Strange Phone Key behaviour

[rengel79]

HI all, firstly apologies for a repeat of this question.. I'm sure it's happened before but can't find the exact article.
I've noticed with my tesla app on my iPhone 15 (latest IOS) that My Model Y '23 won't unlock unless I go into the app and hit the unlock button.. this has happened to me probably 3 or 4 times. Auto lock also didn't work when I walked away from the car... but 9/10 it works.
This morning my wife with her own individual profile and her own iPhone (13 max pro) setup as a normal user with a phone key has been driving for a couple of months using the phone key no issues, but the last week has noticed she needs to use her phone to unlock the car (via the app) and this morning it wouldn't allow her to drive at all until she hit the 'start' button on the app with her phone.. and my profile was still showing on the screen (usually it switches profile to her profile with her spotify account, etc... when it detects her phone.) She is also the primary driver as I only drive it on weekends as I commute to work via train.
Are there some recommended settings in the iphone that need to be on to ensure we don't hit this issue again? Anyone else had this issue?

 

[sfRonH]

I had a similar problem that started in the past few days. I've now fixed it.
PROBLEM WAS:
I am able to unlock and enter my car with the phone in my pocket.
But the car won't start, giving a message: "tap card key on console..."
Instead, I opened the app on my phone and tapped the "start car" button, and then the car said "keyless driving enabled" and I could continue.
SOLUTIONS
Screen Reboot did not fix it.
Closed and re-opened the Tesla App on my iPhone. Everything returned to normal. I don't know if it would have worked without the screen reboot. I'll guess yes, with no scientific basis for this guess.

 

[Goobers]

My brother-in-law had the same issue with his MYLR for a couple of days midweek. At first he used the card to start, then used the start button in the app after I mentioned it (was actually second time, but I guess he forgot since it was a while ago). Up until then, he had tried re-pairing the BT connection and restarting his phone. But then, the day after using the app to start, it "fixed itself," and worked normally as if there was nothing wrong.

He thought I fixed it, because he thought I used his MYLR to pick up my niece from practice. Not sure why he thought I used his MYLR, since I was already using my MYP the whole time. Plus, I don't have access to his MYLR, nor do they have access to my MYP (haven't had any reason for us to do so).

Anyway, the point was, the problem seemed to go away on its own.

 

[jkdman123]

The whole system is buggy. My car unlocks when I walk up to it only about 50-75% of the time. I need to wake up my phone to get it to unlock most times. But about once per month the whole thing goes catawampus and I need to log out of the app and log back in again in order for the phone key to work at all. Annoying. Especially since it used to work perfectly from about 2019 to 2021 or so. Then something changed and they haven't quite fixed it yet.

 

[Skavatar]

i've only had my MYLR for 2 months and this has happened once, while it was raining at the store. i kept turning bt off and on, still won't unlock. then i remembered a post on here about using the app to unlock.

also, a few times even though the bluetooth is connected to my Samsung S20FE, it says no key card present. i'd have to get out and close the door. turn bt off and on. then get in and it'll drive.

 

[alain99]

SNIP

Anyway, the point was, the problem seemed to go away on its own.

He probably rebooted his phone and that solved the problem.

 

[Goobers]

He probably rebooted his phone and that solved the problem.

Well, he told me what he did and when he did it... and between the last time it fail to when it "fixed itself," he said he didn't do anything. And that was why he thought I did something.

 

[VipinLJ]

My wife had the exact same problem with her iPhone today! I thought it was because we got a new MY and parked it next to the old one and the cars got confused as to which one she wanted to get into. Lol. She has to open her app and unlock it. I'll try what is mentioned here and see if it works for her.

I also had the exact same issue a few weeks back on my GS23 Ultra. To fix it there, all I had to do was enable airplane mode and then turn it back off. Haven't had an issue then.

 

[robjg63]

Samsung phones(maybe other android phones too) like to go all aggressive on power saving and put apps to sleep. I noticed my phone less likely to auto unlock for me when in battery saving mode. Usually just waking the phone by pressing the power button as you walk up to the car will make it work.
Probably better to not enable power saving mode I guess.

 

[VipinLJ]

Samsung phones(maybe other android phones too) like to go all aggressive on power saving and put apps to sleep. I noticed my phone less likely to auto unlock for me when in battery saving mode. Usually just waking the phone by pressing the power button as you walk up to the car will make it work.
Probably better to not enable power saving mode I guess.

My phone is never in power saving mode. Except for that one incident, I've not had issues with the app. I don't have to take my phone out or do anything to get the car to unlock.

The iPhone OTOH could be better. My wife's phone has issues where half the time, lock on walking away wouldn't work, even though it was enabled. It worked randomly. And today, she had this issue.

 

[Natdof]

HI all, firstly apologies for a repeat of this question.. I'm sure it's happened before but can't find the exact article.
I've noticed with my tesla app on my iPhone 15 (latest IOS) that My Model Y '23 won't unlock unless I go into the app and hit the unlock button.. this has happened to me probably 3 or 4 times. Auto lock also didn't work when I walked away from the car... but 9/10 it works.
This morning my wife with her own individual profile and her own iPhone (13 max pro) setup as a normal user with a phone key has been driving for a couple of months using the phone key no issues, but the last week has noticed she needs to use her phone to unlock the car (via the app) and this morning it wouldn't allow her to drive at all until she hit the 'start' button on the app with her phone.. and my profile was still showing on the screen (usually it switches profile to her profile with her spotify account, etc... when it detects her phone.) She is also the primary driver as I only drive it on weekends as I commute to work via train.
Are there some recommended settings in the iphone that need to be on to ensure we don't hit this issue again? Anyone else had this issue?

Have you tried reaching out to Tesla support for assistance? They might be able to provide specific troubleshooting steps or advice on any recommended settings for your iPhone to ensure smooth functionality. Also, checking for any updates to both the Tesla app and your iPhone's software could potentially address any compatibility issues.

 

[Goobers]

Have you tried reaching out to Tesla support for assistance? They might be able to provide specific troubleshooting steps or advice on any recommended settings for your iPhone to ensure smooth functionality. Also, checking for any updates to both the Tesla app and your iPhone's software could potentially address any compatibility issues.

I didn't mention it, but like my brother-in-law, I did go through the same situation... but it was a while ago. Let me add a little bit extra info, he has an iPhone and I have a Samsung phone. And possibly related, he has his MYLR set to standard updates while I have mine set to advance (he has 2024.3.x, while I was on 2024.8.x, now 2024.14.6).

When I had the issue, I did multiple things from rebooting the phone, unpairing/re-pairing the BT and even rebooting the car. Sometimes it worked for one day before having an issue the next day and sometimes nothing worked (not even accessing it through the app) and I had to use the card. And then one day, it stopped giving me trouble and worked like it should.

So, if you were to ask me "what fixed it?" I'd have no idea. Maybe there was a "micro-update" that didn't require the usual reboot at the end (and small enough that doesn't even require mentioning it to the owner). Maybe it was a backend update at Tesla's end. Maybe the issue was some odd interference that cleared up... who knows.

 

[alain99]

Did the phone get an update!

 

[Goobers]

Did the phone get an update!

Not at the time.

 

[snow_drive]

I had the same issue for a couple of days earlier this week. I tried rebooting the car, the phone, turning on and off bluetooth, etc... I did not try re-pairing the phone to the car, but that was next on my list. I just had to open the app on my phone or watch and unlock and start the car from it. After a couple of days, the problem just fixed itself. I had the same thing happen several months ago - two days of having to use the app, and then it just fixed itself. I have no idea why it does this, but it is annoying.

 

[alain99]

Not at the time.

So it seems it is the gremlins that solved the issue!
If it ever happens again try to get logged/detailed steps taken.

For me when something like this would happen the solution was turn off/on Bluetooth or a phone reboot, but does not seem to be that in this situation.

 

[Goobers]

So it seems it is the gremlins that solved the issue!
If it ever happens again try to get logged/detailed steps taken.

For me when something like this would happen the solution was turn off/on Bluetooth or a phone reboot, but does not seem to be that in this situation.

I've already stated the steps taken. And I've also said it could just as easily be fixed by things we have no control over. Is it really that hard to accept?

 

[jkdman123]

When my phone key acts up the thing I've found that can fix it is to log out of the app and then log back in again.

 

[alain99]

I've already stated the steps taken. And I've also said it could just as easily be fixed by things we have no control over. Is it really that hard to accept?

I did understand all the steps you have taken or your what your "bother in-law" did, you now all the Q's I had was become third hand information is often miss understood or has wildly changed from the first to the third person.

SO YES I did accept what all had been done, but my point was what worked for me in a similar situation might also work for others.

 

[bobbyjae]

This happens to me every now and then after a software update.

Here are the steps:
1. Close Tesla App
2. Restart Phone
3. Open Tesla App

It has to be in that order or it will not work. Good luck.