In the Mk3 Octy it was so easy - thumbwheel on right side of steering wheel to scroll through recent calls.

I'm probably missing something but is there a way to set this up in the mk4? Or does it really rely on voice control?

Also when I call up the "phone" page on the infotainment screen, all I see is "All" "Missed" & "Favourites" - no mention of Contacts at all.

Does anyone have an easy "How to" for setting all this up in a user friendly way, or for that matter similar for the myriad other functions? I've had the car for over 2 months now and not really got to grips with the vast set of possible options yet...

To be honest I haven’t spent much time looking at it because I tend to use Siri to just “call so and so”

Did you give in he phone permission for contact sync? What phone you have?

Also, a phone can connect in ‘traditional’ Bluetooth mode OR CarPlay/AndroidAuto, not both at the same time.

As others have said, I use Siri.

15 hours ago, blackh0le said:

Did you give in he phone permission for contact sync? What phone you have?

Ive got iphone 11 and I'm sure its asked for contact sync which I allowed but then when you press the green "phone" icon it just opens All - Missed - Favourites

Do you need to enable a view to see contacts. Once - and only once - a page opened with them visible but then I navigated away and couldnt get back to it

44 minutes ago, SteveTheElder said:

Also, a phone can connect in ‘traditional’ Bluetooth mode OR CarPlay/AndroidAuto, not both at the same time.

As others have said, I use Siri.

Ah so this is interesting Steve, I was wondering about that - what would you recommend?

Also - I got the "internet radio" working by tethering the car to my phone - but as soon as you leave the car that obvs breaks then when you go back in the car you have to re-enable the tethering every single time...surely has to be an easier way so it stays tethered all the time?

So Siri is mentioned - but surely in the car it uses "Laura" which is the built in Skoda voice control which then talks to your phone via bluetooth?

37 minutes ago, chelon said:

So Siri is mentioned - but surely in the car it uses "Laura" which is the built in Skoda voice control which then talks to your phone via bluetooth?

To activate Siri, hold the steering wheel voice control button for a few seconds; the infotainment screen will change to CarPlay with Siri listening for commands.

I’d recommend using CarPlay & Siri for calls, can also use it for ‘reading’ new messages, WhatsApp etc as well as dictating a message to send, for example…

“Read new WhatsApp messages”

“Send a message to name…”

Interesting you have got internet radio working by tethering. I gave up before I got to that point 🙄

I’ll have a fiddle…

2 hours ago, SteveTheElder said:

To activate Siri, hold the steering wheel voice control button for a few seconds; the infotainment screen will change to CarPlay with Siri listening for commands.

I’d recommend using CarPlay & Siri for calls, can also use it for ‘reading’ new messages, WhatsApp etc as well as dictating a message to send, for example…

“Read new WhatsApp messages”

“Send a message to name…”

Interesting you have got internet radio working by tethering. I gave up before I got to that point 🙄

I’ll have a fiddle…

I'm not in the car right now but isnt Siri a pure iphone thing and in the car it uses Laura which is the builtin Skoda one?

I liked the internet radio option as you can store stations as favourites. I cant see any way to do that using carplay radio apps like BBC Sounds etc but if anyone knows a way that would be great

When you connected with CarPlay wireless’s and open the Phone App of the Infotainment, it asks if you want to switch to Bluetooth connection for the Phone. Then you see all the Phone Data you allowed in your BT Connection with the Car in the infotainment.

While CarPlay is connected I think the only way to Phone Contacts, recent etc is through CarPlay on the Infotainment Display, Siri or the Virtual Cockpit

So can we say what's "best practice" for a user friendly car phone experience overall? One that doesnt have you fiddling about with bluetooth/carpay/tethering functions every time you enter the car....

I'd rather not use voice commands if poss just a personal preference. The scroll wheel on the old car was perfect.

7 minutes ago, chelon said:

So can we say what's "best practice" for a user friendly car phone experience overall? One that doesnt have you fiddling about with bluetooth/carpay/tethering functions every time you enter the car....

Then I would recommend you use CarPlay via USB Cable as a solid connection

16 minutes ago, blackh0le said:

Then I would recommend you use CarPlay via USB Cable as a solid connection

Thanks but that seems like a step backwards compared to the old car which worked perfectly via Bluetooth only.

These days phone use is such an integral part of the driving experience, I can't believe they've not made it more user friendly by default

2 hours ago, chelon said:

I'm not in the car right now but isnt Siri a pure iphone thing and in the car it uses Laura which is the builtin Skoda one?

A short press on the voice control button gets you to Škoda Laura, a long press to Siri.

Easiest option is voice control, saves taking eyes off the road and I find Siri via CarPlay very good for calls, messages, navigation, music selection (either Apple Music or [previously] Spotify).

2 hours ago, chelon said:

I liked the internet radio option as you can store stations as favourites. I cant see any way to do that using carplay radio apps like BBC Sounds etc but if anyone knows a way that would be great

You can store favourites from FM and DAB channels too. Haven't yet used Internet Radio in the car other than BBC Sounds (which is a pain!).

6 hours ago, chelon said:

I'm not in the car right now but isnt Siri a pure iphone thing and in the car it uses Laura which is the builtin Skoda one?

I liked the internet radio option as you can store stations as favourites. I cant see any way to do that using carplay radio apps like BBC Sounds etc but if anyone knows a way that would be great

Short press for Laura “set temperature to 22 degrees” or long press for Siri “tell my wife I’ll be home at 6:30”

16 hours ago, chelon said:

Thanks but that seems like a step backwards compared to the old car which worked perfectly via Bluetooth only.

Bluetooth is fine for basic use of the phone via the infotainment, but CarPlay offers so much more access to the iPhone features.

I use wireless CarPlay as I couldn't be bothered with a USB cable, so the iPhone stays in my jacket pocket.

On 10/05/2025 at 10:02, PetrolDave said:

Bluetooth is fine for basic use of the phone via the infotainment, but CarPlay offers so much more access to the iPhone features.

I use wireless CarPlay as I couldn't be bothered with a USB cable, so the iPhone stays in my jacket pocket.

So is the best plan to go into bluetooth settings on the car and delete the phone entirely?

24 minutes ago, chelon said:

So is the best plan to go into bluetooth settings on the car and delete the phone entirely?

No need to do that. Once set up with [wireless] CarPlay the car will default to that as a connection next time.

If there are multiple phones (like my wife and I) CarPlay connects to the last one used, usually mine, and hers connects via bluetooth.

On 11/05/2025 at 14:37, SteveTheElder said:

No need to do that. Once set up with [wireless] CarPlay the car will default to that as a connection next time.

If there are multiple phones (like my wife and I) CarPlay connects to the last one used, usually mine, and hers connects via bluetooth.

Thanks let me try that.

Anyone know the answer to my tethering issue asked above, ie you have to tether every time you enter the car?

Any way to enable an "always on" function?

8 minutes ago, chelon said:

Anyone know the answer to my tethering issue asked above, ie you have to tether every time you enter the car?

I can't find a way of getting the car to auto reconnect to the hotspot; I'd have thought it would like most other things.

As an alternative, could you use an Internet Radio app on your CarPlay phone?

12 minutes ago, SteveTheElder said:

I can't find a way of getting the car to auto reconnect to the hotspot; I'd have thought it would like most other things.

As an alternative, could you use an Internet Radio app on your CarPlay phone?

I do that already, BBC Sounds which does get slagged off but I've had no issues with it...although I hear they are pulling plug outside UK (I'm in Ireland)

As said above the "internet radio" function would be good as you could store favourites - I can't see any way to store favourites from Carplay apps like BBC sounds etc

2 hours ago, chelon said:

I do that already, BBC Sounds which does get slagged off but I've had no issues with it...although I hear they are pulling plug outside UK (I'm in Ireland)

As said above the "internet radio" function would be good as you could store favourites - I can't see any way to store favourites from Carplay apps like BBC sounds etc

Ah yes; I must learn to read the posts properly 😜