Tesla App Is Draining My Iphone!

[hugh_jassol]

The delivery person told me I need to have the app location set to always on to ensure my phone key will reliably open the door. Is this true in your experience (s)?

no. I have mine set to "while using" and it's never failed.

 

[hugh_jassol]

I never close the Tesla app and it doesn't even rank 1% of battery usage. It just shows a - and it is literally the lowest app in my list of battery usage.

So a few questions:

1. What do you have the location services setting to: Never/While Using/Always?
2. Do you have background app refresh turned on or off?
3. Do you have the widget installed?

 

[SSonnentag]

So a few questions:

1. What do you have the location services setting to: Never/While Using/Always?
2. Do you have background app refresh turned on or off?
3. Do you have the widget installed?

1. Location: Always
2. Background Refresh: ON
3. Widget: Installed

iPhone XS Max

 

[aspec818]

I’ve been noticing this too. The app only recently started running in the background when not in use and draining my iPhone. It didn’t use to do that for sure as I always had a habit of checking battery usage. I bet one of the updates caused it to do that.

Maybe automatic sentry mode?

 

[hugh_jassol]

I’ve been noticing this too. The app only recently started running in the background when not in use and draining my iPhone. It didn’t use to do that for sure as I always had a habit of checking battery usage. I bet one of the updates caused it to do that.

Maybe automatic sentry mode?

I don't use automatic sentry mode

 

[Ferengii]

I just checked my iPhone X and have similar high usage results!

 

[idmfc]

Just got my Model 3 yesterday and I'm also experiencing high battery usage for the Tesla app on my XS using the latest iOS version.

 

[mswlogo]

Keep in mind Apple Battery usage is a bit confusing. It’s not percent of your battery but percent used compared to anything else that may be running. If your phone isn’t doing much of anything Tesla App may look proportionally larger.

My Tesla App shows 2%, compared to Safari, YouTube, mail which account for like 75%). If my phone was idle all day then the Tesla app would look proportionally larger. And my battery would not have drained much either.

 

[snations]

Not true for me. I have my Location for Tesla app set to "while using". When I'm headed out to the car I usually start the App to wake up the car and turn on Bluetooth. Usually recognizes me just fine by the time I get out there. As soon as I leave the car I close the App and turn off bluetooth (don't want it waking up the car everytime I walk out into the garage).

What's your setting for "Background App Refresh" on the Tesla App? If on, maybe that's the source of your battery drain.

 

[mswlogo]

Not true for me. I have my Location for Tesla app set to "while using". When I'm headed out to the car I usually start the App to wake up the car and turn on Bluetooth. Usually recognizes me just fine by the time I get out there. As soon as I leave the car I close the App and turn off bluetooth (don't want it waking up the car everytime I walk out into the garage).

What's your setting for "Background App Refresh" on the Tesla App? If on, maybe that's the source of your battery drain.

Boy, you sure do it the hard (wrong) way.

If you don’t have background app refresh and location always on you defeat the whole purpose of phone as key (IMHO). I always have those on (which is the default) and the Tesla App is 2% (of my phone usage, not 2% of my battery). Everyone’s phone usage is different. So the proportion of the Tesla App will be different for everyone. If you don’t use your phone a lot, the Tesla App will be high. If you use your phone a lot, the Tesla app should be low.

I never turn off bluetooth, never have to take my phone out of my pocket, never have to touch the Tesla App. As it was designed to do. Doors lock and unlock hands free. Just as my other car does with a Key Fob that also stays in my pocket.

 

[SSonnentag]

Over the past 10 days, 1% battery usage.

 

[hugh_jassol]

I never turn off bluetooth, never have to take my phone out of my pocket, never have to touch the Tesla App. As it was designed to do. Doors lock and unlock hands free. Just as my other car does with a Key Fob that also stays in my pocket.

Same here. I do not understand why people try to overthink this.

 

[hugh_jassol]

Keep in mind Apple Battery usage is a bit confusing. It’s not percent of your battery but percent used compared to anything else that may be running. If your phone isn’t doing much of anything Tesla App may look proportionally larger.

But wouldn't that still translate to: "Of all of the energy used by the phone in the last 24 hours, this is the breakdown of where that energy went."?

EDIT: And wouldn't that also mean, if, in 24 hours my iPhone went from full charged to 1% and the Tesla app shows 33% that 33% of my battery was consumed by the Tesla app? Because this is what I see...

 

[JBT66]

Sure it does.

There are really 4 things that the problem could be.

The phone hardware, some conflicting software on the phone, specifically the Tesla app on the phone, or the car.

Reboot the iPhone and car, and reinstall the Tesla app and call me in the morning.

It’s not a wide spread problem at this point.

 

[NathanielHrnblwr]

Mine started draining the battery too. was the top in terms of usage. The car hasn't moved for a few days either. I rarely do this, but I forced closed the app and reopened it. all has been well since.

 

[mswlogo]

But wouldn't that still translate to: "Of all of the energy used by the phone in the last 24 hours, this is the breakdown of where that energy went."?

EDIT: And wouldn't that also mean, if, in 24 hours my iPhone went from full charged to 1% and the Tesla app shows 33% that 33% of my battery was consumed by the Tesla app? Because this is what I see...

Yes, if you completely drained the battery in the last 24 hours then the percent is proportional to the battery usage. But that is rarely the case.

The way iOS displays usage can be very misleading. In general, the Tesla App behaves very good. I can’t say that there isn’t some weird corner case that might use more than you should.

 

[smatthew]

Not true for me. I have my Location for Tesla app set to "while using". When I'm headed out to the car I usually start the App to wake up the car and turn on Bluetooth. Usually recognizes me just fine by the time I get out there. As soon as I leave the car I close the App and turn off bluetooth (don't want it waking up the car everytime I walk out into the garage).

What's your setting for "Background App Refresh" on the Tesla App? If on, maybe that's the source of your battery drain.

The car hasn't woken up every time you walk by the car in a long long time. Now it doesn't wake up until you touch a handle.

 

[mswlogo]

The car hasn't woken up every time you walk by the car in a long long time. Now it doesn't wake up until you touch a handle.

I missed that, good catch.

You also have to be extremely close in proximity for it to unlock when you do touch the door handles.

 

[boaterva]

I missed that, good catch.

You also have to be extremely close in proximity for it to unlock when you do touch the door handles.

Since you are touching the door handles, I’d hope so?

So, here: iPhone XS and XS Max. App always running, refresh on, location always. No widget.

Minimal battery (3-5%). Always works. Only time it doesn’t if the app is set to Energy or another car.

If you have the widget and see large drain, try removing that. Easy enough to reinstall the widget.

 

[boaterva]

Mine started draining the battery too. was the top in terms of usage. The car hasn't moved for a few days either. I rarely do this, but I forced closed the app and reopened it. all has been well since.

And this is always possible. Apps get stuck. But a case where it does it all the time is weird.