OnStar Hands-Free Calling To Sunset In February 2022
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The OnStar Hands-Free Calling feature will be discontinued in February of the 2022 calendar year, GM Authority has confirmed. As such, vehicles equipped with the OnStar Hands-Free Calling feature will no longer have the ability to make calls using the OnStar Hands-Free Calling system.
Senior Manager, OnStar and Infotainment Communications, Stephanie Obendorfer, commented on the decision to discontinue the OnStar Hands-Free Calling feature, telling GM Authority:
“We routinely evaluate our services to provide the best experience for our members. In this spirit, we have decided to discontinue Hands-Free Calling starting in February 2022.”
Obendorfer added that vehicles equipped with Bluetooth pairing will continue to function as before, allowing customers with smartphones to use hands-free calling through their smartphone instead.
“Members can use Bluetooth pairing to make phone calls while keeping their hands on the wheel,” Obendorfer told GM Authority.
Back in June of 2020, GM Authority exclusively reported that General Motors was gearing up to sunset the OnStar Hands-Free Calling service in 2022. The report followed another GM Authority exclusive the year prior that General Motors was set to discontinue the OnStar Hands-Free Calling feature.
OnStar Hands-Free Calling was first offered to customers in the ‘90s. As the industry’s first built-in calling feature provided by an automaker, OnStar Hands-Free Calling preceded the proliferation of smartphones, and was available to customers who purchased minutes through OnStar. As such, the system was considered ahead of its time, and even now, the system is useful for those customers who prefer not to have a smartphone, but still wish to make phone calls from their vehicle.
However, as stated above, the discontinuation of the OnStar Hands-Free Calling feature does not preclude customers from using features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to connect their smartphone and make phone calls using the onboard Bluetooth system. Nevertheless, it seems inevitable that some customers will still be disappointed by the news that OnStar Hands-Free Calling is set for discontinuation early next year.
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I wonder if removing this opens up space to install new features on the cars. I also wonder if we still will be able to select our contacts in the vehicle and have it dial out of the phone like I do now.
Onstar’s ability to store phone numbers itself went away in the 2018 model year. At least it did and a Chevrolet Tahoe that I bought. It would not store numbers.
Still stores them in the phone app in the car. I have a 19
Hands-free calling had very little programming on the car side. All it did was phone into the OnStar system and tell it with beeps that you wanted hands-free calling. The rest was done on their side.
That was a dumb ass decision by you. I am sure by taking away this function has to do with money even if you were not charging for it. because It sure seems you don’t give a damn about what your customers like. And by doing away with this (was an awesome system) because if you forgot your phone you could still be contacted or make a call. So I will tell I am mad as hell about it. And I hope you sleep with a clear conscience about pissing a lot of people off!!
yes i agree with you also lost all of the minutes on all three cars that i paid for. approx. 1200 min. I asked customer service to have a supervisor call me back never happened. Looks like nobody cares take the money and run .I just canceled
I agree. Not only do they shut it off they effectively steal from you because they claim they will not issue a refund. Anyone up for a class action lawsuit? Bunch of damn thieves.
Yes Frank I do agree I think a class action lawsuit against them should be in the works they don’t seem to care they’ve never seem to care
Im with you on this. This has caused me so many problems without it. I dont understabd why when we paid extra money for these minutes ee used . So i dont understand it was a horrible decision. Im thinkingbog getting into another car or mfg does does have the capability.n. gm will losevmoney now due to this. I personally dont want a car that cannot give us this feature. Its very upsetting.
So OnStar is taking this away and still charging us the same. Hummmmm….
YES
Charging us the same if not more
ET Onstar is separate from the phone if you pay $200 a year it’s the same whether you have the phone or not. The phone was always a separate bill . If you buy minutes you get the phone no minutes no phone.
Well i’ve got to find out what I can drop form my onstar bill I have it so I won’t have to deal with that damn phone.
We use this as we are seniors and love being able to call from our car. Even if we have trouble or stuck in traffic
I canceled my membership after 12 years. I needed the turn-by-turn directions to find my way around. I have no sense of direction so I relied on OnStar. Being elderly and disabled, I can’t figure out this iPhone thing! I find myself being stuck at home when I’d like to make a trip. I have AAA and my phone so to hell with the rest of the features! If I crash, someone most likely will call 911 or myself. Goodbye OnStar!
Cindy
You can use your iPhone for directions. Get a usb cable that plugs into your phone and a usb port. Probably the same as you’re using now to charge your phone.
Plug into your car.
On the tv screen in your car pick CarPlay pick Maps on your iPhone type in where you want to go. And where you’re at. Select start on your car tv screen and directions start just drive.
Now take a few trips.
Good riddance!
So I just spoke to someone that tried to speak English and OnStar will not handle any phone calls coming in or out. They offer remote access which means you can start your car if you aren’t in it a safety plan which I really didn’t understand and Navigation. It’s basically a safety plan I guess that means if you have a wreck they’ll call the cops or whatever. So if they were losing money handling calls wait til they start losing money when folks like me cancel. I know I spend alot but no more.
NO
I found out I did not have this call feature when I tried to make a call last week! It stinks!!! As a senior, I forget my phone sometimes and knew I had a backup to call family if I needed to! No advance notice or nothing! When I called to renew my OnStar plan in December, you gladly took $19.99 from me and then $199.90. I asked about my minutes and they said changes were coming. NOTHING said about no phone service at all! Guess I will be canceling my OnStar – I have been done wrong!!
This has been known for ages… it has been talked about for ages.
2G and 3G networks are getting discontinued by the big Phone companies. Outside of GM’s control.
Yes I agree a lot of people knew about it but they didn’t know what operating system On star used and they should’ve reimbursed everybody for unused minutes they had a habit of taking minutes away at the end of the year and wanted to sell you more when you reinstated it
Ok so get on board with everyone else and get 4g and 5g compliant. Seems like the smart thing to do. I too had no notice of thiss til i went to make a call.
Yep, join the club. We have all been screwed.
The plans that have phone. Will it bring the cost down?
in essence, yes. If I understand correctly, in order to use the OnStar hands free calling you need to purchase minutes from OnStar. With this feature going away, there is nothing to buy so the cost comes down. 🙂
The cost for lost cell service was added to my Essential service. They gave me an additional month. so the cell service at $199.00 gave me an additional month which saved me $9.99. GM is really good at trading 200 hundred bucks for 10 busks
There are many places in MI that don’t have cell service, including our lake house. We used OnStar all the time. This is very bad since we are paying for the service.
How do you think OnStar works? Carrier pigeons in the trunk?
NO the rep said it would not reduce the subscription price even though they are deleting a function. This is a money move so let’s see if we can’t cancel enough subscriptions to get their attention
NO
What the article fails to mention is in vehicles older than 2015 will also be using the ability to call onstar from the mirror. You will be forced to use their app on your phone if you need them. Which is a problem while you’re driving. Accessing the button on the mirror is much safer. So needless to say, I’m discontinuing onstar on 3 vehicles.
That’s because they use 3G cellular. If you want to keep using Onstar on older vehicles GM offers a tech upgrade to move them to 4G.
They do not offer an up grade possibility for my 2011 Volt. Not at any price. NOT even not making the promised OBDII dongle to connect to a cell phone.
I was told that and when I called back now they claim they will still know if my Yukon is in a wreck and will call for help. I sure wish I could get a straight answer.
Right. But the rest of it is the same result. The button on the mirror is no longer functional and you need to use your cell phone. I never understood why the upgrade if the button still doesn’t work.
The phone button won’t work but the onstar and sos buttons will.
I am guessing that the three people that don’t have a smart phone and drive an OnStar equipped vehicle won’t even notice the change.
You’re missing the point on this. The minutes with onstar are an amazing emergency backup if your cell phone loses power or has no service in a particular area. That’s my problem. That’s the only reason to even have this minutes. To use in an emergency.
Does OnStar use a cellular connection? If so, if your phone has no service in a particular area, then it stands to reason that OnStar wouldn’t have service as well. Unless OnStar connects directly to satellite which I don’t think is the case, I could be wrong.
As for phone losing power AND there is an emergency with no one else around to make the 911 call are probably so rare that GM was willing to take the chance.
If the SOS button still works and you have an active OnStar subscription makes it a moot point as well.
Your cell phone is limited to 0.5 watt output while phone boosters and car phones like OnStar are limited to 3 watts output. The numbers may be off but the point is OnStar has a much bigger signal range and it was a big help while traveling and your phone can’t get or maintain a signal.
I often used OnStar to make phone calls while driving to the lake or other middle of no where destinations. When my phone lost signal and dropped the call, I was always able to call back on the OnStar line and was able to connect. I never experienced a dropped call with OnStar.
Now after 4G expansion and the wider range coverage of 5G, I have constant phone signal to the places I visit. I wonder how many people are less reliant on OnStar since cell service has expanded due to the increased range of 5G and/or the installation of new cell towers.
I’m sure OnStar phone service has reduced as cell coverage has increased.
Those numbers are from the analog days. LTE OnStar is 200 mW transmit power just like a handheld smartphone. You get gains in that the antenna is outside the metal body, and it is a more efficient antenna due to its size and nice metal ground plane. You lose out slightly in that there’s only 2 antennas for MIMO whereas modern smartphones have 4, and I believe it doesn’t fully cover all the AT&T LTE bands.
THATS NOT TRUE MY CELL PHONE WORKS IN AN AREA WHERE ONSTAR DOES NOT. TRYED TO HAVE MY DOOR OPENED WITH ONSTAR USELESS
I have been able to use ON STAR hands-free calling in areas where I had no cell service. Of course, now I cannot because it’s gone.
Connect your phone to in vehicle wifi and use wifi calling.
So, Onstar will give us free WIFI in our vehicles?
Just like hands free calling, it’s a paid service.
are they going to give me a phone? I don’t own one
OnStar uses AT&T 4G cellular service while your personal cell phone must be using another carrier. That was the real plus OnStar handsfree calling offered while on the road. Many times I was unable to use my Verizon personal phone since I had no signal so it was nice to have AT&T for a backup.
GM really dropped the ball here for the consumer.
The onstar rep just told me that the emergency button on my mirror & the road side assistance will still work. I do not have blue tooth in my 2011 GMC Pickup Truck and I do not have a cell phone. I am pissed to say the least. The onstar rep also put the blame on “The three phone company’s” that are going to no longer allow onstar hands free mins, In the email they sent me it says that hands free calling w blue tooth is much safer.That is B.S. because I already have hands free calling. I push one button on my mirror and say “call home” So now I will need a blue tooth smart phone plus onstar?
If the cell phone doesn’t work and Onstar does it’s because the Onstar antenna is a heck of a lot better than the cell phone antenna
1: Carry a USB cable so you can plug your phone into the car. Power problem solved.
2: Hook your phone up to vehicle Wi-Fi hot spot and use Wi-Fi calling. That’s almost identical to using vehicle calling on LTE, since LTE itself actually doesn’t have the capability to do phone calls.
and if you do not have as cell phone
time to get one.
and if you do not have a phone to connect? and do not want one, given the cost and no use for it other than an emergency in the car.
There are 290 Million Cellphone users in the US.
Many people no longer have landline phones and exclusively use their cellphones.
I agree i guess we are going to blue or red button when we need to reach some one in an emergency directly even its not really. I still say the reason is the fact they lost so many customers because their cars can no longer use onstar because end of the end 3G the new link they are giving us cannot make calls.
It just doesn’t make sense press the button get the number dial talk no fooling around with something else to get a call thru much safer. This sucks.
Of course they will they depend on ONSTAR to make the calls they need while in their vehicle
1- More than 3 people do choose NOT to use a so-called ‘smartfone’; 2- Cells do not work in some areas, the OnStar phone did; 3- It was hands-free – req'[d by law in some states inc. mine (Iowa) & 4, as others mentioned, what if you forgot your phone, it was broken, dead, etc?
Your comment was WAAAY off base.
1. The number of people who do not have smart phones is decreasing by the day,
2. Although Cellphones may not work in some areas, you can still use the “network” calling feature in the phones that uses the Wifi network to connect (so using your antenna on the car) (Also Emergency services still work on OnStar)
3. It’s still hands free as your phone is connected via bluetooth in the vehicle. (just press the call button in the car for 2 seconds, and ask Siri or google to dial)
4. If your phone is dead then charge it with the available USB ports in the vehicle.
It too Bad that GM has discontinued this valued service for us Seniors who havent upgraded to any newer phones.. will be dependent on the other features in case of accidents or directions an wonder just how damn long will that last???
It just doesn’t make sense press the button get the number dial talk no fooling around with something else to get a call thru much safer. This sucks.
Let’s raise hell see what happens
How do I cancel the wholeOnStar thing? I have no intention of buying a cell phone which I do not need or want just to be able to make emergency calls from my car. I will just wait for the police to appear I guess.
the OnStar Safety and Security plan still lets you use the SOS button in the car to make Emergency Calls, it also lets them monitor for Accidents and contact you in case of Emergency.
How to cancel: mash on the blue button and – once you are told your call is very important and someone will be with you within two hours – tell the semi-literate, doen’t-give-a-damn drone that eventually answers that you want to cancel. If they argue, be persistent. If they still won’t do anything, call your credit card company and stop payment on further charges. If you are paying by draft from your checking account, same thing.
As for your choice to have a cell phone or not: that is up to you. Service with a pay as you go can be unbelievably cheap, and 911 goes right to a local emergency center, not someone else first. Also, virtually every cable company in the USA is now offering cell service for $14 to $15 a month when bundled with cable or internet. Again, the choice is yours.
Meantime, drivers of cars from other manufacturers are – somehow – able to get emergency services if needed, either with their own phones, or through Good Samaritans seeing an issue and placing the call.
According to two separate reps I talked to, all the controls on the mirror will be disconnected.
When they retire 3G but with 4G upgrade it will restore functionality for turn by turn and emergency communication.
That’s definitely not what reps are saying about it.
Nope, Robert was correct. The original plan in the US was that they would send 3G users a standalone telemetry dongle called OnStar Link that plugged into your OBD port. (Canada got a modem replacement) In fact, this was a third-party product sold as Verizon HUM. The only interface was via your smartphone and it has no inbuilt calling ability.
I say was because the whole plan was put on hold due to the semiconductor shortage and future steps have not been announced.
I see them dropping the service because with the amount of cellphones an smartphones people aren’t buying the service,let’s face it the minutes are expensive an the data is also expensive OnStar it’s self is expensive
problem solved…discontinue GM..
I’m in that Senior Citizen category, drove Chevy all my Life, never owned anything else. My next New Vehicle most likely will NOT be a gm product.
I Agree 100 % Driven G.M. ONLY Since the 60’s Looks like it’ll Be Dodge or Ford(Kills Me to say that) but These G.M. Fools need to Lose their Job, House, Marriage and Become homeless. I’m that Pissed off !
Treating Loyal G.M. Customers like this is Disgraceful. Many of us Seniors can’t Operate a Ham Radio out of our car. These People need to be Fired !
i tried to get help with a lock problem on my chevy impala and was greeted by a person who not only could not speak understandable English, but they were incompetent. i was switched from one to another who had the same problems as the first anti service person who was replaced. I was told I had to pay in advance for someone to come out and fix my problem. I not only paid for the OnStar that I had, but they tried to rip me off for a $76.00 dollar bill that could be solved by a good mechanic, who knew what to do. The fix was actually not hard and took 15 seconds to fix by myself after my local mechanic told me how to solve the problem for nothing.
Onstar has changed its focus to safety related issues. I recall when Onstar reps would make restaurant and hotel reservations for you and they always seemed to have priority capability to get them. Many restaurants would welcome you specifically mentioning that Onstar had arranged your reservation.
The masses haven’t purchased minutes or utilized the in car phone in probably the past 5-10 years, most won’t notice its gone and it shouldn’t be much of an issue…as for the senior crowd if you don’t at least have a free government phone by now communication must not be a priority for you.
Nice speech. Witty. Good job.
Wow! Some of the people with expensive phones are nasty! My flip phone meets my needs quite well, thank you. I have been thinking about canceling OnStar for some time, as features have been dropped. We kept it because my wife has a smart phone, but now canceling OnStar is an easier choice. Our monthly service cost never decreased.
Make sure your fliphone is 4G. The phone companies are shutting down 3G and a lot of old devices (like GM’s before 2015…) will stop working. Not a GM thing, it’s AT&T doing it. Check your phone so you don’t get stuck with no service.
Most but not all carriers will offer a free new phone if yours is 3G. That, or they are relatively cheap to buy in the first place.
Free phone??? All seniors don’t HAVE FREE PHONES. I don’t know anybody that has a free phone. Frankly the worst thing to happen was the onslaught of those damn phones just look around people walk around or drive with the thing stuck to their face…ALL AGES
The TV show 60 Minutes had a feature several years ago showing “poor people” who were given free I-Phones by our government. One guy they interviewed had received 12 free I-Phones. Imagine that …..
Free phones, yes. iPhones? Seriously?
This is a huge blow to the three people still using this feature.
Well, the “let them eat cake” idea of using bluetooth sucks! The OnStar systems in my cars do not have bluetooth connectivity. So what now?? Typical of GM marketing people. A bunch of under 30 know-it-alls that have no concern for anything or anyone!
If your car is old enough to no have bluetooth it likely has the 3G (or older) onstar tech in it. That will stop working because the phone companies are shutting off all the 3G towers. Nothing GM can do about it. I had a bluetooth dongle that allowed my phone to work through the radio many years ago. Little sketchy but it worked
They can do something. The original OnStar was analog. When cell phones went digital, GM came out with an upgrade kit for those earlier vehicles. Why can’t they do the same for this change by the phone companies??? Because they don’t care, that’s why! It can be done but they just gave all of us the “finger”!
Exactly !
We got your $50,000.+ for your Vehicle.We don’t give a crap what you want… shut up everybody over 30
Your Opinions don’t matter to us. Keep paying $15.00 + for crappy Bluetooth and like it.
Bluetooth is part of the vehicle, you don’t pay to use bluetooth….
What now? You go to a car radio shop and have bluetooth added, or order a kit online or pick one up at virtually ay big-box retailer.
I Had instar for about 3 months never cared for it. Never used it only wanted it for turn by turn navigation. Never paid for a month of it. Kinda see why there getting rid of it though it doesn’t do anything, that anyone else does for free. So truthfully ditch it for all I care.
You’ll care about Onstar when you crash and you’re off the road, injured, trapped in your car on fire.
@James, this is where reading fundamentals kick in….Hands free calling and Emergency Crash Response are two different things… Emergency Crash Response isn’t going anywhere.
I understand, my reading fundamentals are graduate school level, obviously yours are not. You need to read what I replied to. I am replying to Amaster that thinks Onstar is useless.
So folks with a phone can drive on the interstate 75-80 or faster and the phone comes on and they just pick it up and start talking while moving on down the road? Isn’t that distracted driving which is illegal in most states and dangerous to others?
No, because they aren’t physically picking up their phones.
We’ve had the same experience as Shawn. When our two bluetoothed smart phones wouldn’t work in the hills of southern Ohio and in West Virginia, we could always get the built in hands free phone to work. More power and a better antenna. Minutes too expensive but they worked. Not happy with GM.
You people actually used this feature????? Lol
Yes Will. Thank you for asking’
what about all the minutes I purchased that I planned to use this coming year when traveling???? was always forced to buy more minutes to keep from losing existing number of accumulated minutes!!!! now being told by ONSTAR basically “too bad, so sad”. I guess it equates to buying a prepaid phone and all the minutes only to have the phone stolen. 🙁 is anybody else upset that all the minutes they paid for are not refundable???? then to top it off ONSTAR “graciously” gave me one month free for the Security feature ($26.99) as a consolation for dropping HFC and then in an email telling me this Security feature will be canceled after the “free” month unless I renew.
@pamy the unused minutes can be refunded if you call support, they can’t just run off with money on a shut down service or in your case they offer a comparable product for equal value. Also having a cell phone in 2022 isn’t abnormal….
Yes,
I’m VERY PISSED OFF
I LOST 187 minutes saved for a Later time
G.M. Says (F you) very much for being a customer.
Now Shut up and Pay more !
Because we said so.
Ditto THAT, Todd!! Have had this service since 2004. Was a major selling point for me to buy GMC. I’m gonna lose minutes AND my back-up for times I leave my phone at home…by accident OR on purpose. I’m REALLLLY pissed off. The only silver lining is that I will no longer have to annually wrangle with On Star to carry over my unused minute, not to mention that they never could figure out how to sync the expiration dates of the service package and the phone minutes. Was such a PIA to keep up with!
Not kidding, my spouse was about to shopping for a new heavy duty pick up. This bad idea is one less reason to buy GMC.
Did you call support and ask for a refund?
TODD DONT FEEL BAD I LOST CLOSE TO 1200 MIN. EVERY YEAR I WOULD LOSE MIN. AND HAVE TO CALL THEM.IF THEY CHOOSE TO STOP THE PROGRAM THEY SHOULD REIMBURSE FOR ALL UNUSED MIN.
Sounds like GM screwed this up!!