Phone as Key Issues

[mmccking]

Maybe this was obvious to everyone, but when enabling Phone Key on iPhones, make sure "Allow Location Access Always". Otherwise, you risk it not properly unlocking or locking the doors.

If you did not and need to, you should uninstall the Telsa app and start over. Enabling it after the fact from Settings didn't seem to be good enough when I tried it.

Good luck!

 

[crackers8199]

Could this just be due to the fact that after unlocking with the key card you have 2 minutes to start the car without having to place the key card by the sensors behind the cup holders? I.e., maybe it's not actually pairing with the phone key?

i thought that originally, but more than once when this happens i have had walk away lock work. so, either there's something wrong there (walk away lock isn't supposed to work when you use the card), or there's something wrong in that it's not making me tap the card to drive. either way, there's something wrong somewhere.

the whole phone key system is just horrible at this point.

 

[diamond.g]

i thought that originally, but more than once when this happens i have had walk away lock work. so, either there's something wrong there (walk away lock isn't supposed to work when you use the card), or there's something wrong in that it's not making me tap the card to drive. either way, there's something wrong somewhere.

the whole phone key system is just horrible at this point.

Can you verify by just turning off BT on your phone?

I get to see how consistent it is today. It may work better for me as I work in a secure space and cannot have my phone, so airplane mode in the lock box it goes. Or maybe it won't work right at all...

 

[crackers8199]

Can you verify by just turning off BT on your phone?

I get to see how consistent it is today. It may work better for me as I work in a secure space and cannot have my phone, so airplane mode in the lock box it goes. Or maybe it won't work right at all...

if i remember, the next time it doesn't work i'll turn bluetooth off before i tap the card and we'll see what happens.

 

[SDKoala]

I don't know if this happened to anyone else, but ever since my phone upgrade to Android Pie (9.0) and maybe the update to 28.1, but my bluetooth has been a lot more consistent. I haven't had any issues opening my door now.

I believe it's something that changed in the Android Pie update on my Pixel XL since my smartwatch also stays connected more consistently now as well. It was kind of a way to reference if my bluetooth was crapping out (losing connectivity and missing smart watch notifications).

Wondering if anyone has the same experience if they updated to Android Pie.

I would say the Android 9.0 Pie update has really helped my Pixel 1. Getting the 26.3 update may have helped too. I can't really say because they both happened within a few days of each other. I haven't been on here complaining about the phone key in the past few weeks because it's actually working--almost to the point where I no long worry about the car unlocking. However, every once in a while I can't get into the car while dealing with my kids and grocery bags and it makes me curse the whole phone key thing again. The difference, though, is that I don't have to do anything on the phone like toggle Bluetooth or airplane mode to get it working. If I continue to hold the handle open, the connection gets made and it works within about 10-15 seconds.

I still have my Tasker profile to toggle Bluetooth on/off every hour, and battery optimization off for the Tesla app and every Bluetooth service on the phone. I'd estimate it's at 98-99% reliability now, which is much better than a few months ago. I'm been hoping for a fob for a while too, but if it continues to work like this, I might not bother. Not carrying any keys around is really nice.

 

[RTPEV]

I would say the Android 9.0 Pie update has really helped my Pixel 1. Getting the 26.3 update may have helped too. I can't really say because they both happened within a few days of each other.

Watch me jinx myself, but I'm seeing much better results with 26.3. I think I was probably at about a 75% success rate previously, and since 26.3 update I don't think I've had to toggle airplane mode even once. I'm probably over 95% success rate now. There have been a few cases where the door hasn't opened immediately, and either a wait 10-15 seconds or opening the Tesla app seems to be enough (still not acceptable in my book, but better than completely not working).

 

[slipnslider]

Watch me jinx myself, but I'm seeing much better results with 26.3. I think I was probably at about a 75% success rate previously, and since 26.3 update I don't think I've had to toggle airplane mode even once. I'm probably over 95% success rate now. There have been a few cases where the door hasn't opened immediately, and either a wait 10-15 seconds or opening the Tesla app seems to be enough (still not acceptable in my book, but better than completely not working).

I have 26.3 and today was the first day my phone key didn't work, and the first time I've had to toggle bluetooth on my phone.

 

[SDKoala]

I have 26.3 and today was the first day my phone key didn't work, and the first time I've had to toggle bluetooth on my phone.

Like the first day ever that it hasn't worked or first day since the 26.3 update?

 

[crackers8199]

If I continue to hold the handle open, the connection gets made and it works within about 10-15 seconds.

this is just crazy...no chance i'm going to just stand there for 10-15 seconds holding the handle in waiting for the damn thing to connect (especially when you have no idea if it'll ever actually connect or not). it needs to be instant or it's useless IMO.

 

[N5329K]

this is just crazy...no chance i'm going to just stand there for 10-15 seconds holding the handle in waiting for the damn thing to connect (especially when you have no idea if it'll ever actually connect or not). it needs to be instant or it's useless IMO.

You might try this next time.
Robin

 

[diamond.g]

this is just crazy...no chance i'm going to just stand there for 10-15 seconds holding the handle in waiting for the damn thing to connect (especially when you have no idea if it'll ever actually connect or not). it needs to be instant or it's useless IMO.

You would benefit from walk up unlock. Maybe folks can make enough noise so we can get it back again. I wouldn’t be surprised if the fob still has a slight wait to unlock the doors and open. Walk up unlock would mitigate the wait.

 

[crackers8199]

You would benefit from walk up unlock. Maybe folks can make enough noise so we can get it back again. I wouldn’t be surprised if the fob still has a slight wait to unlock the doors and open. Walk up unlock would mitigate the wait.

a slight delay isn't a big deal. 10-15 seconds? forget that...

 

[slipnslider]

Like the first day ever that it hasn't worked or first day since the 26.3 update?

First day it hasn't worked immediately. I never had a problem on 26.1 or during the first few days of 26.3.

 

[SDKoala]

this is just crazy...no chance i'm going to just stand there for 10-15 seconds holding the handle in waiting for the damn thing to connect (especially when you have no idea if it'll ever actually connect or not). it needs to be instant or it's useless IMO.

Yes it does need to work instantly. I agree with you. The point, though, is noticeable improvement is being made and it's working much better than when I got the car 4 months ago. The fact that that it does connect, even after 10-15 seconds, is preferable to having to do something to the phone almost every time, like it used to be.

 

[Bruinfan]

update:
My last post was June 5, so almost 2 months. Well, I went on vacation for 2 weeks. Phone/key worked fine when I came back. Then less than a week later, i got a new phone. switched from Galaxy S7 to S9. So, it's been almost 6 weeks with the new phone, and it's worked 100%.

I still restart my phone everyday. Sometimes, it doesn't open, and I use the 'keep the pressure on the handle' technique, and it works after less than 5 seconds. One time, it took about 10 sec. I just stood there with the pressure, and it opened. In the past, that would have been a failure, because I would not have waited. One time, it took about 30 sec. That one, I panicked a little, and did the push push push... it eventually opened.

I feel it the lock/open is completely independent of the app (aside from having to have the right car on display), and my bluetooth permissions are nonexistent other than the Model 3. I just this past weekend, paired the new phone to the S (sits next to 3 in garage)... but I don't think I ever connect to it, since I don't carry my fob. We'll see if this affects the success rate.

Also, I think the waking up the car issue is a big limiter. I've been using summon in the morning, and since the last update, it's been consistently connecting, but that also wakes up the car and probably helps in the key connectivity.

So, since my last post, I've had zero failures. Things are looking up.

last post aug 2... so for 17 days, worked flawlessly... restart phone (S9) every night. 2 or 3 times hold handle for <5sec and it opened.

last night, it let me in the car... but then wouldn't go into gear. lost BT connection. turn BT on/off, and it worked. I usually don't pair with anything, and that afternoon, I paired with a speaker... so my hypothesis is the BT permission stack whatever you call it got messed up.

Then this am... didn't open. I held it... and held it... and held it... determined for it to work. after about 45 sec, i let go, then pushed it again, and it opened.

The last day or 2, my car has taken quite a while to connect with the app... i don't know if it's a car wake up issue or a phone app issue... but I remain convinced it's not a BT issue if I have a phone freshly restarted.

So it remains 100% opening success rate, with 1 time it took a long time. and then 1 nonstart issue, resolved with BT toggle. That 1 nonstart issue was the first problem since June 5.

 

[ratsbew]

Mine seems to be working quite a bit better than it used to. I have an ancient Nexus 5 phone (from about 2013) and I'm seeing about 25% where it works, 25% where it takes 1-5 seconds of holding the handle, 25% of 15+ seconds holding the handle, and 25% of not working at all.....and that's all an improvement from what it used to be.

 

[BioSehnsucht]

last post aug 2... so for 17 days, worked flawlessly... restart phone (S9) every night. 2 or 3 times hold handle for <5sec and it opened..

"flawlessly"

 

[crackers8199]

Yes it does need to work instantly. I agree with you. The point, though, is noticeable improvement is being made and it's working much better than when I got the car 4 months ago. The fact that that it does connect, even after 10-15 seconds, is preferable to having to do something to the phone almost every time, like it used to be.

like i said, i don't doubt for one second they'll eventually either A) get it figured out or B) offer a fob (or both), but right now it's frustrating as hell.

 

[Bruinfan]

"flawlessly"

by flawlessly, i mean it opens 100% of the time.

that's what i think it means. and even a 3 sec lag is a success... it opened.

 

[BioSehnsucht]

by flawlessly, i mean it opens 100% of the time.

that's what i think it means. and even a 3 sec lag is a success... it opened.

I'd call a 3 second delay a flawed success. If that was my only problem though it would be an improvement!

Flawless would be to never even have a momentary pause or any other failure (allowing exception for dead batteries in fob but a modern fob should report to the car that it is getting low so the user is warned to replace batteries - if you let them die then it's on the user).