Auto phone key not working

[JetFalcon]

I'm having with the iPhone app / key system.

I can do all the on screen stuff like unlock the car, trunks, summon.

But I can't walk / leave car and it will auto open / lock on its own. And forced to always use black key card to start the car (so it drives). Can't just have the phone on and it detects its presence.

I don't understand how the app can work like all the buttons can work in the app, but the bluetooth proximity feature won't.

 

[jjrandorin]

Because phone as key has nothing to do with the buttons in the app. Delete the phone as key from your car and set it up again. Note, its not the same bluetooth setup as pairing for music.

 

[Bob Wood]

Car finds unknown key but won’t delete it.
Cannot set up phone key and it’s making me crazy/crazier

 

[Pepar]

Ditto. Just took delivery and I have been able to finally do nearly all of the stuff I read about in advance .. except enable Phone Key.

iPhone Xs, Bluetooth on .. car sees the phone and vice versa.

But the "Phone Key" selection on the app (which like the member above will do everything including monitor the interior temp and charging) does zero. On the car's screen I select Locks and try to add a Key. It tells me to select my car on the app. Not exactly sure what that means as the app is already controlling the car. Anyway, full circle. Am back to the app that is laughing at me.

I am 100% OK with this being some idiocy on my part and am humbly seeking enlightenment.

BTW, my phone has never been a "key" as far as the car is concerned.

Suggestions?

 

[Pepar]

Aarrgghh, might have found the problem. In the iPhone settings for APPS I went to the Tesla app and "allowed" it to access BT. Trying again...

... success.

 

[Jejunjm]

Aarrgghh, might have found the problem. In the iPhone settings for APPS I went to the Tesla app and "allowed" it to access BT. Trying again...

... success.

Needs all time by accrss and maybe turn off all power saving for app off

 

[milosmaill]

I was told by Tesla to never force close the app. Always leave it on. Which I do.
But then, I just had another failure with phone key today. One of many in the past year. Car looses connection with the phone app - but this is not your typical bluetooth/cellular connection, as I can do anything but start the car (it also fails to position the seat).
This problem is relatively recent (in the past year) as I never had a problem early on in my 2018 model 3.

 

[bluenycom]

I was told by Tesla to never force close the app. Always leave it on. Which I do.
But then, I just had another failure with phone key today. One of many in the past year. Car looses connection with the phone app - but this is not your typical bluetooth/cellular connection, as I can do anything but start the car (it also fails to position the seat).
This problem is relatively recent (in the past year) as I never had a problem early on in my 2018 model 3.

I have tested my phone (Pixel 5) with and without Tesla app in the background. I even reboot my phone with no apps in background to be sure. I can confirm that it makes NO difference, at least for my phone. It worked fine either way as the car key.

 

[Transformer]

I was told by Tesla to never force close the app. Always leave it on. Which I do.
But then, I just had another failure with phone key today. One of many in the past year. Car looses connection with the phone app - but this is not your typical bluetooth/cellular connection, as I can do anything but start the car (it also fails to position the seat).
This problem is relatively recent (in the past year) as I never had a problem early on in my 2018 model 3.

I believe the bluetooth connection used to unlock, start, and auto-select the driver profile is separate from the bluetooth connection for streaming audio and phone calls, and certainly separate from the internet connection for remote control.

When the phone unlock stops working, check that you're still logged in to the Tesla app, that the OS is set to let it run in the background (on Android, not in the "battery optimized" list of apps), and bluetooth is on. Sometimes it helps to turn bluetooth off and back on or to quit and restart the app.

 

[JetFalcon]

I'm using the iPhone / app as my key to the car.

Before I could just walk away and the car locks itself. And drive away if the phone was with me. But now it won't do it anymore.

However, I can still use the Tesla App to start up the car & lock / unlock, but I always have to open the app to access the functions. So anytime I put car into park, I have to manually start it in the app or keycard. Also I can't connect my iPhone to use the car speaker for phone calls.

I called Tesla service. They failed to fix the problem. However, the guy said its the blutooth function and likely my iPhone has problems. Because the Tesla detected his smartphone, but wouldn't detect mine. But I asked the phone repair guy, he said as long as my bluetooth connects to something, then there is nothing wrong with my iPhone. And my iPhone was able to connect to an iHome Blutooth Speaker.

So how can this be?

-The Tesla Model 3 can detect other Bluetooth phones but not mine
-My smartphone still connects with other Bluetooth devices but not Tesla

 

[DblOSmith]

The phone key has been increasingly unreliable and annoying. about 5 times in the last week, I stood by my phone for almost a minute, and ultimately had to pull out my phone, open the app, and unlock that way... all the while sentry mode was going off and people were looking at me like I stole it. I just bought the key fob. Hopefully, I'll have better luck with that. So far the phone key sucks.

 

[Rdriver]

I was told by Tesla to never force close the app. Always leave it on. Which I do.
But then, I just had another failure with phone key today. One of many in the past year. Car looses connection with the phone app - but this is not your typical bluetooth/cellular connection, as I can do anything but start the car (it also fails to position the seat).
This problem is relatively recent (in the past year) as I never had a problem early on in my 2018 model 3.

I was having strange issues with phone key. I would walk away and it wouldn’t lock. I would enter car and center screen would come on and access all options but when I’d step on brakes to put in reverse it would tell me I had to use key card, it always worked before.

I have everything working correctly not, I had to walk away use the phone app to lock the car, then when I walked up to the car it unlocked and everything works as expected. It was like some kind out of sync issue but now works fine.

Of course this all happened today, so we’ll see how it goes tomorrow. Everyone keep your key card in your wallet/purse just in case.

 

[LBM4]

For anyone having issues with your phone as key not staying connected to your car and you are using an Android phone (not sure about iPhones), but go into your phone settings, click on Bluetooth connections, select gear icon next to your Tesla and the uncheck "HD Audio".

Additionally, if you have any special characters in your contact names i.e. using (Bob) Joe, get rid of the parentheses, so it's just Bob Joe.

Your phone will now stay connected and lick and unlock your car Everytime.

 

[fossilcreek]

For anyone having issues with your phone as key not staying connected to your car and you are using an Android phone (not sure about iPhones), but go into your phone settings, click on Bluetooth connections, select gear icon next to your Tesla and the uncheck "HD Audio".

Additionally, if you have any special characters in your contact names i.e. using (Bob) Joe, get rid of the parentheses, so it's just Bob Joe.

Your phone will now stay connected and lick and unlock your car Everytime.

I'm curious how the "HD Audio" codec on BT could interfere with the connection to the car. Is this a known issue in other applications?

 

[LBM4]

I'm curious how the "HD Audio" codec on BT could interfere with the connection to the car. Is this a known issue in other applications?

Unknown. I followed advise from another site and it worked for me. Haven't had a disconnect in 48 hours, since I did it.

 

[PianoAl]

Before I could just walk away and the car locks itself. And drive away if the phone was with me. But now it won't do it anymore.

I had this problem. It happened because I had my tablet in the trunk, and the tablet had the Tesla app on it.

 

[Transformer]

For anyone having issues with your phone as key not staying connected to your car and you are using an Android phone (not sure about iPhones), but go into your phone settings, click on Bluetooth connections, select gear icon next to your Tesla and the uncheck "HD Audio".

Additionally, if you have any special characters in your contact names i.e. using (Bob) Joe, get rid of the parentheses, so it's just Bob Joe.

Your phone will now stay connected and lick and unlock your car Everytime.

Those settings sound pertinent to the paired BT audio, phone, contacts connection rather than the separate lock/unlock BLE connection.

 

[LBM4]

Yes, I'm aware. Try it, or don't, makes no difference to me. I'm just providing a solution that worked in my particular instance. I made no other changes to my phone or car, so I know this was the solution. And it has worked for others as well. Peace.

 

[JetFalcon]

I think my iPhone X has problems with its bluetooth and Wifi. It works for some things, it doesn't for some other things. Like now I can't pair my Apple Watch or airpods. I got it in 2017, and in 2021 it started having problems. I think on memorial day was the last time I was able to use the phone key feature, where you can walk up to it.

I'm gonna trade it in / upgrade as soon as iPhone 13 comes out. Then shouldn't have any problems, only couple more weeks hopefully.

 

[Transformer]

Yes, I'm aware. Try it, or don't, makes no difference to me. I'm just providing a solution that worked in my particular instance. I made no other changes to my phone or car, so I know this was the solution. And it has worked for others as well. Peace.

Yes, and the hypothesis is worth trying. Bluetooth tech is fragile -- perhaps the audio/contacts connection is interfering with the lock/unlock connection.