ATTENTION:
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IMPORTANT - All
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© 2020 Subaru of America, Inc. All rights reserved.

SERVICE BULLETIN
APPLICABILITY: All Models with Gen1 and / or Gen2
Telematics
SUBJECT:

NUMBER: 15-276-20
DATE:

11/30/20

Apple® / IOS Device Compatibility with
MySubaru APP

INTRODUCTION:
Telematics and Infotainment systems often provide unique challenges for Technicians trying to verify
customer concerns. The number of different smartphone manufacturers and models available can
complicate the diagnosis and operation of these systems. Adding even more variability are multiple
operating systems, network provider customizations, and customer-installed applications (APPs)
which are available and in use.
This document will focus on Apple devices and Telematics system operation. The customer’s
primary interface for interacting with the Telematics System is their smartphone. Smartphone
manufacturers, operating systems, network providers, and customer-installed APPs can occasionally
be the leading cause of a Telematics operational concern. It is always recommended to confirm the
customer’s problem with the customer’s equipment and another device for comparison to observe and
diagnose the Telematics system’s operation accurately.
The Apple IOS is regularly updated to provide optimal functionality with the latest hardware and
network services. As Apple releases the newest version of the IOS operating system, the oldest
IOS and supported hardware usually moves forward. Subaru is also making regular updates to the
MySubaru APP to provide customers with the best experience possible. As these operating systems
are sunset (drop off), this directly impacts MySubaru App functionality on older devices or IOS. As
SOA’s IT Team adjusts to the changing operating system environment, some customers may find
themselves with unsupported personal equipment due to an inability to update their smartphone
to a supported (newer) operating system. Some customers may have delayed updates on their
equipment and potentially may no longer be able to update to a supported Apple IOS and restore
the full functionality of the MySubaru App. Starting in December 2020, the minimum supported
Apple IOS will be IOS 11.0. As future versions of IOS emerge, expect this pattern to continue where
the minimum (oldest) version level drops off. The oldest supported version becomes a more recent
release of IOS.

CAUTION: VEHICLE SERVICING PERFORMED BY UNTRAINED PERSONS COULD
RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY TO THOSE PERSONS OR TO OTHERS.
Subaru Service Bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians ONLY. They
are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur in some vehicles,
or to provide information that could assist in the proper servicing of the vehicle. Properly
trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how to
do the job correctly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that this
Service Bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition.

Subaru of America, Inc. is
ISO 14001 Compliant
ISO 14001 is the international standard for
excellence in Environmental Management
Systems. Please recycle or dispose of
automotive products in a manner that is friendly
to our environment and in accordance with all
local, state and federal laws and regulations.

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Bulletin Number: 15-276-20 Date: 11/30/20

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SOA has spent significant time identifying those customers whose mobile device and / or current
version of IOS is no longer supported, thereby diminishing their MySubaru App experience. These
customers will receive an e-mail notifying them of their device’s incompatibility and offering
suggestions on how to resolve any concerns they have. Additionally, the Customer Advocacy Team
and STARLINK call center support members are receiving training on how to best serve customers
who find themselves in this situation.
A workaround solution is to create a shortcut to the MySubaru Customer Web Portal on their
equipment’s home screen to help customers who are unwilling or unable to update their device to a
supported version of IOS. The MySubaru app provides a transparent extension of the same features
and services available on the MySubaru Customer Web Portal. Customers will then access their
subscription while using unsupported hardware or IOS by creating a shortcut to take them to the
MySubaru Login Page.
Smartphones, much like laptops and desktops, suffering from slow operation, freeze-ups, general
performance concerns and unexpected issues can often be solved by performing some of these
important checks.
SERVICE PROCEDURE:
Always make sure when troubleshooting customer concerns to:
1. Access the Apple APP Store MySubaru App Description / Information and ensure the customer’s
smartphone meets the minimum IOS and storage requirements.

2. Ensure there is enough available storage by using the built-in IOS storage management feature
and following any recommendations. This feature can be accessed by navigating to: Settings >
General > iPhone storage and waiting for the feature to evaluate space requirements and make
appropriate suggestions based on the results.
3. Verify the installed version of MySubaru App is the latest available. If not, uninstall and directly
reinstall the Apple APP Store’s newest version available.
4. If unexpected issues occur with the MySubaru APP or any other APP, try performing a forced
restart of the device.
The process to force restart depends varies by iPhone model:
•

For iPhones with a Home button, press and hold the Home button along with the lock/
wake button for about 10 seconds, or until the Apple logo appears.
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Bulletin Number: 15-276-20 Date: 11/30/20

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•

For iPhone models having Face ID, press the following buttons in the following order:
press and release volume up, press and release the volume down then press and hold the
side button for roughly 10 seconds. When completed, the Apple logo should appear.

•

Whichever method is required, it’s essential DO NOT release the button(s) until

•

the Apple logo appears on the screen.

•

Once the phone comes back to life, unlock it using the passcode and it should hopefully,
be free of any performance issues.

5. Confirm the internet browser cache is not overloaded by clearing the cache:
a. Navigate to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data.
6. If the MySubaru APP is running slow, try limiting unnecessary background APPs from refreshing
in the background:
a. Navigate to Settings > General > Background APP Refresh and determine what APPs are
using processor capacity unnecessarily.
The detailed procedure to share with customers for creating the shortcut workaround is below.
NOTE: Due to the number of internet browsers available for iPhone, the example images below
only describe how to create the shortcut on iPhone with 12.4.5 and 14.0 IOS using the manufacturer
default browser Safari. Suppose the customer has other internet browsers installed on their IOS. In
that case, it may be necessary to search the internet for additional information on how to create the
MySubaru shortcut using the information below.
iPhone Xs – OS 14v (Safari – Browser)
Launch “Safari” app. Enter https://www.mysubaru.com in the address field and tap “Go.” Next,
tap the icon featuring an upward or right-pointing arrow coming out of a box.

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Tap “Add to Home Screen” option.

Enter the name for the shortcut using the on-screen keyboard and tap “Add.” Safari will close
automatically then the user will be taken to where the icon is located on the phone’s desktop. The
MySubaru CWP application opens in Safari browser when tapping on the “MySubaru” desktop icon.

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Bulletin Number: 15-276-20 Date: 11/30/20

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iPhone 6 – OS 11.4.1v (Safari – Browser)
Launch “Safari” app. Enter https://www.mysubaru.com in address field and tap “Go”. Next, tap the
icon featuring an upward or right-pointing arrow coming out of a box.

Tap “Add to Home Screen” option.

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Bulletin Number: 15-276-20 Date: 11/30/20

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Enter the name for the shortcut using the on-screen keyboard and tap “Add.” Safari will close
automatically. The user will be taken to where the icon is located on the phone’s desktop. The
MySubaru CWP application opens in the Safari browser when tapping on the “MySubaru” desktop
icon.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
•

SOA strongly discourages the printing and/or local storage of service information as previously
released information and electronic publications may be updated at any time.

•

Always check for any open recalls or campaigns anytime a vehicle is in for servicing.

•

Always refer to STIS for the latest service information before performing

Bulletin Number: 15-276-20 Date: 11/30/20

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