Do you get an Update Notification on app WITHOUT car WiFi???

[Tha_Reaper]

So you are saying that hugh jassol is wrong when they stated "...With the new update process (2019.12.x and later), if you go to the software tab of the car settings and an update is available for your car it will say "Software update available. Connect to WiFi to download"

No, he isn't wrong. But the prompt to update is a different one from actively looking in the menus to see if you have a warning that there is an update available. You get the prompt to update (and the notification in the app) after the download is complete. I have never seen the available update message from 19.12.X personally, but my car is almost always connected to WiFi when standing still. Don't sweat it too much. Check the menu if it's worth your time driving to a public WiFi once every 2 weeks or something after you have passed the 19.12 firmware mark. Sometimes not getting the new firmware on the first day has it's benefits too. Look at 19.16... there have been so many small bug fixes in that firmware that I'm happy that I waited a bit, and skipped to 19.16.3.2. waiting a few days won't make it any less enjoyable.
You can ask support to push the latest firmware to your car now. When you receive their confirmation, you can go to a public WiFi and update to get you to 19.12 or newer immediately. Then you can use the menu to plan your own update trips.

 

[JulienW]

They do send notification of update to your app if you have it set up in you App’s settings.

Here are screen shots from my phone of the notification and setting screen (on iPhone).....

Have that BUT here my same questions that I keep asking and the thread title:

Car NOT connected to WiFi will I get a Notification on my phone App saying I have an Update and need to connect to WiFi to download?

If I get a Notification saying I need to connect to WiFI to download and go and connect to a WiFi will it stat the download right away and can I see the progress (bar)?

 

[SMAlset]

Since I’ve always done updates when my car was at home with Wifi available, can’t answer for what happens when owner does not have but hopefully someone in your situation can answer. This is what I saw when an update was first available to me. I suspect you still see the same notification on your phone that an update is available and it's understood it's up to you to position your car so it can be delivered. As you can see no message about Wifi or Cellular connection. As I understand it your wifi antenna is located in the right passenger side mirror btw. Hopefully someone without Wifi will see your thread and can directly answer those questions.



You should also see a Yellow clock at the top of your screen in the car alerting you that an update is available.

 

[OCR1]

Have that BUT here my same questions that I keep asking and the thread title:

Car NOT connected to WiFi will I get a Notification on my phone App saying I have an Update and need to connect to WiFi to download?

If I get a Notification saying I need to connect to WiFI to download and go and connect to a WiFi will it stat the download right away and can I see the progress (bar)?

No. The notification is a result of the car already having downloaded the new software and sending a message to your phone letting you know it’s ready for an update.

I think you are creating a lot of unnecessary aggravation for yourself given you don’t have Wifi in your garage. Just schedule a service appointment through the phone app requesting a firmware update. An SC tech will pick it up and remotely push the software to your car, usually within a day or two. No need to go to the SC, it’s all done remotely and works very well for those without Wifi.

 

[Snow Drift]

@JulienW If you passively follow this forum, or reddit "Software Megathread," or many Tesla blog twitter handles you will always know when a new update is out. Or check TeslaFi.com Firmware Tracker to see what is the latest version and how many people have it (within the TeslaFi sample size).

The updates are big files, so WiFi is necessary. Think of it like updating your phone's OS, you do it at home on WiFi.

And again, you will only get a notification on your phone or car after the file had downloaded and you are able to install it. You don't get notified of an available download (not on app or car main screen).

 

[Wick]

If it turns out that Wi-Fi is going to be the preferred, or possibly only, way of getting an update, you might want to consider one of those cellular wifi devices that the cellular companies sell. Choose the carrier that provides the best signal and put one in your car attached to a USB charger and leave it attached. I am using a spare phone, and that seems to work well although my particular cellular network is not very strong in my garage.

 

[Wick]

To answer your initial question, I believe the notification of a software update will come to you via the cell network, even if the download itself requires a Wi-Fi connection.

 

[hugh_jassol]

Wow so much confusion here. Let me try to make this clear(er)

1. If you get a "Software Update Available" notification on your phone or the notification icon at the top your display in the car, as others have mentioned, the software has already been downloaded to your car and is ready to install. In other words, if you get notified proactively, then it's already on your car.
   
2. If you don't regularly connect to WiFi, and you have version 2019.12.x or later, then you can check to see if an update is ready to be downloaded by going to your "Car" menu in your car's display and going to the "Software" tab. If that screen shows there is an update waiting for your car, it will tell you that an update is available and instruct you to connect to WiFi to download. At that point, use your phone hotspot or park next to a Starbucks, or wherever else you can get WiFi. Within a few minutes of connecting, the download should start. There is a progress bar, so you can watch it progress. Once it's downloaded after a few min, you should get a notification like #1.
   
3. Downloads appear to be 200-500 MB for software, and 5-ish GB for map updates. The last map update was sometime in Feb 2019, before the "software" tab appeared in the car's menu, so no one knows whether you will get a similar notice to #2 for map updates.

If you never ever ever connect to Wifi, then certain versions of the software will eventually be pushed to you anyway over cellular. However, at least so far, Map updates REQUIRE WiFi to download and when they Added Navigate on Autopilot, they wouldn't install that version of the software until the map update occurred. So it would appear that at some point you will eventually end up at a state where you will absolutely need to connect to wifi in order to get the next update.

 

[JulienW]

I may have a WiFi problem. So no use it requesting an update since I can't connect to a WiFi. I have Xfinity hotspot in the garage and Tesla will not connect to it BUT Watts Up says he connects his Tesla to an xfinitywifi with no problem. I even went to a large Barns & Nobles that has a super strong xfinitywifi (my iPhone will connect way out on the road) and parked right next to the building and it would not connect. Had to go by my house and found a Guest network not protected and tried/failed to connect to it. Then went to a Starbucks and all parking spaces were full so drove around building and Tesla saw NO WiFi. Didn't check my iPhone since I couldn't park. Here are my pics.

 

[hugh_jassol]

@JulienW could you make a hotspot on your phone? That would rule out the variability associated with connecting some other wifi network you don't control

 

[JulienW]

@JulienW could you make a hotspot on your phone? That would rule out the variability associated with connecting some other wifi network you don't control

Read post #2 and add to the post.....anyone can drive off.

 

[Wennfred]

Julien, I’ve recd updates via LTE from a parking structure where I work, no WIFI there, also got notified on my phone that the Update was ready.

Make sure that “Keep Climate On” is turned off. To check this, ensure the car is in Park, press the Fan icon and you will see Keep Climate On Located on the top of that box. This prevents updates according to the manual.

So if you have LTE signal then you should get it.

Fred

 

[JulienW]

Julien, I’ve recd updates via LTE from a parking structure where I work, no WIFI there, also got notified on my phone that the Update was ready.

Make sure that “Keep Climate On” is turned off. To check this, ensure the car is in Park, press the Fan icon and you will see Keep Climate On Located on the top of that box. This prevents updates according to the manual.

So if you have LTE signal then you should get it.

Fred

You got 12.x and 16.x over LTE???? I thought Tesla announced you would need WiFi from now on and only security updates would come over LTE. Thought that was part of the yearly LTE data charge announcement. Am I remembering wrong? No time to research since about to head to the Xfinity store and see what they say.

 

[Snow Drift]

@JulienW sometimes the Wifi is finicky. Even when I use Wifi that I know works it can take two attempts to connect. Even connecting to my phone when in Hot Spot mode can take a few attempts.

Since September 2018 I've never had a major update over LTE. Only one update that everyone got almost the same day.

 

[JulienW]

- I can connect to (lower case) xfinitywify by using my account password when selecting the WiFi network,....

Just went to an Xfinity store that is in The Battery (contains Suntrust Park [ATL Braves]) that is totally blanketed with Xfinity Wifi. Got on technical support. Was told I MUST enter my User Name and Password to log on. So how are you entering your User Name? I can't fid a way and the tech support said to call Tesla. Could you PLEASE post pics of the steps you are going through to enter you Xfinity User Name and Password.

EDIT: Just found an old iPad (no Profile) and tried xfinitywifi and get this. How are you getting this screen to come up on your Tesla????

After Xfinity fail attempt I road around looking. Tried connecting to Office Depot and no go. I then connected to a WiFi (so WiFi must work) at a restaurant named Grub Hub. Was excited since it is close to a gym I use. Decided to check the speed an my iPhone and got this [No Internet Connection]. Looks like it may not work.

 

[towndrunk]

Julien, I think your best bet would be a private network, like a friend's house.

Anything that requires a login page is probably a fail.

Many of us have noticed that the wi-fi antenna on a M3 is many times weaker than a cell phone.

 

[JulienW]

[STRANGE] I kinda gave up and decided to see if I could do a hotspot download. So I got on the app under Schedule Service: Software Update and basically said I wanted a push to 16.3.2 and text or email me a time so I could hotspot my iPhone. Then it made me schedule a Time/Day which I didn't want. Decided to hit enter since I had plenty of time to cancel. About 30 minutes and I get a text. As I was reading my phone rang. I usually don't answer unknowns but had a feeling since the text said "...we will reach out to you..." Sure enough it was Tesla and he said just bring it by and we will download 16.3.2 for you and it will only take a few minutes. Autopiloted 7.1 up I75 and my 3 disappeared into the service area. Was about 40 minutes and thinking it was taking a little longer than he made it sound. He looked and they had accidentally hit install. So about 10 minutes later if was done. Now my outdated 5 days old 3 is new and again and rock'en 16.3.2.

Now I can start worrying about how to do the next update.

Also they had a Roadster that was getting a battery upgrade.

 

[hugh_jassol]

@JulienW I see a couple of issues with what you are trying... so for NEXT TIME:

0) Now that you have 16.x, you can go to the software update tab in your Car's settings to see if there is software waiting to be downloaded. If so, you can then connect to wifi and do it. Remember, your phone will not actively tell you until AFTER it's downloaded, so you will need to check periodically.

Then when you know an update is waiting to download and you seek wifi:

1) You cannot use a wifi that has a "captive portal" - something like a page that requires you to 'log on' or 'accept terms' - that is NOT POSSIBLE with the wifi implementation in the car. It appears that all of the "free" wifi places you are trying (e.g., xfinity, Hilton) are the types that have these captive portals. Connect with your phone first to check if you are not sure.

2) The suggestion to use your phone's hotspot was to not to leave your phone in the car. It was to just connect to it to make sure your car's wifi was working properly. However, if you checked and there is an update waiting... you can just sit in your car for a few minutes while it downloads.

3) You can park near any Service Center and your car should automatically connect to the service center's wifi.

 

[JulienW]

[Random Thought] Wish Tesla would offer an update download to your PC/Mac and USB flash. Then you could easily install and no need to worry about WiFi in the car. There has to be LOTS of people who don't have access to their WiFi were they live and could benefit from a USB install.

 

[Watts_Up]

[Random Thought]
Wish Tesla would offer an update download to your PC/Mac and USB flash.
Then you could easily install and no need to worry about WiFi in the car.
There has to be LOTS of people who don't have access to their WiFi were they live
and could benefit from a USB install.

Since the payload can be signed and encrypted, this look possible.
iTune and Google Play don't provide it either.

However, if you are a developper, iTune and Google Play allow you to build your own app.
This was something that EM mentioned previously, to provide an API allowing developing apps to the internal car display.