Walk-Away Fails With Wife's Phone

[PianoAl]

RESOLVED: My testing was flawed because the car was either too close to home or Exclude Home was selected for one of the driver profiles.

Walk-away lock works perfectly with my phone but fails to lock the car with my wife's phone.

• This happens with both of our cars.
• I've rebooted the screen.
• I've rebooted her phone.
• Both phones are Galaxy A51s running Android 13.
• If the car is locked, her phone works for unlocking the car (walk-up unlock).
• Her phone works for driving the car.
• My phone can be miles away, it still fails.
• There are no other fobs or phones nearby or in the car.
• Happens if app is running or not running.
• Her Tesla app is Unrestricted regarding battery use in the background (same as mine).
• She has the most recent Tesla app on her phone.
• I changed the Tesla password recently, but the problem may predate that.
• Since it works with my phone, I conclude it isn't an issue with a seatbelt or occupancy sensor.
• I've searched topics here and elsewhere.

Anything else to try?

Thanks.

 

[E90alex]

Have you tried turning off the walk away lock setting for a while (or maybe reboot) and then turning it back on?

Note that it may be different per profile so make sure to do that under her driver profile.

I still think Tesla needs a lock button on the outside so people can easily lock it if they don’t want to rely on the walk away door lock. I’ve resorted to hitting lock on the screen before getting out.

 

[PianoAl]

Thanks. Yes, I turned it off then on and confirmed that both of our profiles have walk-away lock on.

I'll try it with rebooting.

 

[RichAZ/CapeCod]

I had a similar issue with my new (Nov) MY AWD LR. Thought it wouldn't lock on leaving. Did all the re-booting you speak of. Turned out I have to be far (like +75 feet) away from the MY before the locking of the door would take place. Anyway, try and see if distance is an issue.

My M3 SR locks up quite soon after I step away. Go figure.

Just sayin'...

Rich

 

[PianoAl]

This happens with both of our cars.

That is incorrect. I had "Exclude home" enabled, and I tested by driving around the block and down to a school parking lot. But as the crow flies, that parking lot is only 1,000 feet from my home. I think both cars thought that was part of home.

Now, I've disabled "Exclude home" on both cars, and the walk-away lock with her phone works fine for Nick but not for Tessie.

Also, her phone occasionally fails to unlock the car immediately.

Tried Walk-away off, reboot, turn Walk-away on. No joy.

 

[jjrandorin]

I still think Tesla needs a lock button on the outside so people can easily lock it if they don’t want to rely on the walk away door lock.

I turned on the horn honk on lock, and I have gotten in the habit of taking out my phone while I walk away from the car, half listening for the horn honk. Thats why I know it can sometimes take up to 70-80 feet before the car locks. I have the tesla app on my phone open, looking at the screen while I walk away.

When the horn honks the status changes in the app basically in real time from unlocked to locked, but if it doesnt lock in a time frame I am comfortable with, I tap the lock icon to lock it myself.

Ideal? No. Just another quirk I deal with (there are several). None of them (the quirks) are enough to make me upset, just mildly annoyed, like this one.

 

[PianoAl]

Turned out I have to be far (like +75 feet) away from the MY before the locking of the door would take place.

Wow. I have found that I have to be farther away when behind the car than when in front. I will experiment.

 

[jjrandorin]

Wow. I have found that I have to be farther away when behind the car than when in front. I will experiment.

It definitely depends on which direction I am walking away from the car, in my experience, but I didnt mention that because:

1. I havent tried to test which direction is shorter or longer, I just noticed it
2. Its not something I can really control, I am not going to choose a parking spot based on which direction walk away lock works best (lol).

 

[PianoAl]

It's working now for both phones and both cars.

I think I made a mistake while testing in that I'd turned off "Exclude home" for one profile and not the other in Tessie. IOW: Operator error.

HOWEVER, this does not explain the fact that it failed for my wife yesterday when she was 7 miles from home and I was 30 miles away in the other car.

Bottom line, we still need to be vigilant for the locking honk when we walk away, which is probably a good idea anyway.

 

[E90alex]

Slight tangent, but I hate the horn on lock sound. It sounds so cheap and wimpy and quiet so I have it turned off.

Tesla should just play a sound clip for lock and unlock via the pedestrian warning speaker and let people set custom sounds. That’s way more useful than fart sounds.