2021 GMC SIERRA pairing phone

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
148 Infotainment System
Infotainment System
Introduction
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Using the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Software Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Radio
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
HD Radio Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Radio Data System (RDS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Multi-Band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Audio Players
Avoiding Untrusted Media Devices . . . . . 158
USB Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Auxiliary Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Bluetooth Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
OnStar System
OnStar System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Navigation
Using the Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . 163
Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Navigation Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
OnStar System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Global Positioning System (GPS) . . . . . . . 173
Vehicle Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Problems with Route Guidance . . . . . . . . 174
If the System Needs Service . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Map Data Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Database Coverage Explanations . . . . . . . 175
Voice Recognition
Voice Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Phone
Bluetooth (Overview) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Bluetooth (Pairing and Using a
Phone) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto . . . . . . . 185
Settings
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Teen Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Trademarks and License Agreements
Trademarks and License Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Introduction
Read the following pages to become familiar
with the features.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road for too
long or too often while using any
infotainment feature can cause a crash.
You or others could be injured or killed.
Do not give extended attention to
infotainment tasks while driving. Limit
your glances at the vehicle displays and
focus your attention on driving. Use voice
commands whenever possible.
The infotainment system has built-in
features intended to help avoid distraction
by disabling some features when driving.
These features may gray out when they are
unavailable. Many infotainment features are
also available through the instrument cluster
and steering wheel controls.
Before driving:
.Become familiar with the operation,
center stack controls, steering wheel
controls, and infotainment display.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
Infotainment System 151
.When the power is on and the
system is not muted, a quick
status pane will display when
Ois
pressed. Pressing
Owill mute the
system and trigger this pane to
show a long press is required to
actually power down the system.
.Turn to decrease or increase the
volume.
4.6
.Radio: Press and release to go to
the next station or channel. Press
and hold to fast seek the next
strongest station or channel.
.USB/Bluetooth: Press to seek the
next track. Press and hold to fast
forward through a track. Release to
return to playing speed. See USB
Port 0158 or
Bluetooth Audio 0162.
5.v
.Press and release to access the
phone display or answer an
incoming call. Home Page
The Home Page is where vehicle application
icons are accessed. Some applications are
disabled when the vehicle is moving.
The Home Page can be set up to have up to
four pages with eight icons per page.
Swipe left or right across the display to
access the pages of icons.
Managing Home Page Icons
1. Touch and hold any of the Home Page icons to enter edit mode.
2. Continue holding the icon and drag it to the desired position.
3. Release your finger to drop the icon in the desired position.
4. To move an application to another page, drag the icon to the edge of the display
toward the desired page.
5. Continue dragging and dropping application icons as desired.
Steering Wheel Controls
If equipped, some audio controls can be
adjusted at the steering wheel.
g:Press to answer an incoming call or
start voice recognition. See Bluetooth
(Pairing and Using a Phone) 0181 or
Bluetooth (Overview) 0180.
c:Press to decline an incoming call or
end a current call. Press to mute or unmute
the infotainment system when not on a call.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
152 Infotainment System
The favorites and volume switches are on
the back of the steering wheel.1. Favorite: When on a radio source, press to select the next or previous audio
broadcast favorite. When listening to a
media device, press to select the next or
previous track.
2. Volume: Press to increase or decrease the volume.
Using the System
Audio
Touch the Audio icon to display the active
audio source page. Examples of available
sources may include AM, FM, SXM (if
equipped), USB, AUX, and Bluetooth.
Phone
Touch the Phone icon to display the Phone
main page. See Bluetooth (Pairing and Using
a Phone) 0181 or
Bluetooth (Overview) 0180.
Nav
If equipped, touch the Nav icon to display
the navigation map. See Using the
Navigation System 0163.
Users
If equipped, touch the Users icon to sign in
or create a new user profile, and follow the
on-screen instructions.
Only four user profiles can be active at one
time in the vehicle. It may be necessary to
remove a profile from the menu before
creating or signing into an existing profile.
The removed profile can be logged into at a
later time.
Settings
Touch the Settings icon to display the
Settings menu. See Settings0186.
Apple CarPlay
Touch the Apple CarPlay icon to activate
Apple CarPlay (if equipped) after a
supported device is connected. See Apple
CarPlay and Android Auto 0185.
Android Auto
Touch the Android Auto icon to activate
Android Auto (if equipped) after a supported
device is connected. See Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto 0185.
Apps
If equipped, in-vehicle apps are available for
download. Touch the Apps icon on the
Home Page to begin.
Downloading and using in-vehicle apps
requires Internet connectivity which can be
accessed with a data plan through the
vehicle’s built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot,
if equipped, or a compatible mobile device
hotspot. On most mobile devices, activation
of the Wi-Fi hotspot is in the device’s
Settings menu under Mobile Network
Sharing, Personal Hotspot, Mobile Hotspot,
or similar.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
162 Infotainment System
AUX Menu
Press MENU on the center stack to display
the AUX Input menu and the following may
display:
Tone Settings :Touch to adjust Bass,
Midrange, Treble, Balance, Fade, and EQ
(Equalizer). See AM-FM Radio0155.
Auto Volume (If Equipped) : This feature
adjusts the volume based on the vehicle
speed. See AM-FM Radio 0155.
Bose AudioPilot Noise Compensation
Technology (If Equipped) : This feature
adjusts the volume based on the noise in
the vehicle and speed. See “Bose AudioPilot”
in AM-FM Radio 0155.
Bluetooth Audio
Music may be played from a paired
Bluetooth device. See Bluetooth (Pairing and
Using a Phone) 0181 or
Bluetooth (Overview) 0180 for help pairing
a device.
Volume and song selection may be
controlled by using the infotainment
controls or the mobile device. If Bluetooth is
selected and no volume is present, check the
volume setting on the infotainment system. Music can be launched by touching
Bluetooth from the recent sources list on
the left of the display or by touching the
More option and then touching the
Bluetooth device.
To play music via Bluetooth:
1. Power on the device, and pair to connect the device.
2. Once paired, touch Audio from the Home Page, then touch Bluetooth from the
recent sources list on the left of the
display.
Bluetooth Sound Menu
See “Infotainment System Sound Menu”
under AM-FM Radio 0155.
Manage Bluetooth Devices
From the Home Page: 1. Touch Audio.
2. Touch More.
3. Touch Bluetooth.
4. Touch Devices to add or delete devices.
When touching Bluetooth, the radio may
not be able to launch the audio player on
the connected device to start playing. When
the vehicle is not moving, use the mobile
device to begin playback. All devices launch audio differently. When
selecting Bluetooth as a source, the radio
may show as paused on the display. Press
play on the device or touch
pon the
display to begin playback.
Browse functionality will be provided where
supported by the Bluetooth device. This
media content will not be part of the
MyMedia source mode.
Some smartphones support sending
Bluetooth music information to display on
the radio. When the radio receives this
information, it will check to see if any is
available and display it. For more
information about supported Bluetooth
features, see my.gmc.com/learn.
OnStar System
4G LTE
If equipped with 4G LTE, up to seven
devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and
laptops, can be connected to high-speed
Internet through the vehicle’s built-in Wi-Fi
hotspot.
Call 1-888-4ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827) to
connect to an OnStar Advisor for assistance.
See www.onstar.com for vehicle availability,

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
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180 Infotainment System
“Address”:Begin a dialog to enter a
specific destination address, which includes
the entire address consisting of the house
number, street name, city, state/province,
and country. Do not include the ZIP code.
“Place of Interest” :Begin a dialog to enter
a destination Place of Interest category or
major brand name.
The name must be precisely spoken.
Nicknames or short names for the
businesses will not likely be found. Lesser
known businesses might have to be located
by category, such as fast food, hotels,
or banks.
“Navigate to Contact” :Begin a dialog to
enter a specific destination contact name.
“Cancel Route” :End route guidance.
“Take Me Home” :Create a route to a
stored home location.
Voice Recognition for the Phone
“Call ” :Initiate a call to a
stored contact. The command may include
location if the contact has location numbers
stored. “Call At Home,” “At Work,” “On
Mobile,”
or“On Other” :Initiate a call to a
stored contact and location at home, at
work, on mobile device, or on another
phone.
“Call ” :Initiate a call
to a cell phone number of seven digits, 10
digits, or three digit emergency numbers.
“Pair Phone” :Begin the Bluetooth pairing
process. Follow the instructions on the
infotainment display.
“Redial” :Initiate a call to the last dialed
number.
“Switch Phone” :Select a different
connected cell phone for outgoing calls.
“Voice Keypad” :Begin a dialog to enter
special numbers like international numbers.
The numbers can be entered in groups of
digits with each group of digits being
repeated back by the system. If the group
of digits is not correct, the command
“Delete” will remove the last group of digits
and allow them to be re-entered. Once the
entire number has been entered, the
command “Call”will start dialing the
number.
Phone Assistant Voice Recognition
Press and holdgon the steering wheel
controls to pass through and launch Google
phone assistant or Siri.
For the low radio, whether connected by
Bluetooth or phone projection, the only
available voice recognition is either Siri
(iPhone) or the Google Assistant (Android).
Phone
Bluetooth (Overview)
The Bluetooth-capable system can interact
with many mobile devices, allowing:
.Placement and receipt of calls in a
hands-free mode.
.Sharing of the device’s address book or
contact list with the vehicle.
To minimize driver distraction, before
driving, and with the vehicle parked:
.Become familiar with the features of the
mobile device. Organize the phone book
and contact lists clearly and delete
duplicate or rarely used entries.
If possible, program speed dial or other
shortcuts.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
Infotainment System 181
.Review the controls and operation of the
infotainment system.
.Pair mobile device(s) to the vehicle. The
system may not work with all mobile
devices. See“Pairing”later in this section.
Vehicles with a Bluetooth system can use a
Bluetooth-capable mobile device with a
Hands-Free Profile to make and receive
phone calls. The infotainment system and
voice recognition are used to control the
system. The system can be used while the
ignition is on or in ACC/ACCESSORY. The
range of the Bluetooth system can be up to
9.1 m (30 ft). Not all mobile devices support
all functions and not all mobile devices work
with the Bluetooth system. See my.gmc.com
for more information about compatible
mobile devices.
Controls
Use the controls on the center stack and the
steering wheel to operate the Bluetooth
system.
Steering Wheel Controls
g: Press to answer incoming calls and start
voice recognition on your connected
Bluetooth mobile device.
i: Press to end a call, decline a call,
or cancel an operation. Press to mute or
unmute the infotainment system when not
on a call.
Infotainment System Controls
For information about how to navigate the
menu system using the infotainment
controls, see Using the System 0152.
Audio System
When using the Bluetooth mobile device
system, sound comes through the vehicle's
front audio system speakers and overrides
the audio system. The volume level while on
a mobile device call can be adjusted by
pressing the steering wheel controls or the
volume control on the center stack. The
adjusted volume level remains in memory
for later calls. The volume cannot be
lowered beyond a certain level.
Bluetooth (Pairing and Using a
Phone)
Pairing
A Bluetooth-enabled mobile device must be
paired to the Bluetooth system and then
connected to the vehicle before it can be used. See the mobile device manufacturer's
user guide for Bluetooth functions before
pairing the device.
Pairing Information
.If no mobile device has been connected,
the Phone main page on the infotainment
display will show the Connect Phone
option. Touch this option to connect.
Another way to connect is to touch the
Phones tab at the top right of the display
and then touch Add Phone.
.A Bluetooth smartphone with music
capability can be paired to the vehicle as
a smartphone and a music player at the
same time.
.Up to 10 devices can be paired to the
Bluetooth system.
.The pairing process is disabled when the
vehicle is moving.
.Pairing only needs to be completed once,
unless the pairing information on the cell
phone changes or the cell phone is
deleted from the system.
.If multiple paired cell phones are within
range of the system, the system connects
to the paired cell phone that is set to
First to Connect. If there is no cell phone
set to First to Connect, it will link to the

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
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182 Infotainment System
cell phone which was used last. To link to
a different paired cell phone, see“Linking
to a Different Phone” later in this section.
Pairing a Phone 1. Make sure Bluetooth has been enabled on the cell phone before the pairing
process is started.
2. Touch the Phone icon on the Home Page or the phone icon on the shortcut tray
near the bottom of the display.
3. Touch Phones at the top of the infotainment display. There is also a
Connect Phones option in the middle of
the Phone display which will shortcut to
the Phone List menu.
4. Touch Add Phone.
5. Select the vehicle name shown on the infotainment display from your cell
phone’s Bluetooth Settings list.
6. Follow the instructions on the cell phone to confirm the six-digit code showing on
the infotainment display and touch Pair.
The code on the cell phone and
infotainment display will need to be
acknowledged for a successful pair.
7. Start the pairing process on the cell phone to be paired to the vehicle. See
the cell phone manufacturer's user guide for information on this process. Once the
cell phone is paired, it will show under
Connected.
8. If the vehicle name does not appear on your cell phone, there are a few ways to
start the pairing process over:
.Turn the cell phone off and then
back on.
.Go back to the beginning of the
Phone menus on the infotainment
display and restart the pairing
process.
.Reset the cell phone, but this step
should be done as a last effort.
9. If the cell phone prompts to accept connection or allow phone book
download, touch Always Accept and
Allow. The phone book may not be
available if not accepted.
10. Repeat Steps 1−8 to pair additional cell phones.
First to Connect Paired Phones
If multiple paired cell phones are within
range of the system, the system connects to
the paired cell phone that is set as First to
Connect. To enable a paired cell phone as
the First to Connect phone: 1. Make sure the cell phone is turned on. 2. Touch Settings, then touch System.
3. Touch Phones to access all paired and all
connected cell phones and mobile
devices.
4. Touch the information icon to the right of the cell phone to open the cell
phone’s settings menu.
5. Touch the First to Connect option, to enable the setting for that device.
Cell phones and mobile devices can be
added, removed, connected, and
disconnected. A sub-menu will display
whenever a request is made to add or
manage cell phones and mobile devices.
Secondary Phone
A cell phone can be enabled as a Secondary
Phone by touching the information icon to
the right of the paired cell phone name to
open the phone settings menu. If a cell
phone is enabled as a Secondary Phone, it
can connect simultaneously alongside
another Bluetooth mobile device. In doing
so, the Secondary Phone will be labeled as
Incoming Calls. This means the mobile
device can only receive calls. The Address
Book of a Secondary Phone will not be
available and hands-free outgoing calls
cannot be placed using this cell phone.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
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Infotainment System 185
Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) Tones
The in-vehicle Bluetooth system can send
numbers during a call. This is used when
calling a menu-driven phone system. Use the
Keypad to enter the number.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
If equipped, Android Auto and/or Apple
CarPlay capability may be available through
a compatible smartphone. If available, the
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay icons will
change from gray to color on the Home
Page of the infotainment display.
To use Android Auto and/or Apple CarPlay:
For Wired Phone Projection1. Download the Android Auto app to your smartphone from the Google Play store.
There is no app required for Apple
CarPlay.
2. Connect your Android phone or Apple iPhone by using the factory-provided
phone USB cable and plugging into a
USB data port. For best performance, it is
highly recommended to use the device’s
factory-provided USB cable, which should
be replaced after significant wear to
maintain connection quality. Aftermarket
or third-party cables may not work. 3. When the phone is first connected to
activate Apple CarPlay or Android Auto,
accept the terms and conditions on both
the infotainment system and the phone.
4. Follow the instructions on the phone.
The Android Auto and Apple CarPlay icons
on the Home Page will illuminate depending
on the smartphone. Android Auto and/or
Apple CarPlay may automatically launch
upon USB connection. If not, touch the
Android Auto or Apple CarPlay icon on the
Home Page to launch.
Press
{on the center stack to return to the
Home Page.
For Wireless Phone Projection
Verify your phone is wireless compatible by
visiting the Google Android Auto or Apple
CarPlay support page.
1. Download the Android Auto app to your smartphone from the Google Play store.
There is no app required for Apple
CarPlay.
2. For first time connection, there are two ways to set up wireless projection:
.Connect your Android phone or Apple
iPhone by using the factory-provided
phone USB cable and plugging into a USB data port. For best performance,
it is highly recommended to use the
device’s factory-provided USB cable,
which should be replaced after
significant wear to maintain
connection quality. Aftermarket or
third-party cables may not work.
.Connecting the phone over Bluetooth.
See
Bluetooth (Pairing and Using a
Phone) 0181 or
Bluetooth (Overview) 0180.
3. Make sure wireless is turned on the phone for wireless projection to work.
4. When the phone is first connected to activate Apple CarPlay or Android Auto,
agree to the terms and conditions on
both the infotainment system and the
phone.
5. Follow the instructions on the phone.
The Android Auto and Apple CarPlay icons
on the Home Page will illuminate depending
on the smartphone. Android Auto and/or
Apple CarPlay may automatically launch
upon wireless connection. If not, touch the
Android Auto or Apple CarPlay icon on the
Home Page to launch.