Phone unlock very unreliable

[sczsimos]

My android phone will frequently nit unlock my car on approach. Its hit and miss, but very frequent if the car has not been driven in the previous few hours.

Even if I unlock with the app manually the car door will unlock, but the car is still asking for the key card before it will drive. Usually requires aeroplane mode and reenable Bluetooth.

It's an android phone running Android 9.

Very annoying. Be interested if others having the same problem? Or solutions.

 

[Tam]

...hit and miss...

A phone has just so many things to take care of!

A fob has only one specialty to do.

You'll have better luck by paying for a fob.

 

[sczsimos]

A phone has just so many things to take care of!

A fob has only one specialty to do.

You'll have better luck by paying for a fob.

If a phone doesn't work then why do they not provide a fob with the car? I don't think that is an answer. It was meant to be a selling point.

 

[raynewman]

If a phone doesn't work then why do they not provide a fob with the car? I don't think that is an answer. It was meant to be a selling point.

I had very little trouble with phone lock on two different 3s in the USA in 2018.
I have Huawei with v9 Android; have to give the Tesla app full privileges.

 

[OzVic]

If a phone doesn't work then why do they not provide a fob with the car? I don't think that is an answer. It was meant to be a selling point.

I've had my car since late September and it's only happened twice. Turning bluetooth off and on fixed it both times. You can also tap your phone (NFC) rather than go searching for your card if it does fail.

Pixel 3XL

 

[T3SL4A]

I've had my car since late September and it's only happened twice. Turning bluetooth off and on fixed it both times. You can also tap your phone (NFC) rather than go searching for your card if it does fail.

Pixel 3XL

How do you set up NFC for the car?
When I tap the phone my credit card displays. This also happens if I put the phone on the centre console. I use an iPhone

 

[sczsimos]

How do you set up NFC for the car?
When I tap the phone my credit card displays. This also happens if I put the phone on the centre console. I use an iPhone

I think you would select the sim card as the default nfc rather than your pay app.

 

[bay74]

Yeah mine also requires Bluetooth toggle off and on again about half the time. I’d say it’s related to the car being asleep too, as it usually works if it’s been just a few minutes.

Once it refused entirely. Had to use the app and do a “remote” unlock.

Way unreliable feature, and stupidly annoying to be standing next to the car in the rain faffing with the phone.

 

[Candleflame]

i have a samsung A30 and it works essentially flawlessly. The only issue... and that seems more a V10 thing - maybe to save battery - is that the phone often isnt able to unlock the car when in my pocket and I either have to face my hip towards the car or take the phone out. Feels like a signal strenght issue.

when I cycle with the phone in my rearpocket and my bluetooth earphones I frequently also get signal cutouts and I presume it is the same issue.

 

[Shallowal]

Occasionally have a problem but works 90% of the time. Wife and I both have Samsung note 8's. My wife's previous note 5 frequently had problems, and I had ensured that the app was in the "do not sleep" section. Bluetooth has been a rapidly evolving technology so perhaps older phones are more likely to have problems. Also Apple was known to have problems with Bluetooth on lots of devices a couple of years back.

 

[Tam]

If a phone doesn't work then why do they not provide a fob with the car? I don't think that is an answer. It was meant to be a selling point.

It works 100% fine with my Xiaomi phone.

However, owners with other brands from Apple to Samsung (those who are not banned by the US)... have complained about inconsistencies.

Model 3 is originally designed with key card, not phones, not fobs.

So, it has worked very reliably with key card but people complained that they want to use their cell phones.

Tesla then complied with their wish and wrote the phone app. For free. With no additional charge.

Each brand of the phone has some unique ways to work and once Tesla has perfected the art, the phone companies might do a software update which messed up what Tesla had perfected. It's an unending chicken and egg with the phone app.

So, if you want more reliability, maybe you should switch to US banned phones made by China such as Huawei and Xiaomi.

 

[sczsimos]

"Model 3 is originally designed with key card, not phones, not fobs." Really? You mean it was to be the first car in decades not to be able to be unlocked remotely?

I'm using Huawei too. And I've got the problem.

Your post sounds awful like China ganda.

 

[Tam]

...Really? You mean it was to be the first car in decades not to be able to be unlocked remotely?...

Model 3 did come with Tesla app originally to lock and unlock it remotely with internet signal (the same way as the S and the X).

However, the original app was not first released as a key phone that could work without a need for internet signal (a fob does not need internet signal).

Your post sounds awful like China ganda.

Apparently, the propaganda has failed!

 

[Tam]

...Even if I unlock with the app manually the car door will unlock, but the car is still asking for the key card before it will drive. Usually requires aeroplane mode and reenable Bluetooth...

Based on the fact that when you re-enable Bluetooth, it works again, I suspect it's the phone's settings that you might need to investigate and adjust accordingly.

 

[jgdc]

The 2 iPhones I use have always worked unless they are still in the state of lock (i.e. after turn on or reset) that requires you to use your passcode and will not yet allow Face ID or fingerprint to open.

Then they don't work until you enter the code to open them and close them. After the first close they will then work perfectly. No need to play with Bluetooth. This is definitely an iPhone thing - not Tesla. A potential trap if you turn your phone off overnight then back on in the morning before you head off!

 

[MichaelVorst]

My android phone will frequently nit unlock my car on approach. Its hit and miss, but very frequent if the car has not been driven in the previous few hours.

Even if I unlock with the app manually the car door will unlock, but the car is still asking for the key card before it will drive. Usually requires aeroplane mode and reenable Bluetooth.

It's an android phone running Android 9.

Very annoying. Be interested if others having the same problem? Or solutions.

Make sure the Tesla app is excluded from Task killers and excluded from power save in settings, otherwise it will not be awake to pair with the car.

 

[sczsimos]

Make sure the Tesla app is excluded from Task killers and excluded from power save in settings, otherwise it will not be awake to pair with the car.

Yes it is

 

[sczsimos]

Based on the fact that when you re-enable Bluetooth, it works again, I suspect it's the phone's settings that you might need to investigate and adjust accordingly.

I've done this.

 

[Tam]

I've done this.

Since you have tried all the phone app settings including continuous awake (no battery saver), all kinds of permissions... and it's still not working consistently, you might want to explore other options:

1) Tesla Service Center appointment.
2) Wait and hope Tesla would work out all the phone app bugs someday.
3) Spend the extra money to buy a fob if consistency/dependability is highly desirable.

 

[Vostok]

I was very sceptical about using my phone as a key given everything I’d read in the official Tesla forums about people having problems with unreliable unlocking, and was determined to get a fob to avoid this major annoyance.

However, my experience has been fine (no instances of unreliable unlocking) and I haven’t even thought about a fob since getting the car. Maybe I’m lucky. Apple iPhone X.