Phone key versus key fob

[elptxjc]

The only small annoyance is that the car will often still be connected to whomever drove last so when the other driver gets in the car it won't automatically switch to their profile.

That was fixed with the last update . You can now assign a profile to each card and each phone key. It's awesome now.

With the phone as key, all you need to do is swipe up the app, and it won't wake up the car at all. The only annoyance is that you need to click on the Tesla app to be able to drive the car.

 

[TBrownTX]

With the phone as key, all you need to do is swipe up the app, and it won't wake up the car at all. The only annoyance is that you need to click on the Tesla app to be able to drive the car.

Thank you for sharing that. I'd much prefer not to have to mess with my phone at all. Pretty sure getting the FOB was the right choice for me.

Tim

 

[GreenHokie]

Like others, I use Watch for Tesla as a complication on my Watch to open the frunk.
View attachment 634511
The complication is in the lower left.

Yeah, I love that Watch for Tesla app! It’s definitely one of my favorite and most used apps on my watch.
In my case, I have the complication set-up as an icon that opens up the main menu (instead of the specific command to open the frunk). This is mainly because I don’t want to risk pressing the open frunk command by accident. I do realize that you are always asked to confirm the command before the frunk or trunk will actually open. So, in reality, the two separate touches means it is unlikely that one would open the frunk or trunk by accident on the watch. Still, I feel better having the complication set-up to open the main menu, instead of triggering a specific command.

It’s a great app for sure. For now, I still need my iPhone to unlock the vehicle. But, the iPhone just stays in my pocket because the watch can pretty much control everything I need on the vehicle. Of course, once I get cellular service enabled on the watch, that will turn the watch into a mobile keycard. So at that point, I won’t need to carry my iPhone with me to drive/operate the vehicle, if I don’t want to.
I am always within cellular range anywhere I drive. So, my cellular activated watch will always be able to unlock/operate the vehicle.

For those who do not have an AppleWatch or this particular app, below is a screen capture of my watch face. The red icon at the bottom center is the complication that opens up the Watch for Tesla main menu.

 

[SDM44]

I have a key fob and use it all the time when we're commuting to work. Makes it easier when you park in a DTLA garage and you need to give the parking attendant your key so he can move your car as needed, and a key fob stands out over the 20+ Tesla Model 3 key cards that they have in their cabinet in my area of the floor (tons of Model 3's & Y's in there).

That was pre-covid, and ever since I've mostly been working from home. Now I've just been using my phone as the key since I don't want a lot of extra bulk in my pockets when I step out for a bit (wearing sweatpants or basketball shorts). I'm just being lazy right now, but I do miss the frunk & trunk buttons that I can easily press on the key fob instead of going through the app to open them..... but then having a kick sensor on the trunk has helped in that regard. Might put a kick sensor on the frunk kit.

When I start going back to work regularly, I'll switch back to the key fob as my primary key.

 

[f308gt4]

I don’t know if there is something different about my iPhone or not, but I do not have to have the Tesla app active on my phone for the key to work (in other words, I have swiped up on the app). Simply having the phone in my pocket works to unlock the door.

It hasn’t always worked, sometimes I had to pull my phone out and unlock it. However, reading posts about the phone not working well when in the back pocket got me thinking. I keep my phone in my left pocket. So, for the past few days, I’ve been making sure that my left side faces the car before I open the door. Since doing that, it has worked 100% of the time for me.

I do have the key fob, but don’t use it. It’s mostly for my wife in the rare instance that she takes my car.

 

[KenC]

Yeah, I love that Watch for Tesla app! It’s definitely one of my favorite and most used apps on my watch.
In my case, I have the complication set-up as an icon that opens up the main menu (instead of the specific command to open the frunk). This is mainly because I don’t want to risk pressing the open frunk command by accident. I do realize that you are always asked to confirm the command before the frunk or trunk will actually open. So, in reality, the two separate touches means it is unlikely that one would open the frunk or trunk by accident on the watch. Still, I feel better having the complication set-up to open the main menu, instead of triggering a specific command.

It’s a great app for sure. For now, I still need my iPhone to unlock the vehicle. But, the iPhone just stays in my pocket because the watch can pretty much control everything I need on the vehicle. Of course, once I get cellular service enabled on the watch, that will turn the watch into a mobile keycard. So at that point, I won’t need to carry my iPhone with me to drive/operate the vehicle, if I don’t want to.
I am always within cellular range anywhere I drive. So, my cellular activated watch will always be able to unlock/operate the vehicle.

For those who do not have an AppleWatch or this particular app, below is a screen capture of my watch face. The red icon at the bottom center is the complication that opens up the Watch for Tesla main menu.

View attachment 634620

The Watch for Tesla app icon, always makes me double-take. I always think "what's the round red football supposed to do?"

 

[GreenHokie]

The Watch for Tesla app icon, always makes me double-take. I always think "what's the round red football supposed to do?"

Yeah, for sure. That icon does me think its a sports/football related app. Kind of wish the developer would change the icon to make it look more recognizable and Tesla-like.

 

[Altarr]

you are all missing the easy backup option, the nfc ring. Always have it on, no need to carry a keycard on you or have battery left on the phone.

 

[novox77]

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) actually has a pretty long range. Next time you're walking back to your car in a parking lot, check your app to see at what distance you notice PHONE KEY to say "Connected." It'll be around 100ft away. This is the BLE connection. If you had no cell data or wifi, this connection will still work. At that point, you'll have the ability to use the controls in the app to unlock the car. But Tesla prevents walk-up unlock to work until you are very close to the car. I'd imagine it's looking at the BLE signal strength from multiple sensors around the car to triangulate your position. For some phones, back pocket weakens the signal enough that the car thinks you're farther away than you actually are.

My understanding with phone-as-key problems has been that the problem stems from an improper or buggy implementation of the BLE protocol on the PHONE end, or the signal strength from the BLE radio is too weak, sometimes intentional due to battery saving logic. Tesla has not needed to make a lot of changes to improve things on their end. When Model 3 first came out, a large number of people had issues with phone-as-key, including me. Over time, as we upgraded to newer phones, those issues disappeared, because phone manufacturers realized BLE was getting used more and put more care making sure it worked better. With some exceptions, you'll find that older or budget phones are going to be the ones that don't work consistently.

For those of you considering a fob because your phone is unreliable, and you are thinking of upgrading your phone, you might want to wait until after the upgrade before committing to the fob. There's a good chance the newer phone will work flawlessly.

Also, charging cable doesn't seem to be tied to BLE proximity at all. If my car is asleep, the only way to get the cable out is to wake the car. I normally half-press the passenger door handle to wake the car. then I can pull out my charging cable.

 

[GreenHokie]

For those of you considering a fob because your phone is unreliable, and you are thinking of upgrading your phone, you might want to wait until after the upgrade before committing to the fob. There's a good chance the newer phone will work flawlessly.

Also, charging cable doesn't seem to be tied to BLE proximity at all. If my car is asleep, the only way to get the cable out is to wake the car. I normally half-press the passenger door handle to wake the car. then I can pull out my charging cable.

Good observations. Unfortunately for some users, I think there’s more to it than just BLE or the age of the phone. Take me for example. I’m still rocking an old iPhone8 but it has worked flawlessly with the Tesla app/vehicle in every way from day one. Yeah I know, I need a newer phone. However, my employer pays for my phones as well as the monthly data plan... and they sort of frown upon employees getting new phones every 2-3 years especially if the existing phone is still working just fine. So, for now, I can live with using an older phone.
Perhaps I’m in the minority but I’m actually impressed/pleased with how well the Tesla software team has made everything work so well, especially given all the constant challenges of dealing with different phone manufacturers, different operating platforms, different protocols, etc...

As for disconnecting the charge cable from the vehicle when it’s asleep, I just press the button on the charge cable handle and it always unlocks... allowing me to disengage/pull the cable from the vehicle. No need to open one of the doors to wake the vehicle or even have my phone with me. It hasn’t always worked this well. So, I’m not sure if one of the recent software updates had anything to do with it...

 

[house9]

I also have other keys I need to carry, so having a FOB does not add anything to my EDC pile.

Same reason I got a FOB, office and home keys on the same ring; don’t want to leave home without them.

Similar to the phone you rarely ever need to pull it out of your pocket, just walk up to the car and it will unlock once you engage the door lever.

 

[SDKoala]

Nothing mechanical happens to the car when you walk by it with your phone unless you physically open a door or send a command through the app. Tesla removed the unlock on proximity feature for the Model 3 long ago. That was truly annoying and did put unneeded wear-and-tear on the mirrors from constantly folding/unfolding.

When Model 3 first came out, a large number of people had issues with phone-as-key, including me. Over time, as we upgraded to newer phones, those issues disappeared, because phone manufacturers realized BLE was getting used more and put more care making sure it worked better. With some exceptions, you'll find that older or budget phones are going to be the ones that don't work consistently.

As another veteran of the buggy early phone-key days who spent countless hours troubleshooting and implementing workarounds to get the phone to be be as reliable as possible, I also implore anyone who is having phone-key problems to upgrade to a new phone before giving up on it. There will always be people complaining about their phone-key not working--they are definitely a vocal minority.

When my previous phone would fail as the key daily, I was so staunchly the idea that it could me my phone that was the issue and kept wondering why Tesla couldn't do something to make the phone-key more reliable. I upgraded to a new phone and went from a 10% phone-key failure rate to literally once or twice in the thousands of times since then. I still carry my keycard in my wallet in case my phone gets lost, but have never used it because the phone-key failed since upgrading my phone.

I was dead-set on buying the fob when I heard they were going to release it and then never did because I realized I had no use for it.

 

[Candleflame]

I have a model 3 performance on order, with an estimated arrival of mid to late March.

I have the Tesla app installed (and actually access to a family members Tesla), so I have been checking out all of the features. I’m curious about the Phone Key function.

My concern, is that with the car parked in my garage and me roaming around my house, will it keep waking the car triggering the door to lock/unlock throughout the day?

Not concerned about reliability per-se, but I’m not sure I need car waking and unlocking every time I walk my dogs, take out the trash, etc. Seems like unnecessary cycles.

I have purchased a FOB and I plan to use it versus the phone key. Are my concerns real, and If I don’t do the phone key, will I be missing out on any app features?

I also have other keys I need to carry, so having a FOB does not add anything to my EDC pile.

Tim

the car will pick up the phone from quite far away (maybe 10-20 meters) but i wont wake the car. to wake the car you have to pull on the door handle or open the app. for the car to allow you to open the door the phone has to be within maybe 1m or so of the door or if its in your pocket, maybe 30-50cm.

Keyfob is a waste of time.

 

[novox77]

I just press the button on the charge cable handle and it always unlocks... allowing me to disengage/pull the cable from the vehicle. No need to open one of the doors to wake the vehicle or even have my phone with me. It hasn’t always worked this well. So, I’m not sure if one of the recent software updates had anything to do with it...

nice! just tried this on my car and it worked. Now I need to erase 3 years of muscle memory of tapping that rear door handle.

 

[SDKoala]

nice! just tried this on my car and it worked. Now I need to erase 3 years of muscle memory of tapping that rear door handle.

Removing the charger without waking the car has worked for a while, but only if the car is unlocked. Does it also work if the car is locked?

 

[novox77]

Removing the charger without waking the car has worked for a while, but only if the car is unlocked. Does it also work if the car is locked?

I would imagine it does not, otherwise anyone could unplug us at charging stations. But it's great that at home, where I have the car set to remain unlocked, I can now just free the cable with the button. I guess I never got the memo when this was enabled.

 

[SDKoala]

I would imagine it does not, otherwise anyone could unplug us at charging stations. But it's great that at home, where I have the car set to remain unlocked, I can now just free the cable with the button. I guess I never got the memo when this was enabled.

I meant if it releases when the car is locked and senses presence of the phone-key. I'll try later, but it sounds like probably not.

Not having to wake the car when it's unlocked before removing the charging handle has worked at least as long as the keep unlocked at home option has been available.