Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Phone not connecting to car upon walkup

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Several times now, with bluetooth on... I walk up to the car with my phone in my pocket and I'm left awkwardly yanking at the handles waiting for it to connect so I can get in my car. This start happening until the last week... I think an update screwed the pooch. anyone having the same issue?
 
The app has to be active, for the phone to be used as a key. That has happened to us many times, but after the app connects to the car, everything functions as it should. However, many times the stupid app refuses to connect to the car, which renders the phone as key useless. Is that your problem too? Not sure why it happens, but it's annoying. But we always carry the card keys, just in case.
 
It happened to me a few times. I either have to attempt to open the app or reach for the card. I chose the app. 100% of the time by the time I unlock my phone, I am able to unlock the doors. But I know exactly what you mean.
Now that I think about it. I wonder if it has to do with the allowing my location option on iOS. I had it set to “while using app”. I’m going to set it to “always” and see if that improves. This is assuming if the app always knows where I am, it should know that I’m approaching the car.
 
I had this problem until I realized the car couldn’t detect my iPhone through my body. I keep my phone in my back pocket. Ever since I have either held my phone in my hand as I approach or turn my butt toward the car as I grab the handle. Either of those has now always worked for almost a year since our first Tesla.
 
Tesla "shortened" the range of bluetooth that can open the door to help prevent man in the middle attacks and packet sniffing. I used to be able to have my phone in my back pocket to open the door, but now the phone has to be in my front pocket. it doesn't matter if the phone is actively on or not.
 
  • Informative
  • Like
Reactions: Watts_Up and KenC
I’ve been having this issue as well. Never at home, but usually when I’m out. I walk up to the car and pull the handle, but it remains locked. But, as soon as I pull out my phone and unlock it (Face ID on iPhone 12 Pro), the car unlocks. I don’t need to open up the app, just unlock my phone.
 
  • Funny
Reactions: KenC
Yes happened to me pretty often. My garage has cell service, but I think the app is supposed to be bluetooth anyways? Iphone 12 pro.

I always carry the keycard in my wallet anyways. WHAT IS WRONG WITH A KEYFOB!

Well you can buy the toy car for $150. :eek:

1449859-00-D_1.jpg


When this happens I usually use the Tesla watch app to wake up the car and unlock it. You could probably also setup a shortcut on iPhone to respond to something like "hey siri unlock my tesla". Then you'd look twice as cool yanking on your Tesla while trying to summon Siri. Chicks will dig it.
 
Well you can buy the toy car for $150. :eek:

1449859-00-D_1.jpg


When this happens I usually use the Tesla watch app to wake up the car and unlock it. You could probably also setup a shortcut on iPhone to respond to something like "hey siri unlock my tesla". Then you'd look twice as cool yanking on your Tesla while trying to summon Siri. Chicks will dig it.

I might end up doing the key fob. Does it have buttons to open and close trunk? $150 is not bad in grand scheme of things, most cars are 200-300 but they include 2 when you buy :)
 
But, as soon as I pull out my phone and unlock it (Face ID on iPhone 12 Pro), the car unlocks.I don’t need to open up the app, just unlock my phone.
Well, that's exactly what you're doing; waking up the app :). Swipe the app away, and you'd need to open it up again before being able to unlock the car... which is exactly what I do until I need to use the car. Remember the 'phone as key' requires both the app, and bluetooth, active ('key' has a separate BT connection than the phone). Maybe there's a way to keep an app active when phone is locked, which would solve that issue, but I haven't looked into that.

And yes, the solution to that misery is to drop another $150 into Tesla's coffers for the darn fob which should be standard indeed.
 
I might end up doing the key fob. Does it have buttons to open and close trunk? $150 is not bad in grand scheme of things, most cars are 200-300 but they include 2 when you buy :)

I have the key fob, but never use it, preferring the phone key. My wife uses it when she drives the car, which is primarily the reason I got it.

Funny story: when I dropped of my car to get windows tinted and chrome delete, the guys at the shop had no idea what the key fob was, as every time they worked on a Tesla, they got a key card to use. It was the first time any of them had seen the key fob.
 
Well, that's exactly what you're doing; waking up the app :). Swipe the app away, and you'd need to open it up again before being able to unlock the car... which is exactly what I do until I need to use the car. Remember the 'phone as key' requires both the app, and bluetooth, active ('key' has a separate BT connection than the phone). Maybe there's a way to keep an app active when phone is locked, which would solve that issue, but I haven't looked into that.

And yes, the solution to that misery is to drop another $150 into Tesla's coffers for the darn fob which should be standard indeed.

I actually usually have the app swiped away, and it’s never been an issue- I don’t need to reopen the app, only unlock my phone. Weird, as most people say they have to have the app active, but for some reason I don’t.
 
You know, that might be a software update. And I like that; will try it on my car :). However, you absolutely can't drive away with the app swiped away (at least I couldn't, before yesterday's software update). Tesla could change that, but my guess is they want the app open to collect as much info about us, to keep making money that way. It sucks, but all apps are doing that, so can't blame them for that. At least we have a $150 option to avoid that. Ha ha.
 
I’ve been having this issue as well. Never at home, but usually when I’m out. I walk up to the car and pull the handle, but it remains locked. But, as soon as I pull out my phone and unlock it (Face ID on iPhone 12 Pro), the car unlocks. I don’t need to open up the app, just unlock my phone.
You have to unlock your phone?!? What? That's not normal. Make sure the Tesla app allows Location ALWAYS. I've never ever had to take out my phone or unlock my phone or turn my body with my phone, to open the doors.
 
I'm not an expert on this subject. My 5 year old Galaxy S8 has worked NEARLY flawlessly unlocking and locking my car for the 15 months I've had the car. But those of you that need to have your phone unlocked or the app open in order to use the proximity key, clearly the phone is the problem. Odds are your phone is set up to put the app or BLE connections to sleep while your phone is locked. The app should not need to be active (recently opened) for it to work to unlock your car via proximity.

NOTE: If you just rebooted your phone, and have not yet unlocked it after reboot, then yes, I would expect the car to not unlock until you unlock your phone since your phone will not be fully functional until its unlocked the first time.

Battery saver modes can also prevent the app from working while your phone is asleep, so look into that.

Here are the app permissions for my Tesla app on my S8 (Android 9.x) in case it helps anyone. I don't believe I have modified anything from default:
Screenshot_20210122-124730_Package installer.jpg Screenshot_20210122-124831_Settings.jpg Screenshot_20210122-124820_Package installer.jpg Screenshot_20210122-124807_Package installer.jpg
 
Several times now, with bluetooth on... I walk up to the car with my phone in my pocket and I'm left awkwardly yanking at the handles waiting for it to connect so I can get in my car. This start happening until the last week... I think an update screwed the pooch. anyone having the same issue?
Yeah this has been happening to me from jan to know I even bought a new phone and it worked but then it happened again. This is why I'm pissed at Tesla for not providing key fobs for everyone vs the stupid key cards.
 
You have to unlock your phone?!? What? That's not normal. Make sure the Tesla app allows Location ALWAYS. I've never ever had to take out my phone or unlock my phone or turn my body with my phone, to open the doors.
Mine worked like a charm up until several months ago. Now about every 3rd time I walk up to the car there's either a long delay before it unlocks or I have to pull out the phone and open it and even then sometimes there a delay.

In Tesla's defense, phone manufacturers may monkey around with bluetooth settings when they push phone updates which could be some or all of the problem. This might require Tesla to update their app and possibly the bluetooth firmware in the car to fix.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rpiotro
So guys I have two Android phones, one functions perfectly every time you walk up to the car, open the door and drive away. The other has always been a problem, so I always open the App at least 100 metres away in preparation of standing there like a lemon trying to get into the vehicle, it never works so I have to use the door unlock function in the Tesla App, jump in the car seat, close the door, behind me, try to drive off but it doesn't work so I then have to disable bluetooth on my phone for a couple of seconds then re-enable it to be able to drive off. It's so annoying.
 
So guys I have two Android phones, one functions perfectly every time you walk up to the car, open the door and drive away. The other has always been a problem, so I always open the App at least 100 metres away in preparation of standing there like a lemon trying to get into the vehicle, it never works so I have to use the door unlock function in the Tesla App, jump in the car seat, close the door, behind me, try to drive off but it doesn't work so I then have to disable bluetooth on my phone for a couple of seconds then re-enable it to be able to drive off. It's so annoying.
You may need a new phone?