Buried in the hundreds of new features in iOS 5 is support for AVRCP 1.3 (or maybe even 1.4!), a Bluetooth standard that gives iPhones the ability to send artist, album and track name information to Bluetooth audio devices such as those in the stereos of some newer cars.

bluetoothiphone

iOS has been stuck at AVRCP 1.0 for nearly a year, and though the iPhone allowed control of the some music playback (back, next, play/pause, and volume up/down), the device wouldn't pass on information about what song was currently playing. In iOS 5, that all changes.

For more information, check out Wikipedia's page on the different versions of AVRCP and what, exactly, each version supports.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

Smi77y Avatar
187 months ago
Mazda 3 here (2011) no BT information from iPhone 4s either. Subscribing, hope this ends up working. Also, can anyone activate Siri from the steering wheel? It says to hold the talk button but its not working for me.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eekcat Avatar
191 months ago
Does IOS support A2DP? Who cares if the title is transmitted wirelessly if I still have to have it connected to get it to play the music.

A2DP has been supported for a long while now. This is about AVRCP 1.3 (or 1.4), which allows for streaming of metadata, along with the basic set of audio controls.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eekcat Avatar
191 months ago
Anyone know if it transmits album art too? My Alpine displays album art via the dock connector and it would be cool to have it on BT too.

Not that I've seen... I'm not even sure album art is part of AVRCP...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrfrosty Avatar
191 months ago
working perfectly in my 2010 Volvo S60
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
budman1961 Avatar
191 months ago
Confirmed, iOS5 transmits Artist/Track info to my Sync system in my 2011 Ford Edge Sport, it did not in iOS4. :D
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
calebkingston Avatar
191 months ago
What about Bluetooth contacts?

Does this mean I'll be able to browse my contacts on my Bluetooth stereo also? Right now, I can only see the number displayed when others call.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

Apple Changes How You Order a Mac

Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...