Car has a hard time recognizing my phone

[vj1183]

I'm having the craziest most frustrating problem ever. I'd say 7 out of 10 times, the car does not recognize my phone as a keycard to unlock the car upon walkup. Sometimes unlocking my phone (iPhone 13 Pro) gets me in but most of the times I have to unlock and launch the Tesla app to get my car to unlock. I've already swapped my phone (I used to be on iPhone 11 before and had the same problem) and removed entire profile from the car and re-linked it again.

Here's the funny part... My wife's phone works just fine every single time. I'd blame my phone if I hadn't tried a brand new one. Any thoughts on this?

One thing I've noticed is that it doesn't happen much if I just used the car. Meaning if I drive up to a store, go in for 5-10 min and come back, it works fine most of the time. It's generally an issue when I leave my car unattended for a while.

 

[shingles]

Where is your phone? If in your pockets do you keep other things in the same pocket? For example if I happen to have the phone in my pocket and I have keys for another car in the same pocket, it doesn’t work very well.

 

[NotDeadYet]

I'm having the craziest most frustrating problem ever. I'd say 7 out of 10 times, the car does not recognize my phone as a keycard to unlock the car upon walkup. Sometimes unlocking my phone (iPhone 13 Pro) gets me in but most of the times I have to unlock and launch the Tesla app to get my car to unlock. I've already swapped my phone (I used to be on iPhone 11 before and had the same problem) and removed entire profile from the car and re-linked it again.

Here's the funny part... My wife's phone works just fine every single time. I'd blame my phone if I hadn't tried a brand new one. Any thoughts on this?

One thing I've noticed is that it doesn't happen much if I just used the car. Meaning if I drive up to a store, go in for 5-10 min and come back, it works fine most of the time. It's generally an issue when I leave my car unattended for a while.

Same here, using IPhone 13. I found it works more reliably if I give the Tesla App permanant access as opposed to just when in use. If I disable the Tesla App entirely, it won't unlock at all with the bluetooth. This confuses me because I thought that once paired, only BT was required. This was definitely the case with my old Android, but that was also pre-Tesla-upgrade. The way it appears to be working now you need a cellular connection and burn data. This seems wrong!

 

[RedWhite19]

I’ve given up on it. I just unlock the door about ten seconds before I leave my place. It is seriously awful. For me it is 9/10 that it doesn’t work. This is the case for both of my Tesla’s. It definitely does not work if the app is not showing the right car, so I need to swipe to the direction of the proper car.

 

[Elgaaen]

Its a issue with Iphone 13pro. I have the same issue, my wife not.. Tesla doesnt have the solution...

 

[GtiMart]

Tesla doesn't have the solution because the problem is not Tesla's. Smart phones have a high tendency to try and suspend applications and remove rights in the name of saving battery usage. That's fine for Facebook but it's very bad for the Tesla app as it must be running in the background at all times in order to receive the "phone as key" request from the car. It might require GPS location too etc. Make sure you configure your phone so that it never optimizes that application and doesn't remove any rights you have given it. I know it's not easy, and operating systems change all the time, but that's what you gotta do.

 

[Big Dog]

Tesla doesn't have the solution because the problem is not Tesla's. .

Disagree. As an app developer, its Tesla's responsibility to make sure that their app works on an iPhone, particularly since Elon has touted the walk-up/walk-away features of his cars.

I've had a Model 3 for just short of four years now, and its only in the past couple of weeks where the Walk-up feature doesn't work 7 out of 10 times. I have to stop, put my stuff on the street, and open the app. Then the walk-up feature wakes up.

I keep the Tesla app 'Always On'. The only thing different is that the car has had a couple of OTA's and my phone has had a couple of updates. Something is no longer in sync with the bluetooth recognizing the car upon walk-up.

 

[GtiMart]

I'm also a software developer... I agree with your comment that the app must be well-made. If there are genuine bugs in the app, for example on bluetooth LE usage, they must fix them.
What I'm saying is that there are some things that apps cannot control or have very little control on, and battery management is part of that. Phone operating systems continuously add new battery saving features. If apps could easily "defeat" those mechanisms, all sorts of ill-mannered apps would do it and the mechanism would serve no purpose. Therefore, there are some things that only the user can configure properly, and that the app has very little control on.

 

[ElectricAnt54]

I'm having the craziest most frustrating problem ever. I'd say 7 out of 10 times, the car does not recognize my phone as a keycard to unlock the car upon walkup. Sometimes unlocking my phone (iPhone 13 Pro) gets me in but most of the times I have to unlock and launch the Tesla app to get my car to unlock. I've already swapped my phone (I used to be on iPhone 11 before and had the same problem) and removed entire profile from the car and re-linked it again.

Here's the funny part... My wife's phone works just fine every single time. I'd blame my phone if I hadn't tried a brand new one. Any thoughts on this?

One thing I've noticed is that it doesn't happen much if I just used the car. Meaning if I drive up to a store, go in for 5-10 min and come back, it works fine most of the time. It's generally an issue when I leave my car unattended for a while.

I have the opposite. Took my new car to tesla service station last week to get door gaps/alignment fixed. The keycard which I never use would not open the car doors nor start the car. I had to use my phone to take technician on test drive. Tesla said they’d reprogram my key card. Phone based key works very well for me. I have iPhone 13 pro max & 2022 MYP (12/2021 build date). I tend to keep my phone alone in one pocket and wallet and other keys in opposite pocket.

 

[Charly Jazz]

I just got my car delivered this week (new member here), and that day the car would lock and unlock with my iphone 12 Pro, but ever since it will lock as I walk away but it will not unlock while I'm outside the car with the phone in my hands. Not even if I launch the app, I still have to unlock manually. I have checked all the setting for the app and they are as they should, don't know what to do.

 

[Big Dog]

I'm also a software developer... I agree with your comment that the app must be well-made. If there are genuine bugs in the app, for example on bluetooth LE usage, they must fix them.
What I'm saying is that there are some things that apps cannot control or have very little control on, and battery management is part of that. Phone operating systems continuously add new battery saving features. If apps could easily "defeat" those mechanisms, all sorts of ill-mannered apps would do it and the mechanism would serve no purpose. Therefore, there are some things that only the user can configure properly, and that the app has very little control on.

Ok, I'll bite.

If a phone OS issues a system update such that the walk-up feature with a Tesla no longer works consistently, Elon has two choices: 1) send out a description of the issue and how the phone settings should now be configured; and/or 2) advise current and future customers that the walk-up feature is no longer a feature [on xx phone] and keep the keycard handy.

For example, the link below is from the Model 3 manual. The ONLY configuration it recommends is to turn bluetooth on. (doesn't even suggest making the Tesla app 'Always On.') What else are we "supposed to configure properly?"

Model 3 Owner's Manual | Tesla

Learn about the mobile app’s controls and settings, and how to use it to remotely connect to your vehicle.

www.tesla.com

 

[rickybobbee]

I have been using an iphone 11 since I bought the Y dec 2020. Has worked almost flawless until a couple months ago and now works about 80% of the time. nothing changed on my end so guessing something in the handshake has changed on the TESLA software end during all those recent updates. some stuff is just not as responsive, like when you check sentry clips now it hangs for way too long

 

[chyuan]

So a few things to note based on my 5m usage with iPhone X and MY

1. Keep location on always is not required, but does help the app to start BT discovery sooner as you’re approaching the car and therefore increase the response time
2. If you keep the phone in your back pocket sometimes it has trouble sensing the car and won’t unlock
3. It happened to me once, that after car software update it stops recognizing one of my two phones permanently and I had to re-pair it and deleted the old phone from car
4. Smart keys are more prone to failures compare to dumb keys

 

[Jetpad]

Yesterday, I couldn't use my iPhone as a phone key. I updated iOS on my phone to 15.4 just now, walked out to my car and it works again. Hopefully, it is really fixed and not some sort of fluke.

 

[avs007]

Ok, I'll bite.

If a phone OS issues a system update such that the walk-up feature with a Tesla no longer works consistently, Elon has two choices: 1) send out a description of the issue and how the phone settings should now be configured; and/or 2) advise current and future customers that the walk-up feature is no longer a feature [on xx phone] and keep the keycard handy.

For example, the link below is from the Model 3 manual. The ONLY configuration it recommends is to turn bluetooth on. (doesn't even suggest making the Tesla app 'Always On.') What else are we "supposed to configure properly?"

I can't speak for iOS since I haven't done any dev for iOS in quite a while, but for Android this makes sense. An app can register to be woken by specific intents (actions), one of them being BT. Disclaimer: A while back I was working on proximity based actions using BT, WiFi, etc.. I was even trying to minimize battery consumption by trying to take advantage of other sensors on the device to know when the phone was in your pocket, etc. Anyways, on Android, the app doesn't need to be running. It can be launched by the OS by these said actions... I've tested it before. I've force killed the Tesla App, and it still functions correctly, both tap and bt.

On a side note, I did notice that when I disabled sentry at home two updates ago, my car's proximity unlock started going wonky. From doors not opening, and charger cable not unlocking... Never had this problem before, or at any other locations (where sentry is on, making it so car doesn't sleep)... However, I've also found that when in this condition, I can still tap my phone to the B-pillar and the car will always unlock. I've never had that fail on me... (knocks on wood)

If I were to venture a guess, I think the problem might be related to the car sleeping...

 

[Ralbright]

iPhone 13 here with no issues. Tesla app always open and running in the background. Location set to always, and background app refresh is enabled

 

[TOkruisheer]

Same here, using IPhone 13. I found it works more reliably if I give the Tesla App permanant access as opposed to just when in use. If I disable the Tesla App entirely, it won't unlock at all with the bluetooth. This confuses me because I thought that once paired, only BT was required. This was definitely the case with my old Android, but that was also pre-Tesla-upgrade. The way it appears to be working now you need a cellular connection and burn data. This seems wrong!

I have the same issue with my iPhone 13. It is so frustrating. I have to unlock the car with the Tesla app then turn off the Bluetooth on the phone and turn back on to re-establish the connection to put the car in drive. I wish Tesla will find a fix for this. So much for being the most technically sophisticated car on the road.

 

[avs007]

This confuses me because I thought that once paired, only BT was required. This was definitely the case with my old Android, but that was also pre-Tesla-upgrade. The way it appears to be working now you need a cellular connection and burn data. This seems wrong!

You definitely do not need cellular, I've used it plenty of times in the bowels of a parking garage with no cellular connectivity. I did this just a few days ago... I can't speak for iOS, but with Android, you don't even need BT. I've had my phone in airplane mode with all radios off, cellular, wifi, bluetooth... You can just tap the phone to the B-Pillar to unlock. Then you'll have two minutes to put car in drive. If you miss the window, you can just tap the phone to the center console... No cellular, bluetooth, or wifi needed.

 

[chyuan]

Somehow my wife's iPhone X just lost connection to MY a couple days ago. Worked in the morning and wouldn't start the car in the afternoon. Can still open app and it shows as connected but car just won't recognize it as phone key anymore. Had to remove the phone key and re-pair it...

Make sure you always bring the key card with you as phone key can fail you out of nowhere.

 

[Midnightsun]

iPhone 13 here with no issues. Tesla app always open and running in the background. Location set to always, and background app refresh is enabled

I did have reoccurring issues as well as my wife on both cars. Set both our pro 13's as described above and not an issue in several months.