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Car not unlocking with phone? Try this.

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Henchman

Henchman

Member
Mar 24, 2018
120
388
Los Angeles
#1
I don't know if it's coincidence, but I tried something a couple of times now if the car doesn't unlock.

I tapped my phone where you're supposed to tap the card.
It unlocked immediately.
This is with a Samsung S8 with NFC.


Try it out.
I'd be interested in hearing others experience.
 
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#2
The card is RFID as far as I know, so NFC would not do anything. I think what you saw was coincidence.

What I have seen is the phone not unlock the car, and then once I take it out of my pocket and wake the phone up, then the car will unlock without doing anything else. It's as if the background Bluetooth task that is supposed to unlock the car is asleep, but taking the phone out of my pocket (which on the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ will wake up the display) also wakes up the Bluetooth background task, allowing the car to unlock.
 
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#4
Probably completely unrelated, but I have noticed that sometimes my S doesn't recognize my key fob while it's in my pocket. Based on correlation in placement, it seems like it only happens when my phone is in the same pocket. But, it could just be the signal is blocked by my metal leg (sarcasm).

Anyway, maybe there's something similar with phone -- Model 3 contact when it's in the pocket vs. out.
 
#5
brianman said:
Probably completely unrelated, but I have noticed that sometimes my S doesn't recognize my key fob while it's in my pocket. Based on correlation in placement, it seems like it only happens when my phone is in the same pocket. But, it could just be the signal is blocked by my metal leg (sarcasm).

Anyway, maybe there's something similar with phone -- Model 3 contact when it's in the pocket vs. out.
Click to expand...
I have the same observation. I don't have good luck in my back pocket approaching the car. Sometimes it won't start if the phone is in my front pocket until I remove it....
 
#6
The Bluetooth phone and media audio profiles always connect fine, I have never seen any issues with any phone I have used. (HFP, and A2DP profiles). The issue is with BLE Key management, the "Phone Key" in the Tesla app should say "Connected", to be able to open the door. I have observed that doing one of the below two things will certainly fix the issue.

1. Killing the Tesla App, and restarting the app
2. Restart the phone

You should now see "Connected" under "Phone Key".

Also, switching between 2 users/phones as keys makes this problem worse. If I use the same phone to unlock, there are no issues. (Galaxy s8, or s7 edge)
 
#7
GutsyGibbon said:
The issue is with BLE Key management, the "Phone Key" in the Tesla app should say "Connected", to be able to open the door.
Click to expand...

I have a Samsung Galaxy S8+, no other users of the car.

I have had frequent situations where the car won't unock with me next to it. If you pull up the Tesla app, it plainly says "Connected" under the phone key, but the car still won't unlock.

Cycling bluetooth / airplane mode / restarting Tesla app fixes it.
 
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#8
SomeJoe7777 said:
I have a Samsung Galaxy S8+, no other users of the car.

I have had frequent situations where the car won't unock with me next to it. If you pull up the Tesla app, it plainly says "Connected" under the phone key, but the car still won't unlock.

Cycling bluetooth / airplane mode / restarting Tesla app fixes it.
Click to expand...

What version of Android are you on?

Try going into Settings > Battery and be sure that the Battery Saver is "OFF".

Then go into APP&NOTIFICATIONS > Advanced > Special App Access > Battery Optimizations > Select Bluetooth > Don't Optimize > Done... Then select Tesla > Don't Optimize > Done.

Back to the home screen and then reboot and see if that solves your problem.
 
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#10
Henchman said:
I don't know if it's coincidence, but I tried something a couple of times now if the car doesn't unlock.

I tapped my phone where you're supposed to tap the card.
It unlocked immediately.
This is with a Samsung S8 with NFC.


Try it out.
I'd be interested in hearing others experience.
Click to expand...
I've experienced something similar in the car. If my phone is in my left pocket, which it usually is, sometimes the car won't detect it initially, but it will detect it when I pull it out of my pocket.
 
#11
Chris350 said:
What version of Android are you on?

Try going into Settings > Battery and be sure that the Battery Saver is "OFF".

Then go into APP&NOTIFICATIONS > Advanced > Special App Access > Battery Optimizations > Select Bluetooth > Don't Optimize > Done... Then select Tesla > Don't Optimize > Done.

Back to the home screen and then reboot and see if that solves your problem.
Click to expand...

I am on Android 8.0.0.

I have none of the settings you're referring to, which is the same problem I always have when I look up stuff for Android on the Internet. Nothing that anyone says, posts screenshots of, or gives step-by-step instructions for can be done on my phone, because nothing I have matches anything they're citing.

I have nothing called Battery Saver.

I have no App & Notifications section in Settings. I found a Notifications -> Advanced, but there's nothing in there about Special App Access.

Bluetooth has no setting called Battery Optimizations.


I found Battery -> Unmonitored Apps, but the Tesla app is already in there.
 
#12
SomeJoe7777 said:
I am on Android 8.0.0.

I have none of the settings you're referring to, which is the same problem I always have when I look up stuff for Android on the Internet. Nothing that anyone says, posts screenshots of, or gives step-by-step instructions for can be done on my phone, because nothing I have matches anything they're citing.

I have nothing called Battery Saver.

I have no App & Notifications section in Settings. I found a Notifications -> Advanced, but there's nothing in there about Special App Access.

Bluetooth has no setting called Battery Optimizations.


I found Battery -> Unmonitored Apps, but the Tesla app is already in there.
Click to expand...

My bad....

Using Android "P" Beta on my Pixel 2 XL...
 
#14
My car usually won't see me phone in my back pocket.

Sometimes it won't see my phone at all until I wake up the phone, which I can do by tapping it.

So people see me go to my car, turn around, and tap my ass. Then I get in my car.

What must they think of me?
 
#18
Has never failed yet, if my walk-up-unlock fails to let me in the car I walk around to the back and press the trunk unlock button a few times until the trunk unlocks, then the doors will unlock. This problem is really annoying and kind of scary, i.e.: you are in a remote area and the car refuses to let you in and you wallet with key card is inside. Tesla needs to fix this problem, make the smartphone key more reliable.
 
#19
I have a Galaxy S9+ and an iPhone SE and both will periodically fail to unlock the car when they’re inside my pocket. Sometimes I take the phone out and it works. Other times I have to unlock the phone. It’s quite an annoyance to be honest.
 
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