Tesla Companion App
- Thread starter castor
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- Model S User Interface
Tesla Companion is officially put to sleep, I supported this project 1 1/2 year, however it is very difficult to make a reliable software without any kind of support from the company.
Cloud services became unreliable as well, may be because of the throttling however Tesla doesn't give you any guidance how to avoid it.
Adding calendar support took a while since I had to put a lot of effort in the investigation, however I never know when Tesla will change the format and will stop working.
Even when many services like notifications, charge % slider, live tiles and scheduling were ahead of the official app, Tesla Companion always is playing catch-up on other features.
Same way Tesla likes to make awesome cars, I like to do awesome software, at this time I can't provide good quality software to Windows Phone users.
More information on the link below:
http://www.teslacompanion.com/?p=791
I would suggest write to Tesla and request to make an official app for Windows Phone.
Castor.
Cloud services became unreliable as well, may be because of the throttling however Tesla doesn't give you any guidance how to avoid it.
Adding calendar support took a while since I had to put a lot of effort in the investigation, however I never know when Tesla will change the format and will stop working.
Even when many services like notifications, charge % slider, live tiles and scheduling were ahead of the official app, Tesla Companion always is playing catch-up on other features.
Same way Tesla likes to make awesome cars, I like to do awesome software, at this time I can't provide good quality software to Windows Phone users.
More information on the link below:
http://www.teslacompanion.com/?p=791
I would suggest write to Tesla and request to make an official app for Windows Phone.
Castor.
invisik
Supporting Member
Rifleman
Now owns 2 Model S's!!!
Sorry to hear this. I just bought a new windows phone, and when I went to install this app, it was not available anymore. Almost makes me want to go back to my lumia 635 so I can keep the app. I completely understand why it is being shelved, however. Thanks for all the hard work you put into this, it was good while it lasted.
pvandamcom
Member
I wrote to Tesla last week about the situation (Service in Europe).
I will follow up that this is now critical as I can no longer control my Tesla without buying a new phone on a platform I don't use....
Writing a Phone app is probably not a quick task, but formally supporting 3rd party apps in the interim is the least they should do.
We all hope that if we manage to convince them that Castor will wake up his project again
I hope many people will write to Tesla about it.
I will follow up that this is now critical as I can no longer control my Tesla without buying a new phone on a platform I don't use....
Writing a Phone app is probably not a quick task, but formally supporting 3rd party apps in the interim is the least they should do.
We all hope that if we manage to convince them that Castor will wake up his project again
I hope many people will write to Tesla about it.
SlyWombat
Member
I sent this a week ago, no reply...
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 6:11 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: SN.. xxxxx
It looks like you are slowly restricting third party API access to the car’s. I rely upon my Nokia Windows Phone for use with my car and would not have bought the car without that app being available.
What are you plans to offer your own Windows Phone app as you block these third party apps?
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 6:11 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: SN.. xxxxx
It looks like you are slowly restricting third party API access to the car’s. I rely upon my Nokia Windows Phone for use with my car and would not have bought the car without that app being available.
What are you plans to offer your own Windows Phone app as you block these third party apps?
PaulW5
Paul Willemsen
Just send the question by twitter to Elon/Tesla/TeslaEU.
So just retweet it!
https://twitter.com/PSWillemsen
Hopefully something will happen......
Watch out for current users to update your Phone...I suppose that the app is gone after the update!
So just retweet it!
https://twitter.com/PSWillemsen
Hopefully something will happen......
Watch out for current users to update your Phone...I suppose that the app is gone after the update!
gmontem
Model S P01707
You should still be able to sideload the app if you can download the XAP file. If Castor doesn't mind me sharing the details, the link to the Tesla Companion listing is http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/tesla-companion/3ea4b242-30e2-44f1-9a98-3161c9d259cd
Visit this page from a web browser, but not through your Windows Phone. You will notice that the page reads "This app is no longer published", but if you scroll further down you should find a link named "Download and install manually". Click it and you will be able to download the XAP file. Click the "Learn more" link below it to find out how to side load it. Your phone does not need to have an SD card for this to work. You can copy the XAP file to your phone's memory (in my test I copied to the Downloads directory of my phone) as long if you can connect your phone to your computer. You might be able to copy the XAP file to your OneDrive and download that to your phone via OneDrive app.
Disclaimer: I tried this with a different app since I didn't want to uninstall Tesla Companion from my phone to figure out how to sideload an app. :wink:
I'm bumping this in the hopes that someone at Tesla reads this. There really is no excuse to not support the Tesla Companion App when you do not offer a windows phone app yourself.
I use to own an IPhone, then I realized how much it sucked.
[email protected]
Family, Racing, Karting, MTBing
pvandamcom
Member
I just received an answer from the EU Service department after asking their statement about the app for Windows.
They say that there are no plans to develop an official app for Windows and that is allowed to use a 3rd party app (they don't block it), but of course can't guarantee it works.
Whether 3rd party app developers are supported in keeping their apps working well to the latest features, is something they didn't choose to comment on.
They say that there are no plans to develop an official app for Windows and that is allowed to use a 3rd party app (they don't block it), but of course can't guarantee it works.
Whether 3rd party app developers are supported in keeping their apps working well to the latest features, is something they didn't choose to comment on.
Let’s see, one has to spend a humongous amount of time to create a professional Tesla App, the App is at risk to stop working at any time, so after 2 years of work it may stop working from one day to another and there is nothing that can be done, for every firmware upgrade Tesla Companion get outdated on something and then starts to receive bad reviews from users that complain something is not there, like is their right to have it when the App is FREE, no-ads and is a third-party without sponsor, then I have to run to figure out what Tesla changed or improved.
Even after a lot of reverse engineer currently the app may be a risks to be sued by Tesla or enforced to be removed from the marketplace since may be using private keys that are not shared by Tesla, and some specific reverse engineer would be incredible difficult to know like notifications since the magic happens on the Server side.
Imagine Tesla in couple years decide to come and do an official App, they can enforce Tesla Companion to be removed from the market or there are a 1000 ways to make it stop working, then all that work is gone.
Tesla does not offer any kind of official support.
But then come Tesla and say we don’t block anyone to use it, like "it's so simple to create an app, everyone could do it"
After lot of thinking and having headaches I would love to keep supporting Tesla Companion after 1 ½ year on marketplace, however there is no incentive to keep the app alive when is something Tesla should be doing.
If there is enough interest Tesla Companion can come back to the market as a $99 App.
Even after a lot of reverse engineer currently the app may be a risks to be sued by Tesla or enforced to be removed from the marketplace since may be using private keys that are not shared by Tesla, and some specific reverse engineer would be incredible difficult to know like notifications since the magic happens on the Server side.
Imagine Tesla in couple years decide to come and do an official App, they can enforce Tesla Companion to be removed from the market or there are a 1000 ways to make it stop working, then all that work is gone.
Tesla does not offer any kind of official support.
But then come Tesla and say we don’t block anyone to use it, like "it's so simple to create an app, everyone could do it"
After lot of thinking and having headaches I would love to keep supporting Tesla Companion after 1 ½ year on marketplace, however there is no incentive to keep the app alive when is something Tesla should be doing.
If there is enough interest Tesla Companion can come back to the market as a $99 App.
SlyWombat
Member
They have lost one sale now, a friend who is also a Nokia Windows Phone user was interested in placing a preorder the X, and saw me using the windows app and that closed the deal, but when he found out there was no app available he is no longer ordering the vehicle. As a "software forward" car, this is a key feature and selling point. castor, they should just offer to fund your development with joint rights.
Tesla Connect is still in the Windows Phone store, doesn't have all the functionality Companion had, but that there are no app options at all isn't true.
There is usaully no business case for developing Windows apps - which is why Microsoft habitually fund developers to build them. If you want all the good apps, best to buy an Apple or Android phone.
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