Hi. Apologies if this has already been asked but I couldn't find it. I have 4 keys set up: me, wife, kid 1 and kid 2. Whenever kid 2 drives, when I got back to the car to drive, my phone key won't work and I have to swipe the physical key card again. I have removed both keys and added them back but the problem returns very quickly. It's a bit frustrating. Any thoughts on what else I can try? Thanks!
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Ongoing phone key issue
- Thread starter LouisH
- Start date
EVRider-FL
Active Member
The manual says the car supports a total of 19 keys, including phone keys, key cards, and key fobs, so you shouldn't be hitting a limit. From what you said, it sounds like your phone key is still listed as a key even after it stops working.
Is there something unique about kid 2's phone, and when your phone key stops working, do the other ones still work?
Is there something unique about kid 2's phone, and when your phone key stops working, do the other ones still work?
Transformer
Do the math. Save the world. — Mark Leon
Occasionally my phone key doesn't work, so I turn the phone's Bluetooth off + on, and if that doesn't work, force-quit and restart the Tesla app. Usually that works but it takes time for the car to notice. Please try it and let us know.
(Also turn off Android "battery optimization" for the Tesla app, or the iPhone equivalent.)
Only once did I have to remove a key. In fact I had to doubly remove it to clear it off the list. That fixed some broken state.
There was a recommendation on TMC to change the phone's Bluetooth name so it has no punctuation as in Elon's Pixel 6 and maybe even remove unusual characters like [ ] from contact names. The former is well worth trying. I'm more skeptical of the later hypothesis, but it's hard to tell with an intermittent problem.
(Also turn off Android "battery optimization" for the Tesla app, or the iPhone equivalent.)
Only once did I have to remove a key. In fact I had to doubly remove it to clear it off the list. That fixed some broken state.
There was a recommendation on TMC to change the phone's Bluetooth name so it has no punctuation as in Elon's Pixel 6 and maybe even remove unusual characters like [ ] from contact names. The former is well worth trying. I'm more skeptical of the later hypothesis, but it's hard to tell with an intermittent problem.
EVRider-FL
Active Member
Which versions of the app and car firmware do you have? My wife and I have app version 4.12.0 on our iPhones, 2022.20.8 in our Model 3, and we’re not seeing this issue.
Transformer
Do the math. Save the world. — Mark Leon
The phone as key uses Bluetooth Low Energy. When it doesn't work, you might experiment with turning the phone's Bluetooth off & on (then waiting), quitting and restarting the Tesla app, whatever's the iPhone equivalent of turning battery optimization off for the app, and renaming the phone's Bluetooth device to have no punctuation ("Elon's iPhone"). There's also a forum recommendation to remove punctuation from all sync'd contacts, but I'm skeptical about that and it's hard to test an occasional failure.
The quicker fallback is to hold the card key up to the car's B pillar. The key can be inside a wallet. But then walkaway lock won't work.
The other remote controls use the phone's Internet connection, so they're separate.
AKADAP
Member
This seems to happen to me every time the software updates on my car. Turning bluetooth off and on again does not work, but putting the phone in airplane mode for a moment does.
I currently have a Google Pixel 6 Pro. My previous phone was much worse requiring airplane mode every time I wanted to use the car for most of 2019 until an app update mostly fixed the problem.
I currently have a Google Pixel 6 Pro. My previous phone was much worse requiring airplane mode every time I wanted to use the car for most of 2019 until an app update mostly fixed the problem.
Transformer
Do the math. Save the world. — Mark Leon
That's repeatable enough that you can test the following hypothesis and report back in a few weeks:
- Rename your phone's Bluetooth name so that it doesn't have any punctuation, e.g. BadM3P rather than BadM3P's phone.
Renamed my phone's Bluetooth name and removed all special characters.
Removed and re-added my phone as a key.
Long pressed the steering wheel buttons to do a reset.
Issue still occurs. Only things left for me to try is a factory reset on the Tesla and the phone but I don't really feel like doing any of these.
One day this might bother me enough to proceed with troubleshooting but for now, I'll just keep resetting my Bluetooth.
I always ask the dumb questions, but is there any chance the kid has a great phone and is still within bluetooth range? I've had my wife get home with the car but still connecting to the car long after she exited it.
Also, for some reason I keep holding on to this crap Android phone that I got in July. I noticed immediately that the car struggled to connect with it. Even after trading in my 2019 in for a 2022 in August it's the same BS. The phone is like that with other devices too.
I'm very confident in saying that it's highly unlikely to be a Tesla problem.
Also, for some reason I keep holding on to this crap Android phone that I got in July. I noticed immediately that the car struggled to connect with it. Even after trading in my 2019 in for a 2022 in August it's the same BS. The phone is like that with other devices too.
I'm very confident in saying that it's highly unlikely to be a Tesla problem.
rpiotro
Active Member
My iPhones, both my previous 13 mini and my new 14 Pro have been slow to respond. I frequently needed to take it out of my pocket and wave it around next to the car. I had an apostrophe in my name, Rich's. Renamed my phone, removed all trace from the car and added it all back. It may be too early to be certain but think it fixed that issue. Strange.
rpiotro
Active Member
Too late to edit sooo...
OMG! I always have had issues with balky response. For example, opening the trunk, unlocking the car and opening the charge port or removing the the charger via the white button. It is now instant! What a difference. Who'd of thought that punctuation in the phone's name would matter.
Kudos to @Transformer
Transformer
Do the math. Save the world. — Mark Leon
Yay!
Just passing along a hypothesis from TMC. It's interesting that I remember stuff like that but not what's on my schedule.
PianoAl
Active Member
The phone keys fail intermittently. Sometimes it's a mistake to think that something that happened recently (updated app, car updates, son used car, etc.) Is the cause.
