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Poll: Model 3 Phone Key Failure Rate

How frequently does the "phone key" fail to work properly with your Model 3?

  • 0-1% failure rate, iPhone

    Votes: 50 32.7%
  • 0-1% failure rate, Android

    Votes: 10 6.5%
  • 2-10% failure rate, iPhone

    Votes: 19 12.4%
  • 2-10% failure rate, Android

    Votes: 9 5.9%
  • 11-25% failure rate, iPhone

    Votes: 7 4.6%
  • 11-25% failure rate, Android

    Votes: 12 7.8%
  • 26%+ failure rate, iPhone

    Votes: 12 7.8%
  • 26%+ failure rate, Android

    Votes: 34 22.2%

  • Total voters
    153
  • Poll closed .
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I really do want the app fixed, but it's not hard to have a one more card in my wallet. I put it in the pocket closest to the outside, and just touch my wallet to the B pillar if the phone is being dumb. then it gets tossed into the cupholder since I hate sitting on a wallet, and away I go!
 
Four days with my "renewed" iPhone 6 and it seems to have solved the key problem for me. Am gradually transitioning to the iPhone with all my other apps, etc. But the switch was worth the effort as the car recognizes me and acts just like my Model S does with the key fob.
 
Have had the M3 for 9 days, and driven it 7days. Assuming 2x in and out, that's at least 14 times using phone. Today, however, I had to pull the card out of my wallet to open the door. (old school iPhone 6.)
This was suggested to me yesterday by a service rep.
Seems obvious but has helped me now for 2 days.

Make sure ur phone software is up to date.
Check for any updates on tesla app.
Do not leave multiple background windows open on your phone. Once your done with a window double push the home button and close windows accept the Tesla app. Leave it open.
Have the Tesla app running in the background under settings.
Never close the Tesla app if u can. Obviously some people turn their phone on and off but try to keep the Tesla app always on.
If connectivity is unresponsive with the phone key and your car, do not close tesla app but refresh Bluetooth. Wait 5 seconds before switching Bluetooth back on.
 
This was suggested to me yesterday by a service rep.
Seems obvious but has helped me now for 2 days.

Make sure ur phone software is up to date.
Check for any updates on tesla app.
Do not leave multiple background windows open on your phone. Once your done with a window double push the home button and close windows accept the Tesla app. Leave it open.
Have the Tesla app running in the background under settings.
Never close the Tesla app if u can. Obviously some people turn their phone on and off but try to keep the Tesla app always on.
If connectivity is unresponsive with the phone key and your car, do not close tesla app but refresh Bluetooth. Wait 5 seconds before switching Bluetooth back on.
Some good advice along with some completely useless advice.

The good:
Always keeping the phone OS and software up to date is a good idea in general.
Turning on background app refresh for the Tesla app might make it more reliable.
Toggling bluetooth off and on might fix it if it’s not working.

The bad:
Closing apps from the app switcher on an iPhone is pointless. The vast majority of those apps aren’t running or using any system resources other than a very small amount of memory. iOS intentionally limits what apps can do in the background and once the user stops using an app it is not allowed to run for very long.
The only way to keep an app running (ignoring some very hacky tricks that will get your app kicked out of the App Store) is for the user to interact with the app almost constantly. As soon as the user wants to do something else (make a phone call, text, put the phone in their pocket, etc) they have no control on whether or not the app is running. So while this may make the phone key more reliable, it’s completely absurd to expect the user to do this and shows a total lack of knowledge about how iOS works (not that I would expect a Tesla service rep to know anything about that).

In my opinion (as a long time software engineer and iOS app developer), Tesla can probably get 85-90% reliability for the phone key on iPhones without getting special treatment from Apple. Android, with its much more varied hardware and fragmented OS updates, will always be a total crap shoot.
 
Some good advice along with some completely useless advice.

The good:
Always keeping the phone OS and software up to date is a good idea in general.
Turning on background app refresh for the Tesla app might make it more reliable.
Toggling bluetooth off and on might fix it if it’s not working.

The bad:
Closing apps from the app switcher on an iPhone is pointless. The vast majority of those apps aren’t running or using any system resources other than a very small amount of memory. iOS intentionally limits what apps can do in the background and once the user stops using an app it is not allowed to run for very long.
The only way to keep an app running (ignoring some very hacky tricks that will get your app kicked out of the App Store) is for the user to interact with the app almost constantly. As soon as the user wants to do something else (make a phone call, text, put the phone in their pocket, etc) they have no control on whether or not the app is running. So while this may make the phone key more reliable, it’s completely absurd to expect the user to do this and shows a total lack of knowledge about how iOS works (not that I would expect a Tesla service rep to know anything about that).

In my opinion (as a long time software engineer and iOS app developer), Tesla can probably get 85-90% reliability for the phone key on iPhones without getting special treatment from Apple. Android, with its much more varied hardware and fragmented OS updates, will always be a total crap shoot.


I completely understand your points.

I want resolve to this problem also.

I only posted what a Tesla rep suggested to me. It has worked for me with a higher percentage then before of getting connectivity to my model 3.
As u stated I have had a higher success rate.

They stated they know it is a problem and if they cannot find a fix they will have an option of a key fob.


I have also posted that tesla wants us to use the phone key as a primary to access our model 3...not the black key card. There are long time posters (that do not have a model 3 yet) on this forum that bash people trying to use their phone key and state “Use your black key card” because they are stock holders. I get frustrated with people that are not owners and bash the current owners. They need to be helpful and understanding. It is only going to get worst when more owners get their vehicles and cannot get into the cars easily.

I have also stated I am not opposed to a key fob.

I assume you are not giving me a hard time with this post. I am only trying to be helpful with information I get from tesla. I am not trying to be a troll.

I even park my model 3 at a sales center because they don’t have one yet. I walk to work...This is to help Tesla and their sales.
 
Last edited:
I completely understand your points.
I want resolve to this problem also.

I assume u are currently a model x or a model 3.

I posted what a Tesla rep suggested to me. It has worked for me with a higher percentage then before of getting connectivity to my model 3


They stated they know it is a problem. I have posted this.

I have also posted if they cannot find a fix they will have an option of a key fob.


If u take the time to see my other posts...u will understand i have been frustrated with the phone key issue. I want tesla to succeed. They have fixed other issues regarding vampire drain and auto pilot.

I have posted that tesla wants us to use the phone key as a primary to access our model 3...not the black key card. There are long time posters (that do not have a model 3 yet) on this forum that bash people trying to use their phone key and state “Use your black key card” because they are stock holders.

I have also stated I am not opposed to a key fob.


I am only trying to be helpful with information I get from tesla. I am not trying to be a troll.

I even park my model 3 at a sales center because they don’t have one yet. I walk to work...This is to help Tesla and their sales.


What have u done?!? To help this forum and help the success of Tesla.

You only react to the last person who spoke in your ear without seeing the whole picture. Take the time to read the posts of others and not assume u understand the whole picture of the last thread u read.
I am currently a reservation (as the t-shirt says) and a Toyota Tundra with a key fob that must be taken out of my pocket and a button pressed to unlock :D

Not sure I understand the rest of your post. To be clear, I’m not saying that the phone key isn’t unreliable, because obviously people are having issues with it. I want Tesla to figure out the issues and get it working 100% reliably. I also think they should offer a regular fob at a reasonable price for people who want it (although it worries me that, if one were offered, they would use it as a fallback excuse to not fix the phone key, which for me is the best possible solution if it works).

The point of my post was as someone who has fairly extensive knowledge of how iOS works trying to prevent bad information from propagating. I was not intending to imply anything negative about your post or motivation and I can 100% believe that a Tesla rep would suggest every single one of those “fixes.”
 
Some good advice along with some completely useless advice.

The good:
Always keeping the phone OS and software up to date is a good idea in general.
Turning on background app refresh for the Tesla app might make it more reliable.
Toggling bluetooth off and on might fix it if it’s not working.

The bad:
Closing apps from the app switcher on an iPhone is pointless. The vast majority of those apps aren’t running or using any system resources other than a very small amount of memory. iOS intentionally limits what apps can do in the background and once the user stops using an app it is not allowed to run for very long.
The only way to keep an app running (ignoring some very hacky tricks that will get your app kicked out of the App Store) is for the user to interact with the app almost constantly. As soon as the user wants to do something else (make a phone call, text, put the phone in their pocket, etc) they have no control on
I am currently a reservation (as the t-shirt says) and a Toyota Tundra with a key fob that must be taken out of my pocket and a button pressed to unlock :D

Not sure I understand the rest of your post. To be clear, I’m not saying that the phone key isn’t unreliable, because obviously people are having issues with it. I want Tesla to figure out the issues and get it working 100% reliably. I also think they should offer a regular fob at a reasonable price for people who want it (although it worries me that, if one were offered, they would use it as a fallback excuse to not fix the phone key, which for me is the best possible solution if it works).

The point of my post was as someone who has fairly extensive knowledge of how iOS works trying to prevent bad information from propagating. I was not intending to imply anything negative about your post or motivation and I can 100% believe that a Tesla rep would suggest every single one of those “fixes.”
sorry I changed my post to reflect that u were not giving me a hard time. I appreciate that we are on the same page.
Can you help me understand then what api and Bluetooth have to do with each other. And also the Tesla rep told me connectivity failure has to do with amount of ram on my phone.
 
sorry I changed my post to reflect that u were not giving me a hard time. I appreciate that we are on the same page.
Can you help me understand then what api and Bluetooth have to do with each other. And also the Tesla rep told me connectivity failure has to do with amount of ram on my phone.
API is short for Application Programming Interface - basically a set of functions that are provided to the programmer of an application. Apple provides many API’s to app developers, including several that allow apps to make use of Bluetooth. In general, the way the phone key works (greatly simplified) is that the Tesla app is registering itself with the phone’s operating system, so that when iOS detects a specific bluetooth connection (in this case, to the car) it will start the app in the background (if it’s not already running) and allow it to communicate over that connection. The Tesla app uses functions that Apple provides as part of their Bluetooth API to accomplish this.

As for lack of ram on your phone, that is definitely a possibility. iOS is very conservative with background apps in order to maximize battery life and ensure available resources for things like answering phone calls. If your phone is resource constrained (including memory), it’s very possible that when the Bluetooth connection to the car is detected iOS will decide to delay notifying the Tesla app that the connection occurred - car doesn’t unlock. If this is actually what is happening then there’s not a whole lot you can do about it, as iOS allows you very little control over what is going on in the background. You might want to try turning off background app refresh for every app other than the Tesla one and see if that improves things.
 
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API is short for Application Programming Interface - basically a set of functions that are provided to the programmer of an application. Apple provides many API’s to app developers, including several that allow apps to make use of Bluetooth. In general, the way the phone key works (greatly simplified) is that the Tesla app is registering itself with the phone’s operating system, so that when iOS detects a specific bluetooth connection (in this case, to the car) it will start the app in the background (if it’s not already running) and allow it to communicate over that connection. The Tesla app uses functions that Apple provides as part of their Bluetooth API to accomplish this.

As for lack of ram on your phone, that is definitely a possibility. iOS is very conservative with background apps in order to maximize battery life and ensure available resources for things like answering phone calls. If your phone is resource constrained (including memory), it’s very possible that when the Bluetooth connection to the car is detected iOS will decide to delay notifying the Tesla app that the connection occurred - car doesn’t unlock. If this is actually what is happening then there’s not a whole lot you can do about it, as iOS allows you very little control over what is going on in the background. You might want to try turning off background app refresh for every app other than the Tesla one and see if that improves things.
Thank you for a straight answers to my questions.

I went under general settings and turned off all the background settings except for Tesla. I was having a higher success rate with some of the suggestions from a Tesla rep also. I appreciate u helping me understand what the rep stated to me regarding api and ram. Which means a key fob or me upgrading to a phone that has a higher ram. No comments or quotes are allowed here after this statement except for runt 8.

Thanking for not responding to the drama on this forum that I posted earlier.
U rock !
 
Thank you for a straight answers to my questions.

I went under general settings and turned off all the background settings except for Tesla. I was having a higher success rate with some of the suggestions from a Tesla rep also. I appreciate u helping me understand what the rep stated to me regarding api and ram. Which means a key fob or me upgrading to a phone that has a higher ram. No comments or quotes are allowed here after this statement except for runt 8.

Thanking for not responding to the drama on this forum that I posted earlier.
U rock !
No problem, glad I could help! Hopefully by the time I get my 3 (the wait is killing me!) Tesla will have the problems sorted out.
 
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That brings up another interesting point which I haven't seen discussed much: just how poor the location accuracy is when the car attempts to physically locate the phone keys.

Consumer Reports did a test on a Model 3 and they were able to start the car and drive away with the phone outside the car and as far away as 5 feet from the driver's door. And after driving away without the phone in the car, the car never alerted the driver that the phone was missing, which could turn into a big problem if you drive far from home and don't have the key card with you.

Last weekend I experienced the car letting me start it with the phone outside the car as in the Consumer Reports test.

I was streaming music from my iPhone to my garage stereo and my phone was on my workbench. I got in the car, it started up, and I was able to drive it outside the garage to wash it. I didn’t even realize I didn’t have a “key” in the car until I went back over to my workbench.

While I’m pretty tolerant of tech things like this and haven’t had any issues with the phone key preventing me from driving I would prefer a fob be available even if only for purchase as an accessory.

I’m under the impression that the Model X key is actually a BLE device and I don’t see any reason why that couldn’t be an alternate solution.

As it stands now it certainly seems like iPhone is the best way to go if you want good luck with the key. While I detest Android I would sure be frustrated to need to leave an ecosystem for a car key.
Driving without the key...
Appears the Model X is also able to be driven away without the fob inside.
 
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Multiple times the android phone has unlocked the car and then the car required the card only 10 seconds later to drive. Why would communication be lost when entering the car? Certainly my phone did not change unless the car did something to the app. Has Elon been twittered about the phone failure? Was it present on the first employee cars or if added later, when?
 
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Initially, my phone (LG V20, Android 7.0) was not working reliably as a key. It would only work about 20% of the time. Cycling Bluetooth did not help at all.
What did help was removing the phone from being programmed for the car and then readding it.
It has worked 100% of the time since then.
 
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Initially, my phone (LG V20, Android 7.0) was not working reliably as a key. It would only work about 20% of the time. Cycling Bluetooth did not help at all.
What did help was removing the phone from being programmed for the car and then readding it.
It has worked 100% of the time since then.
When the Tesla app went down a couple of weeks ago, I had shut down the app on my phone. When the app came back, I had to go through the process of reprogramming the app to the car. I ended up with the same two programmed phones with the car. I removed one of them recently and have had better success with the key phone. Not 100% though more like 90%
 
When the Tesla app went down a couple of weeks ago, I had shut down the app on my phone. When the app came back, I had to go through the process of reprogramming the app to the car. I ended up with the same two programmed phones with the car. I removed one of them recently and have had better success with the key phone. Not 100% though more like 90%

I hope it gets even more reliable for you.
90% can be frustrating, because you really expect it to work (and then it doesn't)

I don't know if you have recently, but I'd try rebooting, too. It helped my phone work better as a key when I was trying to get it up from 20% success (although not nearly as much as the removal and reassociation)
 
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