To connect phone to Kenwood radio Bluetooth, you must first register your smartphone or audio player as a Bluetooth device on the Kenwood unit. This process enables hands-free calling and music streaming, and the steps vary slightly depending on whether you have a DNN, DPX, or KDC model.
Before you start: connect phone to Kenwood radio Bluetooth
Before attempting to pair, check your Kenwood radio's device registration limits. The unit can register up to 5 Bluetooth devices. If you already have 5 registered units, a new device cannot be registered; you must delete unnecessary registrations first. Also, if two Bluetooth units are already connected to the Kenwood radio, it will not start a search for new devices, disconnect one of the existing Bluetooth units. Finally, ensure Bluetooth is turned on for both your phone and the Kenwood unit.
Enter Bluetooth pairing mode on your Kenwood radio
To enter pairing mode, press and hold the specific button for your model. For DNN models, press and hold the <6> button until "BT MODE" appears. For DPX/KDC models, press and hold the [Ú] button until "BT MODE" appears. Once in Bluetooth mode, navigate to the pairing menu. For DNN models, touch [ ] to access the Bluetooth SETUP screen, then touch [Search] to display the Searched Device List screen. For DPX/KDC models, use the [Control knob] to select "SETTINGS" then "PAIRING".
Select the device type: phone or audio player
On DPX/KDC models, you must make a critical choice between 'PHONE SELECT' and 'AUDIO SELECT' before the radio searches for devices. Select "PHONE SELECT" for a cell phone to enable hands-free calling, or select "AUDIO SELECT" for an audio player to stream music. This selection tells the Kenwood unit which type of device to look for during pairing.
Pair your phone and confirm the passcode
After selecting the device type, the Kenwood unit will begin searching. On your phone, open the Bluetooth settings and select the Kenwood unit's name from the list (for example, "DNN****", "DPX5**BT", or "KDC-X3 series"). If prompted, enter the PIN code; the default PIN code is "0000". When the Kenwood display shows "PAIRING PASS ****** (Bluetooth device name) PRESS VOLUME KNOB", press the [Control knob] or volume knob to initiate pairing. For Secure Simple Pairing (SSP) with Bluetooth 2.1 or later, confirm the pairing request on both your smartphone and the Kenwood unit.
Complete the connection and test it
When pairing is complete, "PAIRING OK" will appear on the Kenwood display. To verify the connection, make a test call to ensure the audio routes through the radio's speakers and the microphone picks up your voice. Then play music from your phone to confirm audio streaming works. For specific Apple devices, some Kenwood models offer special pairing functions. The DNN9250DAB/DNN6250DAB/DNR8025BT models are compatible with Apple Easy Pairing: when an iPod touch or iPhone is connected using a Dock Connector to USB Cable, an authentication dialog appears, and performing authentication registers the smartphone as a Bluetooth device. The DPX500BT/DPX300U models support Apple Auto Pairing: turn on Bluetooth on the iPhone or iPod touch first, connect it to the USB terminal, then press the volume knob to pair after confirming the passcode. If you need to pair a different vehicle, you can connect Bluetooth to honda civic systems using a similar hands-free calling setup, or connect to mercedes Bluetooth if your other car uses the COMAND interface.
Troubleshooting: Kenwood Bluetooth not finding your phone
If the Kenwood unit cannot find your phone during the search, you can search again by touching [Search] on the Kenwood unit. Also verify that you have not exceeded the 5-device registration limit, if you need to free up space, delete old device registrations first. If you need to connect to a different vehicle's system, you can apply similar steps to connect to Nissan Bluetooth. If any error code appears while pairing is in progress, refer to the error messages section of your specific unit's manual.
