on driver's side and puts the phone in as good a position as possible for viewing (to R of steering wheel, or just above when you tilt it horizontal) without blocking either TOO much of my view ahead, or too much of the phone screen (lower left corner is behind steering wheel I can live with that) and really an idea position for mic pickup. Better than the mount I had suctioned to the useless and comically-large center speedometer display! (It would occasionally fall off...)
But the iPhone speakers suck in that location. I use it mainly for navigation, but would be more clear over car audio speakers, and as well I might want to stream music. I only occasionally have calls in the car, but I would like to use Siri to be hands-free.
I have an aux jack, but it's buried in a cubbyhole at the bottom of dash behind the manual shifter. I got a cheap Bluetooth receiver meant for car (GoXT). But it has a mic, and that cubby seems a horrible place to pick up voice, plus want to take advantage of the good pickup quality of iPhone 15 Pro Max multiple mics. It has a built-in plug, so would hide neatly in the cubbyhole out of the way. I'd have to charge the battery periodically or perhaps it will work with the charging cable plugged in.
On MacOS, there are many apps that allow you to route audio in and out however you'd like. But doesn't seem to be anything like that for iOS either built-in or as a third-party app. I did find an app that will let you do it low-quality mono, emulating phone profile.
Maybe I need to find a receive-only dongle? What would happen then? I know there should be plenty for connection to home audio equipment. But most wouldn't be so compact.
Maybe fool iOS with accessibility options? What do people with Bluetooth hearing aids do? Do they use the mic in the hearing aid, so that wouldn't help me?
Not about to do a Carplay-equipped after-market system installed in place of the comically-large center speedo, as some have done. (And where Mini has decided subsequently to put theirs on newer models.) Not on a 2008! Next one will have Carplay.
Another alternative would be earbuds that have a good "transparency" feature. But leery because of safety and as well laws about wearing headphones while driving. I'd imagine they vary by state, but seems not a good idea in any case. I AM in the market for earbuds, though. Because I've moved recently, and they're great for discrete turn-by-turn walking directions. I have some old Moto behind-ear headset somewhere. And Sennheiser Momentum 4 that I use at home. lol those would surely get me stopped in a state that bans headsets. So, maybe thinking Sennheiser earbuds to match.
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