Android 8.0/9.0 compatibility with phone as a key?

[timk225]

I'm considering getting a newer Samsung Galaxy phone, my S5 is starting to lose photo files. I had them backed up on PC already, so I didn't actually lose anything, but this shouldn't be happening. It's been a good phone for 4-1/2 years. I'm considering an S8 or S9, either of which can run the current 9.0 Pie OS. I won't get an S10, they cost a lot more for no significant improvements and that does not make good financial sense. Even the S9 doesn't offer much over the S8.

Does anyone have one, and how well do they handle the FAIL known as Phone-as-a-key? My Android 6.0.1 works with it erratically. It might work once or ten times in a row, then I stop into a convenience store, come out, and it doesn't work, so I have to stand there like an idiot getting the phone out with whichever hand can reach it, which is rarely convenient, then get the Tesla app open on the phone so I can open the damn door!

I don't really want the key fob because:
1. It costs $150, and Tesla should be giving it to me for FREE to make up for the Phone-as-a-key failure!
2. Even if I had the fob, I'd have to dig into my pocket and click it, and that's just too much effort in this century.

And I won't own any Apple product, so no iPhones can be considered.

 

[vududude]

I can't speak to Galaxy phones, but I do have a OnePlus 6T running Android 9 and it's worked pretty flawlessly in the month I've had the car. I can't actually recall a single time I've had to repair the phone/car. Since Samsung is such a popular Android device and I haven't seen widespread issues with BT and model3 mention them, I would probably assume it should work fine. But if you have a friend/family member with that phone might be worth trying it out before getting one.

 

[destructure00]

Pixel 3 XL here with Android 9, no issues.

 

[TiggerTime]

Galaxy S7 Android 8 no issues

 

[Machostallion]

I've got a pixel 2 xl and wife has a s8+. Both are on Android 9/pie. No problems for either using phone as key

 

[GPinzone]

Note 8. Phone has worked flawlessly as a key under Oreo and still works perfectly after upgrade to Pie.

 

[Tam]

...9.0 Pie OS...

Samsung Galaxy S9+, Pie (Android 9), updated 4/20/2019: works fine. No problem.

My next phone will be a Huawei.

 

[fajitamondays]

Old Nexus 6P running Android 8.1.0 here. No issues with unlocking via walking up to the drivers door with phone in pocket. I carry a backup key card in my wallet for redundancy, in case my phone becomes inoperable for whatever reason.

 

[SDKoala]

The software (Android 9 Pie) is perfectly fine. Judging from the decrease in the number of posts complaining about the phone key, and more importantly the lack of overwhelming scores of new owners having problems as deliveries have increased exponentially, it seems most recent phones are capable of a seamless phone key experience. My prediction is that after you upgrade your 5 year-old tech, your life is going to be much better and you'll wish you would have done it sooner.

 

[srs5694]

I own a OnePlus 5t, which was running Android 8.1 (LineageOS 15.1, to be precise) when I took delivery of my Model 3 about a month ago. At that time, it worked well about half or 2/3 of the time. Most of the rest of the time, it would work if I just stood there and kept trying the door handle for a while -- sometime between the third and sixth try, the door would usually open. Sometimes I had to turn on airplane mode, then turn it off, though.

About two weeks ago, I upgraded my phone to Android 9 (LineageOS 16), and reliability improved considerably; it's now at more like 90% success, and when it doesn't work, I can usually identify the cause, such as a recent micro-update of LineageOS. I don't think I've had to enable/disable airplane mode yet to get in to my car with Android 9 running on the phone.

Thus, I'd say that Android 9 is more reliable than Android 8.x; however, that is based on just one phone.

 

[Mr Vader]

LR RWD AP 4/19
One Plus 6T Android 9.0
never any issue (99.8%), and I like how the Tesla notification is always visible; a quick slide down allows me to lock/unlock, and open both trunks.
the remainder .2% was fixed by a quick on/off toggle of the Bluetooth. (only 1 instance)

 

[turok3000]

I own a OnePlus 5t, which was running Android 8.1 (LineageOS 15.1, to be precise) when I took delivery of my Model 3 about a month ago. At that time, it worked well about half or 2/3 of the time. Most of the rest of the time, it would work if I just stood there and kept trying the door handle for a while -- sometime between the third and sixth try, the door would usually open. Sometimes I had to turn on airplane mode, then turn it off, though.

About two weeks ago, I upgraded my phone to Android 9 (LineageOS 16), and reliability improved considerably; it's now at more like 90% success, and when it doesn't work, I can usually identify the cause, such as a recent micro-update of LineageOS. I don't think I've had to enable/disable airplane mode yet to get in to my car with Android 9 running on the phone.

Thus, I'd say that Android 9 is more reliable than Android 8.x; however, that is based on just one phone.

I'm also oneplus 5t on lineage-16.0. The only thing I have to often do is turn the phone screen on (usually leaving it in my pocket) and then reattempting to open the car. I'm assuming it's because my phone is in deep sleep and needs to be woken in order to respond.

 

[srs5694]

I'm also oneplus 5t on lineage-16.0. The only thing I have to often do is turn the phone screen on (usually leaving it in my pocket) and then reattempting to open the car. I'm assuming it's because my phone is in deep sleep and needs to be woken in order to respond.

Are you having problems making/receiving calls via Bluetooth? I had problems about half the time with distorted audio with 2019.8.x, but now that I'm on 2019.12.1.1, I get no audio at all. Here's the thread I posted about it:

Bluetooth problems on phone calls only

Note that this is not an Android 9 problem generically; it seems to be a problem with the OnePlus 5t.

 

[favo]

Galaxy S9 with Android 9. I've never had to use the card key to unlock the car. About 10-15% of the time there is some delay after pressing the handle before it unlocks. About 5% of the time, enough to get a little annoyed (more than 2 presses). About 10% of the time the car does not auto-lock on walk away, requiring me to lock it with the app (which is doable without unlocking the phone. I.e., from the phone's lock screen). This is more annoying to me than not unlocking. Also, the first 1-2 months of owning the car, I had nearly zero problems. I don't know what made it worse. I have set the app not to optimize battery or go to sleep, etc.

 

[Nhawk]

I used S8 with Oreo as well as Pie ß AND Pie final (DSC1/DSD3). Both worked flawlessly.
Now I'm using S10 Pie, which is working flawlessly as well.

 

[M3BlueGeorgia]

Issues are more related to the BlueTooth radio in the phone than to the precise version of Android.
Generally both Android 8 and 9 work well, but some phones have older and/or cheaper BT radios. So before buying a phone, check for comments online about that particular phone model.

I use a Pixel 3XL, which is better than the Nexus 6P it replaced, and while the Nexus 6P normally worked, the Pixel 3XL always works.

 

[preilly44]

My wife has an S10 and I have a OnePlus 6T. No issues with our two 3s.

 

[crackers8199]

My wife has an S10 and I have a OnePlus 6T. No issues with our two 3s.

can you confirm that walk away lock works with the 6T? i have a oneplus 5 that was god-awful for a long time but has gotten much better...unlock works pretty much every time, but walk away lock is completely unreliable. i would say probably 1 of every 5 times it fails, at least. i'm planning on picking up a 6T when the 7 is released (and they hopefully knock $100 off the price of the 6T), but if it's not going to help i may go in another direction for my next phone...

@vududude - same question.

 

[ScottLo]

I have a Pixel 2XL with Android 9 and it seems to work very well - I've only had to pull the handle more than once two times, both after the car had been left alone for multiple days.

 

[timk225]

Update with my new phone. I ended up getting a Galaxy S9+.

I chose the S9+ because it's new enough to get the latest OS, but it's older and cheaper than the S10, if $700 is considered cheap these days for cell phones. Then I ordered a $5 ebay rubber case and a $15 hard glass screen protector.

Then I spent a good 2 hours computer-nerding out all over it, getting it all set up just right, enabling this, disabling that, downloading apps and a couple games, getting rid of icons and programs I will never use, and updating it to the Android 9 Pie OS.

So after a couple weeks, it has been doing pretty well. It hasn't had any failures to unlock the car and not ask for the key card once in the car. It has about a 90% success rate for having the door unlock when I come back to the car, and as with my S5, most of the failures are when I park in front of a convenience store and was back to the car in under 10 minutes.

With my S5 / Android 6, when it'd fail to unlock the door, I'd have to press the home button to wake up the phone and then start up the Telsa app.

With the S9+ and Android 9, I just need to press the power button once to light up the screen, then it works and the door unlocks.

Haven't had to cycle airplane mode on and off even once, it was a multiple time a day thing with the S5. The car locks on walk away well, the S5 did it most of the time.

So not perfect, but better.