Bluetooth issues on iPhone 17 Pro Max running iOS 26

I am constantly getting unwanted connections, disconnections, no connection etc all while the iPhone tells me I’m connected. Yesterday I’m on a call using my AirPods Pro and suddenly, audio switches to my watch speaker. Many times my phone says I’m connected but I’m not. And audio stay on AirPods feature does not work all the time. My CarPlay grabs it. I’m on a call with my AirPods Pro working on my iPad and the iPad grabs the audio. Then sends it back to the phone. It is so frustrating.


oh and by the how many of you see your iPhone randomly automatically mutes itself. It’s just sitting on the counter while I’m on a call with my AirPods Pro and the phone literally just mutes itself. Very fostering.


[Edited by Moderator]

Original Title: Bluetooth is broken iOS13 was the best

iPhone 17 Pro Max, iOS 26

Posted on Sep 26, 2025 2:41 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 9, 2025 3:29 PM

Haven't tested long term, but these settings have worked well for me so far:


🚧 Maximum Stability Mode (CarPlay + AirPods Pro)

✅ Disable all wake‑trigger behaviors

These are the biggest offenders.

  • Raise to Wake
  • Settings → Display & Brightness → Raise to Wake → Off
  • Tap to Wake
  • Settings → Accessibility → Touch → Tap to Wake → Off
  • Attention Aware Features
  • Settings → Face ID & Passcode → Attention Aware Features → Off
  • Haptic on Wake
  • Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Haptics → Turn off “System Haptics”

These prevent micro‑wake events that cause Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth renegotiation.


✅ Lock down Wi‑Fi behavior

We want the phone to stay on one network and avoid band switching.

  • Auto‑Join Hotspot Off
  • Wi‑Fi Assist Off
  • Private Wi‑Fi Address Off (for your car)
  • Limit IP Address Tracking Off (for your car)

This prevents the phone from trying to “optimize” connections mid‑drive.


✅ Lock down Bluetooth behavior

These reduce Bluetooth LE chatter and renegotiation.

  • Turn off “Nearby Interactions”
  • (Used for U1/U2 chip proximity features)
  • Turn off “Find My network”
  • (Stops background BLE pings)
  • Disable “SharePlay in CarPlay”
  • (Prevents Bluetooth handoffs)


✅ Reduce background radio churn

These settings stop the phone from waking radios for background tasks.

  • Background App Refresh → Off for all but essentials
  • Siri Suggestions → Off
  • Significant Locations → Off
  • Location Services → System Services → disable non‑critical items

This reduces the number of times the phone wakes itself while connected to CarPlay.


✅ Optional but highly effective

These are the “nuclear options” — not required, but they help.

  • Disable Always‑On Display
  • Disable Live Activities
  • Disable Lock Screen widgets
  • Turn off Apple Watch temporarily

The Apple Watch in particular is a known trigger — it constantly negotiates BLE channels.

48 replies

Bluetooth issues on iPhone 17 Pro Max running iOS 26

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