# Android Phone Key



## scott franco (Apr 11, 2018)

If I turn the Android phone completely off then on again, I can get it to work as a M3 key. It works for about a day, then goes right back to failing again. The recommended procedure of enabling and disabling airplane mode has never worked for me.

Right now, I have given up and am using the credit card again. Sigh.


----------



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

What exact phone do you have?


----------



## PatrickM (Oct 3, 2017)

I would encourage you to make sure to report this as an issue to Tesla.

On a related note, as I posted in another thread but haven't seen anyone else discussing:
I was listening to the Consumer Reports video about the Tesla braking issue here:





And they mention in the video (starting at 12:12) that Elon implied that a key fob will be offered in the future (at time 13:16) by saying "we really need to provide a normal key to the customers of this car".


----------



## Al Casasola (Apr 21, 2018)

This happens on occasion to me with my iPhone 8 Plus. When I have issues I restart my phone and that usually fixes the issue. Not ideal but it's worked for me.


----------



## scott franco (Apr 11, 2018)

garsh said:


> What exact phone do you have?


Samsung G5


PatrickM said:


> I would encourage you to make sure to report this as an issue to Tesla.
> 
> On a related note, as I posted in another thread but haven't seen anyone else discussing:
> I was listening to the Consumer Reports video about the Tesla braking issue here:
> ...


That sounds like the right idea at this point. To many reports the phone thing does not work.


----------



## Steve (Apr 14, 2016)

Of course this is from just one person with one phone.....however.... I had an android phone with Bluetooth 4.1. The phone was a rather inexpensive LG 3 that I bought in 2017 with ATT as the provider. From the time my Model 3 was delivered (2-23-2018), until three weeks ago, I had very poor luck with using my phone as a key. I read that there is a newer 5.0 version of Bluetooth. With ATT, there was only 3 or 4 high end phones that offer 5.0. I decided to try a Samsung Galaxy S9 since it is on sale for 50% off. I was assured that I had at least two weeks to try it and that if the Bluetooth was not any better I could return the phone. I am happy to report that this phone with version 5.0 works about 95 to 98% of the time versus about 20% or less with the LG. Your results may very but I am happy with the Samsung Galaxy S9. By the way, I am very happy with my car R2D2, it is GREAT!!


----------



## scott franco (Apr 11, 2018)

Steve said:


> Of course this is from just one person with one phone.....however.... I had an android phone with Bluetooth 4.1. The phone was a rather inexpensive LG 3 that I bought in 2017 with ATT as the provider. From the time my Model 3 was delivered (2-23-2018), until three weeks ago, I had very poor luck with using my phone as a key. I read that there is a newer 5.0 version of Bluetooth. With ATT, there was only 3 or 4 high end phones that offer 5.0. I decided to try a Samsung Galaxy S9 since it is on sale for 50% off. I was assured that I had at least two weeks to try it and that if the Bluetooth was not any better I could return the phone. I am happy to report that this phone with version 5.0 works about 95 to 98% of the time versus about 20% or less with the LG. Your results may very but I am happy with the Samsung Galaxy S9. By the way, I am very happy with my car R2D2, it is GREAT!!


Higher power transmitter?


----------



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

scott franco said:


> Higher power transmitter?


Bluetooth 5 improves low-power modes, transmission speed, and transmission range.

Bluetooth 5 FAQ: Everything you need to know


----------



## scott franco (Apr 11, 2018)

garsh said:


> Bluetooth 5 improves low-power modes, transmission speed, and transmission range.
> 
> Bluetooth 5 FAQ: Everything you need to know


So you are saying this is all a plot in conjunction with Tesla to force me to buy a new phone??? I KNEW IT!!!


----------



## slasher016 (Sep 12, 2017)

scott franco said:


> So you are saying this is all a plot in conjunction with Tesla to force me to buy a new phone??? I KNEW IT!!!


Ha, but sadly, I do think this is a case where a newer phone is going to work better. I've had minimal problems running a Pixel XL, which is slightly "older" phone but obviously much newer than a GS5.


----------



## goto10 (Mar 15, 2018)

It's almost always worked perfectly for me with my Note 8.


----------



## Maevra (Oct 24, 2017)

Hardly ever have problems with my iPhone 6s. I've never had to restart (turn off the phone), just a couple BT on/offs or airplane mode on/offs.

I don't really blame Tesla since part of it is a BT issue and having stuff work perfectly across all devices is pretty slim, but yeah it's frustrating if yours happens to the the 1% of phones that just don't work well with it. +1 to a fob for such cases!


----------



## Unplugged (Apr 5, 2016)

Both my wife's and my Samsung S8 work good. At first, hers had a problem with recognizing, but I deleted it and added it back. Now it works all the time. 

Also, since getting her key out was a pain, I noticed that if she unlocked the doors through the phone app, it would work, and then recognize the phone from then on.


----------



## 3V Pilot (Sep 15, 2017)

I have a Samsung S8+ and it works great. The only regular flaw I've noticed is that once each morning I need to turn on airplane mode then turn it off again. Once I do that it phone works the rest of the day without issue. I did adjust one setting that I read about before I got the car, I think it was to allow the app to work in the background.


----------



## Rich M (Jul 28, 2017)

Haven't had a problem yet with Samsung Galaxy S8 Active. On Android, you need to add the Tesla app to the list of apps that are not allowed to be 'put to sleep' by the OS.


----------



## ahagge (May 6, 2017)

scott franco said:


> If I turn the Android phone completely off then on again, I can get it to work as a M3 key. It works for about a day, then goes right back to failing again. The recommended procedure of enabling and disabling airplane mode has never worked for me.
> 
> _*Edit: *_ Battery optimization for Telsa app turned off. No change in behavior.
> 
> Right now, I have given up and am using the credit card again. Sigh.


Ditto here (Moto G5+, Android 7.0), except that mine only works for a few hours, then disconnects and no amount of cycling Bluetooth, cycling Airplane mode, etc. will make it work. Only a reboot helps. I'm convinced that it's NOT the car, since my wife's older Moto G (2014, Android 5.1) works much better. Not 100%, but probably 85-90%.

I feel strongly that it's an Android issue (Bluetooth stack) and that it's the Tesla app for Android that needs to be fixed to work around the issues. In the meantime, I'm _praying_ that Tesla comes out with a Bluetooth keyfob for it. I'll gladly pay for one!


----------



## Reliev (Jun 3, 2017)

Rich M said:


> Haven't had a problem yet with Samsung Galaxy S8 Active. On Android, you need to add the Tesla app to the list of apps that are not allowed to be 'put to sleep' by the OS.


I agree we shouldn't have to do this but I disabled doze on my app and it actually works, we shouldn't have to do it but I'm sure there is a software fix, also as someone else stated Elon Musk addressed this issue in the breaking video with consumer reports.

for android users go to your battery settings 
go to battery usage scroll down to Tesla app 
go to battery optimization and choose not optimized (this prevents it from turning off).
Make sure you do this right after a restart and I haven't had problems since. (knock on wood)


----------



## GregRF (Sep 25, 2017)

Steve said:


> Of course this is from just one person with one phone.....however.... I had an android phone with Bluetooth 4.1. The phone was a rather inexpensive LG 3 that I bought in 2017 with ATT as the provider. From the time my Model 3 was delivered (2-23-2018), until three weeks ago, I had very poor luck with using my phone as a key. I read that there is a newer 5.0 version of Bluetooth. With ATT, there was only 3 or 4 high end phones that offer 5.0. I decided to try a Samsung Galaxy S9 since it is on sale for 50% off. I was assured that I had at least two weeks to try it and that if the Bluetooth was not any better I could return the phone. I am happy to report that this phone with version 5.0 works about 95 to 98% of the time versus about 20% or less with the LG. Your results may very but I am happy with the Samsung Galaxy S9. By the way, I am very happy with my car R2D2, it is GREAT!!


I have an LG phone, Nexus 5X that says it has bluetooth 4.2 which seems to work fairly well. I do have the Battery Optimization turned off for the Tesla app.


----------



## oey192 (Sep 1, 2017)

They should provide all 3 options for all Tesla customers (Model S, X, and 3): key fob, “credit card” backup, and phone key. That way we get the best of all worlds based on what we find works for us and what doesn’t

(The credit card is a great backup for those whose phones work 98+% of the time so people who use the phone key need both. For people using the fob, they could leave their credit card backups in a drawe somewhere)

iPhone X user here. I’ve had the car a week and the phone key has failed for me once. Disabling and reenabling Bluetooth fixed it but it was still annoying


----------



## Rich M (Jul 28, 2017)

relidtm said:


> we shouldn't have to do this but I disabled doze on my app and it actually works, we shouldn't have to do it but I'm sure there is a software fix,


There's nothing an app author can do, Tesla or otherwise, that would prevent an app from sleeping. That is up to Android's OS.


----------



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

relidtm said:


> for android users go to your battery settings
> go to battery usage scroll down to Tesla app
> go to battery optimization and choose not optimized (this prevents it from turning off).
> Make sure you do this right after a restart and I haven't had problems since. (knock on wood)


Those instructions won't work for newer Android phones with updated battery settings.

The following should work:

Settings app -> Battery
Click the 3 dots menu in the upper right & select "Battery optimization".
Change the "Not optimized" drop down to "All apps".
Find the Tesla app in the list and select it.
Change the setting from "Optimize" to "Don't optimize"
This should prevent the Android OS from pausing the app to conserve battery use.


----------



## Asnpcwiz (Sep 26, 2017)

I don't really understand the inconsistencies between the apps. Is it phone based? OS version? 

I'm on Oreo with my Note 8 and I don't have the battery optimization on. My phone as key is lightyears better than my wife's iPhone X on the lastest iOS. She actually has to take out her phone for it to work, my just works every time without fail.


----------



## Frank99 (Aug 3, 2017)

>>> I don't really understand the inconsistencies between the apps. Is it phone based? OS version?

Some of it is Hardware based - The Samsung S8/Note 8 and the iPhone 8/X have Bluetooth 5.0 hardware support, where almost all other 2017 (and all previous phones) had Bluetooth 4.2 hardware support. The main improvements in Bluetooth 5.0 center on BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), which as I understand it is what the car is using for key functions.

Some of it is OS based - I have a Galaxy S6 running Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), which doesn't support BLE very well at all in the way Tesla is trying to use it. Your Note 8 with Android 8.0 certainly has a lot of Bluetooth software improvements. 

And some of it is based on the internal hardware of the phone. In the iPhone world, Apple builds everything, and uses one piece of Bluetooth hardware and software in a generation of phones. In the Android world, there are two dozen phone manufacturers using a dozen different bits of Bluetooth hardware (of varying quality and cost) and software.


----------



## @gravityrydr (Apr 12, 2016)

My iPhone 6 works mostly as intended. My Moto G5+ (Android 7.0) has been spotty at best. The unlock on grabbing the handle has only worked a couple of times. Occasionally I have unlocked using the keycard but have not needed the keycard to start the car (weird). As Frank99 pointed out there are many flavors of Android out there and Tesla is not going to have an easy time developing a reliable Android key app.


----------



## MrMatt (Jun 1, 2018)

I have an S7 and its failed me twice in the past two days. If i wait a few seconds, it seems to "find" the phone so I havent had to turn off bluetooth yet. I just updated my settings to not allow it to Doze in case that helps. Frustrating on a brand new car with no other options (keycard isnt really viable).


----------



## slasher016 (Sep 12, 2017)

Mine's been working pretty darn well until the latest Tesla app update. Now it's very sporadic. One step forward...


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

This is not an Apple/Android problem, it's a Bluetooth problem. The Bluetooth standard is super complicated, used for many purposes and suffers from "design by committee". Also, there is a whole slew of settings in the OS that affect the behavior of Bluetooth (from power savings settings, location permissions, individual app permissions, etc.). 

Samsung S8 and S9 have the latest spec of Bluetooth (ver. 5) and, with appropriate settings seems very reliable. As soon as I touch the door handle, it works.


----------



## Triet (Mar 13, 2018)

I have a Note 8 and it has never failed me.


----------



## Argyle (Feb 28, 2018)

For those with Pixel or Nexus phones, the latest security update supposedly has Bluetooth Low Energy fixes in it that could improve the phone key performance. Anyone notice any improvements?

https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/pixel/2018-06-01#functional-patches


----------



## littlD (Apr 17, 2016)

Argyle said:


> For those with Pixel or Nexus phones, the latest security update supposedly has Bluetooth Low Energy fixes in it that could improve the phone key performance. Anyone notice any improvements?
> 
> https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/pixel/2018-06-01#functional-patches


I have a Pixel 2 and will see if the occasional hiccup is now gone. Worked 95% of the time with battery optimization off.


----------



## phigment (Apr 9, 2017)

I don't recall mine failing once yet... Crossing fingers.

Samsung s7 edge


----------



## Reliev (Jun 3, 2017)

ahh earlier versions of android you could do this before the bigger doze feature. still ill take it


----------



## slasher016 (Sep 12, 2017)

Argyle said:


> For those with Pixel or Nexus phones, the latest security update supposedly has Bluetooth Low Energy fixes in it that could improve the phone key performance. Anyone notice any improvements?
> 
> https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/pixel/2018-06-01#functional-patches


Sweet, I'm installing now, mine was about 90% effective, hopefully we're closer to 100% after this.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

@gravityrydr said:


> My iPhone 6 works mostly as intended.


Until you get it to work 100%, it's not working as intended. I don't know what kind of settings are available on iPhone that affects Bluetooth behaviour but Android OS has a lot! Some work on the individual app layer and some work on the OS layer. Once you have "freed up" Bluetooth it's always ready (at least on the two Android phones, S8&S9, we have paired with the Model 3).


----------



## @gravityrydr (Apr 12, 2016)

PNWmisty said:


> Until you get it to work 100%, it's not working as intended.


I was being conservative in my evaluation. I have not fully tested the iPhone, as the Android is my daily phone.


----------



## Reliev (Jun 3, 2017)

garsh said:


> Those instructions won't work for newer Android phones with updated battery settings.
> 
> The following should work:
> 
> ...


The instructions i wrote was for my pixel 2 xl. it worked fine


----------



## Reliev (Jun 3, 2017)

Argyle said:


> For those with Pixel or Nexus phones, the latest security update supposedly has Bluetooth Low Energy fixes in it that could improve the phone key performance. Anyone notice any improvements?
> 
> https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/pixel/2018-06-01#functional-patches


when does this patch go live? I haven't had any real issues since @Rich M reminded me of the doze feature. Actually, it happened once in the rain in the Costco parking lot (probably the worst time it could have failed). has this update go live ?


----------



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

relidtm said:


> The instructions i wrote was for my pixel 2 xl. it worked fine


I'm running version 8.0.0 of the Settings app.
I am unable to follow your instructions with this version.



relidtm said:


> for android users go to your battery settings
> go to battery usage scroll down to Tesla app


If I go to Settings, Battery, there is now a "Usage Details" button.
If I click on that, there is now an "Apps" entry in the list (along with "Mobile network standby", "System", "Phone idle", etc.), but individual apps no longer appear in this version.


----------



## slasher016 (Sep 12, 2017)

relidtm said:


> when does this patch go live? I haven't had any real issues since @Rich M reminded me of the doze feature. Actually, it happened once in the rain in the Costco parking lot (probably the worst time it could have failed). has this update go live ?


It's live for certain phones now. It depends where you are on the cycle for your mobile provider. I installed it this morning on Project Fi.


----------



## Reliev (Jun 3, 2017)

I have tmobile this may be a good thing let us know if there are any issues.


----------



## @gravityrydr (Apr 12, 2016)

Frank99 said:


> >>>
> 
> Some of it is OS based - I have a Galaxy S6 running Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), which doesn't support BLE very well at all in the way Tesla is trying to use it. Your Note 8 with Android 8.0 certainly has a lot of Bluetooth software improvements.
> 
> And some of it is based on the internal hardware of the phone. In the iPhone world, Apple builds everything, and uses one piece of Bluetooth hardware and software in a generation of phones. In the Android world, there are two dozen phone manufacturers using a dozen different bits of Bluetooth hardware (of varying quality and cost) and software.


That's the biggest issue with Android. There are so many different iterations out there and Google until 6.0 was was dependant on the carriers and phone manufacturers to get updates out to customers. Hopefully, this all gets sorted out soon


----------



## jsmay311 (Oct 2, 2017)

This is a bit off-topic, so please forgive me, but...

When the phone key IS working and the UMC is plugged into the charge port, can you release the charge connector from the charge port BEFORE unlocking one of the doors? Or do you still have to press one of the door/trunk handles first to unlock the doors before the charge connector can be removed from the charge port?


----------



## Argyle (Feb 28, 2018)

relidtm said:


> when does this patch go live? I haven't had any real issues since @Rich M reminded me of the doze feature. Actually, it happened once in the rain in the Costco parking lot (probably the worst time it could have failed). has this update go live ?


It was live before I made my post actually, I already have it installed... You can always force the issue by sideloading an OTA image, and I think mashing the update button works too.


----------



## NEO (Jun 28, 2017)

I have a Pixel and I updated this morning and it still isn't working. I have to open the app and find the car for it to work, I have pretty much given up hope at this point. It does lock the car at least.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

NEO said:


> I have a Pixel and I updated this morning and it still isn't working. I have to open the app and find the car for it to work, I have pretty much given up hope at this point. It does lock the car at least.


It sounds like your Bluetooth may be going to sleep for battery saving purposes. There are a lot of settings I would try changing before I gave up.

And definitely make sure you have enabled the phone to work as a key in the Tesla phone app. Because I believe you can use the phone to drive the car even when the "Phone as key" is not enabled.


----------



## @gravityrydr (Apr 12, 2016)

jsmay311 said:


> This is a bit off-topic, so please forgive me, but...
> 
> When the phone key IS working and the UMC is plugged into the charge port, can you release the charge connector from the charge port BEFORE unlocking one of the doors? Or do you still have to press one of the door/trunk handles first to unlock the doors before the charge connector can be removed from the charge port?


To unplug the charger the car has to be unlocked. That means either remote unlocking via the app, unlock by using the key card or by pulling on the door handle if your phone is recognized. The car does not unlock until you pull on a handle if you are using the phone as a key.


----------



## jsmay311 (Oct 2, 2017)

@gravityrydr said:


> To unplug the charger the car has to be unlocked. That means either remote unlocking via the app, unlock by using the key card or by pulling on the door handle if your phone is recognized. The car does not unlock until you pull on a handle if you are using the phone as a key.


Don't other Teslas allow you to remove the charge connector by simply pressing the button on the connector handle?

Someone else had posted a few weeks back that the Model 3 had gotten this capability in a software update, but I hadn't seen any confirmation yet. If the M3 still lacks this capability, it seems like a clear bug to me.


----------



## Maevra (Oct 24, 2017)

I have an iPhone so obv. can’t comment on Android, but I’ve never really had a problem with disconnecting the charger (as long as it’s a Tesla Wall Connector or Supercharger) from the car before opening a door. Some hiccups here and there when the car didnt wake up in time, but 90% of the time it works.


----------



## John Slaby (Mar 31, 2017)

Just a quick thank you to those who have been posting on this thread. It has been very helpful to me. I have a pixel and the phone key has been pretty good, but not excellent. The suggestions have been helpful, especially the update to improve BLE. I am now considering the Pixel 2 which has bluetooth 5 (the pixel has 4.2) to make it even better. Thanks all


----------



## slasher016 (Sep 12, 2017)

NEO said:


> I have a Pixel and I updated this morning and it still isn't working. I have to open the app and find the car for it to work, I have pretty much given up hope at this point. It does lock the car at least.


I'm running a Pixel XL and since this update I've had a 100% success rate. Small sample size so far, but perfect so far. Do you have battery optimization turned off for the Tesla app?


----------



## NEO (Jun 28, 2017)

slasher016 said:


> I'm running a Pixel XL and since this update I've had a 100% success rate. Small sample size so far, but perfect so far. Do you have battery optimization turned off for the Tesla app?


Yes, now I just need to figure out what other settings I have that is turning off the bluetooth. I just turned off battery optimization for BT so we'll see if that helps.


----------



## Coeus (Apr 15, 2018)

jsmay311 said:


> This is a bit off-topic, so please forgive me, but...
> 
> When the phone key IS working and the UMC is plugged into the charge port, can you release the charge connector from the charge port BEFORE unlocking one of the doors? Or do you still have to press one of the door/trunk handles first to unlock the doors before the charge connector can be removed from the charge port?


As of 18.13, if your phone key is working properly, you can just push the button on the charger and unplug it without unlocking the car. I do this every morning now when before I had to open a door/trunk/etc.


----------



## slasher016 (Sep 12, 2017)

Coeus said:


> As of 18.13, if your phone key is working properly, you can just push the button on the charger and unplug it without unlocking the car. I do this every morning now when before I had to open a door/trunk/etc.


I'm on 20.5 and this has never worked for me. I either unlock the door or do the trunk.


----------



## jsmay311 (Oct 2, 2017)

Coeus said:


> As of 18.13, if your phone key is working properly, you can just push the button on the charger and unplug it without unlocking the car. I do this every morning now when before I had to open a door/trunk/etc.





slasher016 said:


> I'm on 20.5 and this has never worked for me. I either unlock the door or do the trunk.


So I guess 50% of the time it works every time.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

Coeus said:


> As of 18.13, if your phone key is working properly, you can just push the button on the charger and unplug it without unlocking the car. I do this every morning now when before I had to open a door/trunk/etc.


That's how it's always worked for me. Seamlessly.


----------



## realtycoon (Sep 29, 2017)

slasher016 said:


> I'm running a Pixel XL and since this update I've had a 100% success rate. Small sample size so far, but perfect so far. Do you have battery optimization turned off for the Tesla app?


Are you talking about the Pixel June Software update or the latest Model 3 Software?

I have a Pixel 1 XL, the bluetooth is unreliable (I've have all the battery optimization settings set properly). Updated my Pixel with the June update, but still unreliable.


----------



## slasher016 (Sep 12, 2017)

realtycoon said:


> Are you talking about the Pixel June Software update or the latest Model 3 Software?
> 
> I have a Pixel 1 XL, the bluetooth is unreliable (I've have all the battery optimization settings set properly). Updated my Pixel with the June update, but still unreliable.


Yes the June update that included Bluetooth Low Energy updates. Mine was only 100% for a couple days. Now it's back to "normal" which is about 85% success rate.


----------



## John Slaby (Mar 31, 2017)

slasher016 said:


> Yes the June update that included Bluetooth Low Energy updates. Mine was only 100% for a couple days. Now it's back to "normal" which is about 85% success rate.


I'm having much better success with that update (and the settings changes) as well on my Pixel 1. Prior to that, I had to take the phone out of my pocket every time. Now, I seldom have to. I used to have to restart the phone when it wouldn't connect. Now, I have only had to go in/out of airplane mode. So, overall, while its still not perfect, it is much better.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

realtycoon said:


> Are you talking about the Pixel June Software update or the latest Model 3 Software?
> 
> I have a Pixel 1 XL, the bluetooth is unreliable (I've have all the battery optimization settings set properly). Updated my Pixel with the June update, but still unreliable.


I'm not familiar with the Pixel phones, it could be the Bluetooth hardware implementation is deficient when it comes to keeping Bluetooth active and reliable. On the other hand, I think it's pretty ****y to be sure you have all the phone settings set properly. On the second read, I see that you only claim to have the "Bluetooth settings" set properly. I'll point out that there are a number of settings that can affect this function that are not "Bluetooth settings" per say (assuming your settings menu is anything like the ones on my Samsung phones).

It might pay to go through all settings carefully and thoughtfully. Don't assume a setting will not affect this functionality without thinking each one through or using Google to learn more about the setting.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

garsh said:


> I'm running version 8.0.0 of the Settings app.
> I am unable to follow your instructions with this version.
> 
> If I go to Settings, Battery, there is now a "Usage Details" button.
> If I click on that, there is now an "Apps" entry in the list (along with "Mobile network standby", "System", "Phone idle", etc.), but individual apps no longer appear in this version.


Did you resolve this yet?

I'm running Android 8 on Samsung so there will be differences but some menus may have "Advanced settings". On my phone, these advanced settings are accessed by tapping the vertical line of three little dots in the upper right-hand corner.

In my "battery", "advanced settings" is the "app power monitor" which turns the ability to monitor individual apps "on" or "off". If yours is "off" that may explain why you can't access a menu to individually control the sleep behaviour of individual apps.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

John Slaby said:


> I'm having much better success with that update (and the settings changes) as well on my Pixel 1. Prior to that, I had to take the phone out of my pocket every time. Now, I seldom have to. I used to have to restart the phone when it wouldn't connect. Now, I have only had to go in/out of airplane mode. So, overall, while its still not perfect, it is much better.


Have you browsed your "connection" settings? Again, I'm unfamiliar with Pixel menus but my "connections" menu has "more connection settings" at the bottom which contains a "Nearby device Scanning" option ("on" or "off"). When I click on the setting it explains "Scan for and connect to nearby devices easily" and "Low energy scanning can be used even while Bluetooth is turned off on this phone".

I have this setting turned on.

Also, I don't know if the following setting is relevant to using the phone as a key with the Tesla app but it's possible. There is a "Location Method" setting in the "Location" menu. The options are:
High Accuracy (Uses GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks) to triangulate your location.
Battery Saving (Uses Wi-Fi and mobile networks only)
Phone only (Uses GPS only)

I have "High Accuracy" turned on.

It's possible the Tesla app uses location to know when to "wake up" and be ready to unlock (because Bluetooth is short-range only).


----------



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

PNWmisty said:


> I'm running Android 8 on Samsung


What's the version for your Settings app in particular, rather than your version of Android?
To find this, go to Settings -> App & Notifications -> App info -> Settings.
Scrolling to the bottom of that screen, mine says "version 8.0.0".


> In my "battery", "advanced settings" is the "app power monitor" which turns the ability to monitor individual apps "on" or "off". If yours is "off" that may explain why you can't access a menu to individually control the sleep behaviour of individual apps.


I don't have any of that under the "three dots" menu.
I know that older versions of the settings app allowed me to see individual apps.
Also, you might have a Samsung-specific settings app.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

garsh said:


> What's the version for your Settings app in particular, rather than your version of Android?
> To find this, go to Settings -> App & Notifications -> App info -> Settings.
> Scrolling to the bottom of that screen, mine says "version 8.0.0".


My S8 with Verizon has separate menus for "Apps" and "Notifications" and I couldn't locate any version numbers for a "settings" app.



> Also, you might have a Samsung-specific settings app.


Yes, very likely.

Are there any owners of phones out there that support Bluetooth V 5 that are having trouble using their phone as a key. Because I'm thinking the best solution for those having the intermittent operation is to upgrade to a phone supporting Bluetooth 5 (and of course making sure ALL settings, not just Bluetooth settings, are optimized for this purpose).


----------



## Mesprit87 (Oct 29, 2017)

I have a windows phone,

OK, forget it


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

Mesprit87 said:


> I have a windows phone,
> 
> OK, forget it


I know. My wife had to get a new phone for the Model 3. She was OK with the lack of app support for the Windows Phone OS until we got the Model 3. The upside is she got a new Android phone that supports Bluetooth 5.


----------



## Mesprit87 (Oct 29, 2017)

Will probably use the card until I'm really fed up.
Even if it's an old Nokia, the camera beats the one on my wife's G4, I'm probably going to miss it.


----------



## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

Mesprit87 said:


> I have a windows phone,
> 
> OK, forget it


there are a few... I think @BellevueEd was one (or am I just thinking that being he is in Microsoftland and was someone else...)


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

Mesprit87 said:


> Even if it's an old Nokia, the camera beats the one on my wife's G4, I'm probably going to miss it.


I liked the camera on my last Windows Phone (Lumia Icon, Nokia 929) but this is 2018 and there are a number of better ones available. The Samsung S9 has an f1.5 aperture lens and takes superior pics in low light but also has f 2.4 for daylight use.


----------



## tim-sutherland (Apr 8, 2018)

One day after the latest update on my nexus 5x and no failures so far... Although I did just make a tasker action to turn off and on the Bluetooth once at 2am. So not sure which has helped so far.


----------



## John Slaby (Mar 31, 2017)

PNWmisty said:


> I liked the camera on my last Windows Phone (Lumia Icon, Nokia 929) but this is 2018 and there are a number of better ones available. The Samsung S9 has an f1.5 aperture lens and takes superior pics in low light but also has f 2.4 for daylight use.


I was a die hard Windows phone user (loved the Lumias) but finally caved when lack of apps really started to hurt. About a year and a half ago I got a Pixel and my wife got an iPhone. Still think it was superior in many ways, but so was BetaMax  The Pixel, with a bit of work on the settings, has been a reliable phone key.


----------



## greatwiseone (Sep 12, 2017)

I have an Essential phone and have had basically no issues with the phone as a key. On the first day it was a bit iffy, but i haven't had a single issue since.


----------



## BellevueEd (Apr 12, 2016)

MelindaV said:


> there are a few... I think @BellevueEd was one (or am I just thinking that being he is in Microsoftland and was someone else...)


I caved on keeping my Windows phone and ordered a Nokia 6.1 Android 3 days before taking delivery of my M3. A major step backwards from a modern UI. The Nokia has Bluetooth 5, and seems to work most of the time. Occasionally I have to use the card to unlock and lock after I walk away. I may be reacting too soon to the M3 not self-locking on walk-away. On a side note, my M3 is red, and on the display it's difficult to know when the brake lights turn on when regenerative braking is happening, so am quite conscious of vehicles behind me being sure they know I'm slowing down. Be nice to change the color of the M3 icon on the screen so that the 'brake' lights would be more visible.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

BellevueEd said:


> Occasionally I have to use the card to unlock and lock after I walk away. I may be reacting too soon to the M3 not self-locking on walk-away.


Be aware that if you unlock the car with your key card, the car will not auto-lock on exit. That's why I think it's best to get your phone settings such that the unlock w/phone always works.



> On a side note, my M3 is red, and on the display it's difficult to know when the brake lights turn on when regenerative braking is happening, so am quite conscious of vehicles behind me being sure they know I'm slowing down. Be nice to change the color of the M3 icon on the screen so that the 'brake' lights would be more visible.


I absolutely cannot see the brake lights at all on the display and my Model 3 is white. I have a bit of colorblindness (as do 10% of all males). I wish they made the brake lights on the display brighter.


----------



## NEO (Jun 28, 2017)

Seems to be working much better after the last Tesla update on my Pixel.


----------



## BellevueEd (Apr 12, 2016)

PNWmisty said:


> Be aware that if you unlock the car with your key card, the car will not auto-lock on exit. That's why I think it's best to get your phone settings such that the unlock w/phone always works.
> 
> I absolutely cannot see the brake lights at all on the display and my Model 3 is white. I have a bit of colorblindness (as do 10% of all males). I wish they made the brake lights on the display brighter.


That's great information on the use of the key card and auto unlock. If it's documented, I read right over it. And, yes, the brake light display is pathetic, mine compounded by the color of my car's image.


----------



## keiso (Apr 30, 2016)

I have sony xperia ultra. Phone key never worked since picked up car about 10 days ago. Got an update this morning. Looks like from android 7 to 8. Phone key now works. Let's hope it lasts.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

keiso said:


> I have sony xperia ultra. Phone key never worked since picked up car about 10 days ago. Got an update this morning. Looks like from android 7 to 8. Phone key now works. Let's hope it lasts.


That's good to hear!

My wife's S9 came with Android 8 (Oreo) which rolled out for most phones quite recently. At first, her phone didn't work reliably as a key. I changed a few setting (unfortunately, I didn't record them) and it's been working perfectly ever since. One setting I remember changing was location accuracy (set to high accuracy). Another was "Phone Visibility" under "Connections" (turned to "on"). Also, in the "Device Maintenance", "Battery" section there is a section called "App Power Monitor" and an option to add apps that will not be monitored for power usage. This prevents the Tesla app from being put to sleep under certain power-saving situations. Depending upon how other power saving settings are configured, your phone might go into power saving mode automatically at a certain battery state or you might enter power saving mode manually. Either way, adding the Tesla app to "unmonitored apps" prevents it from being put to sleep. I changed a couple of other settings that I just don't recall. I don't know if the Tesla app uses location to vary the frequency with which it looks for Bluetooth signals but I figured it couldn't hurt to set it to "high accuracy" just in case. "High accuracy" uses a combination of GPS, WiFi, and mobile networks to estimate location more reliably than GPS alone (because GPS signals may be weak or blocked in some situations).

These setting and the menu locations will vary from device to device and with different carriers.


----------



## xnappo (Jun 3, 2017)

I finally got my Android phone to work as a key 100% of the time!




  








Phonecard




__
xnappo


__
Jul 28, 2018


----------



## JeopardE (Mar 24, 2018)

Phone key has been fairly reliable on my Galaxy S8 Plus. There were a couple of days it acted up but I think the car itself was being a little weird, enough for me to call service about it. But then it fixed itself and has been fine ever since.

It's actually quite uncanny how well it works. One of my favorite features.


----------



## xnappo (Jun 3, 2017)

Mine is weirdly stable then not. Can't find a pattern.. Of course turned off optimization.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

xnappo said:


> Mine is weirdly stable then not. Can't find a pattern.. Of course turned off optimization.


Make a note if it only happens below a certain state of charge. My S8+ has power saving options that only take effect below a user set SoC threshold that can prevent it from working when the battery falls below that level of charge.


----------



## littlD (Apr 17, 2016)

PNWmisty said:


> Make a note if it only happens below a certain state of charge. My S8+ has power saving options that only take effect below a user set SoC threshold that can prevent it from working when the battery falls below that level of charge.


Good point, we often focus on our Model 3, but we need to also think about our phones (their state of charge, settings, etc)


----------



## JeopardE (Mar 24, 2018)

I have had service tell me as much ... Phone key functionality can be affected if your phone battery is low.


----------



## xnappo (Jun 3, 2017)

Just for the record - low battery was not an issue when I was having problems. 

And while I agree phones play a role, that doesn't matter to the general public in terms of product satisfaction. I can deal, but it will be a disappointment to some.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

xnappo said:


> And while I agree phones play a role, that doesn't matter to the general public in terms of product satisfaction. I can deal, but it will be a disappointment to some.


My papa told me "You can please some of the people, some of the time, but you can't please all of the people, all of the time.".


----------



## Model3P75D (Jul 22, 2018)

scott franco said:


> If I turn the Android phone completely off then on again, I can get it to work as a M3 key. It works for about a day, then goes right back to failing again. The recommended procedure of enabling and disabling airplane mode has never worked for me.
> 
> Right now, I have given up and am using the credit card again. Sigh.


I agree. I have LG6 and its about the same, it works but not consistently!. Although the tesla app suggested turning the ariplane mode on and off and it worked. But it shouldn't need that complexity.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

Model3P75D said:


> I agree. I have LG6 and its about the same, it works but not consistently!. Although the tesla app suggested turning the ariplane mode on and off and it worked. But it shouldn't need that complexity.


When you say "But it shouldn't need that complexity" I assume you are talking about the phone? If so, I agree. There should be a way to set the phone up where it doesn't shut down Bluetooth if an app that is requesting Bluetooth is running in the background.


----------



## Model3P75D (Jul 22, 2018)

PNWmisty said:


> When you say "But it shouldn't need that complexity" I assume you are talking about the phone? If so, I agree. There should be a way to set the phone up where it doesn't shut down Bluetooth if an app that is requesting Bluetooth is running in the background.


----------



## Model3P75D (Jul 22, 2018)

i think theres a way in the android settings to keep an app running. but it could drain the battery fast. then you need to use the card to unlock. Its catch 22!


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

Model3P75D said:


> i think theres a way in the android settings to keep an app running. but it could drain the battery fast. then you need to use the card to unlock. Its catch 22!


That's incorrect. The Tesla app has never had high drain on my phone and I keep it running 24/7 regardless of my phones battery state. My S8 will go two days on a charge with my normal low talking/surfing use pattern. I even have the "Always on Display" enabled. There is no "Catch-22" here.

If you have a high drain on your phone it's another app (or apps). Android allows you to set specific sleep properties for each app individually. Some apps could even cause your Bluetooth stack to overflow which could affect it's ability to act as a key. Always run only necessary apps from quality developers.


----------



## Model3P75D (Jul 22, 2018)

Thanks. I think you are correct.


----------



## phigment (Apr 9, 2017)

My phone has worked almost 100% of the time (once it didn't work, then I waited a few seconds, heard the car waking up and it worked then). Samsung S7 Edge, put the tesla app in the unmonitored battery management section.

My wife's phone on the other hand has had some issues. She has an S7 (non edge). I'm still trying to figure it out, but she has a Samsung Gear S2 watch, and also uses bluetooth headphones. Since installing the app, the watch has been losing connectivity with her phone. The phone also didn't open the car once and she had to toggle airplane mode to make it work. I've since put her Tesla app in the unmonitored section of battery optimization and there hasn't been a problem with car usage. But she does still see drop outs with her watch.


----------



## Model3P75D (Jul 22, 2018)

PNWmisty said:


> That's incorrect. The Tesla app has never had high drain on my phone and I keep it running 24/7 regardless of my phones battery state. My S8 will go two days on a charge with my normal low talking/surfing use pattern. I even have the "Always on Display" enabled. There is no "Catch-22" here.
> 
> If you have a high drain on your phone it's another app (or apps). Android allows you to set specific sleep properties for each app individually. Some apps could even cause your Bluetooth stack to overflow which could affect it's ability to act as a key. Always run only necessary apps from quality developers.


----------



## Model3P75D (Jul 22, 2018)

I just excluded the Tesla App from the Battery optimizer in the settings of the optimizer and reconnected the key part of the app to the car. I’ll know more tomorrow if the app still works seamlessly. I have an Lg phone.


----------



## Stephen Tkacs (Jul 13, 2018)

I finally got my phone (one of them) to work as the key 100% of the time. I was using a Samsung S7Edge, and I tried changing the settings so the Tesla app doesn't go to sleep. I also tried doing the same with some Bluetooth "apps." It still did not work reliably. Almost every time, I had to take the phone out of my pocket, unlock the phone, open the Tesla app, and wait until it showed "Updated just now" on the bottom of the screen.

I fixed it by switching to my Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact. I went into the settings, Battery, menu control, Power-saving exemptions, and added the Tesla app and the Bluetooth service to the exemptions. Now it works every time, even if I do not have the Tesla app opened.

Granted, this will drain the battery more, which would have been a problem with the Samsung, but the battery on my Sony was lasting multiple days, so I can stand a little battery drain.


----------



## Model3P75D (Jul 22, 2018)

Stephen Tkacs said:


> I finally got my phone (one of them) to work as the key 100% of the time. I was using a Samsung S7Edge, and I tried changing the settings so the Tesla app doesn't go to sleep. I also tried doing the same with some Bluetooth "apps." It still did not work reliably. Almost every time, I had to take the phone out of my pocket, unlock the phone, open the Tesla app, and wait until it showed "Updated just now" on the bottom of the screen.
> 
> I fixed it by switching to my Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact. I went into the settings, Battery, menu control, Power-saving exemptions, and added the Tesla app and the Bluetooth service to the exemptions. Now it works every time, even if I do not have the Tesla app opened.
> 
> Granted, this will drain the battery more, which would have been a problem with the Samsung, but the battery on my Sony was lasting multiple days, so I can stand a little battery drain.


Good to hear. I have LG6 and had problems as well. I exempted the tesla app from battery optimizer and so far it's ok.. but if it'll play the same game of turn the airplane mode off and on! I'm getting a different phone! Thanks for posting.


----------



## Zippo (Apr 4, 2016)

If Tesla offered a traditional Model 3 key fob for $250 would you buy one?


----------



## Edward Reading (Jun 26, 2017)

yep! phone as key sucks.


----------



## 3V Pilot (Sep 15, 2017)

Zippo said:


> If Tesla offered a traditional Model 3 key fob for $250 would you buy one?


Nope, phone key works great for me. It's is easily my one of my favorite features of the car and with a wallet case my phone is all I carry.


----------



## slasher016 (Sep 12, 2017)

Zippo said:


> If Tesla offered a traditional Model 3 key fob for $250 would you buy one?


I wouldn't buy it for 5 bucks. I don't want to carry it.


----------



## xnappo (Jun 3, 2017)

Zippo said:


> If Tesla offered a traditional Model 3 key fob for $250 would you buy one?


Hell no - I don't carry keys anymore 

I was sort-of serious about my solution of putting the card in my phone case, it works well for now as I am already taking my phone out of my pocket when I get in the car.

They need to fix the bluetooth though - for those who say 'it is that phone!!' if that were the case the Samsung forums would be full of Bluetooth issues with other devices - they are not. Tesla chose to use Bluetooth for this and they need to get it working well with the major phone vendors. I am confident they will.

xnappo


----------



## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

xnappo said:


> They need to fix the bluetooth though - for those who say 'it is that phone!!' if that were the case the Samsung forums would be full of Bluetooth issues with other devices


if I search Samsung's phone forum, I get 47 pages of results for bluetooth issues. googling 'Samsung Bluetooth Connection Issue" brings up 70million results (change that to Android, and you get 139million). So it's not exactly a non-issue outside of Tesla.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

Zippo said:


> If Tesla offered a traditional Model 3 key fob for $250 would you buy one?


For those of us who have a reliable phone as key, why would we pay anything? It would just be one more device to carry around and change batteries (my Mazda key fob requires new batteries every year). My phone is always on me and it's rechargeable. I've only used the charger built into the center console twice. I don't like extra things in my pocket. It's bad enough figuring how to carry my phone depending upon my clothing at the time but I know I'll have it with me.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

MelindaV said:


> if I search Samsung's phone forum, I get 47 pages of results for bluetooth issues. googling 'Samsung Bluetooth Connection Issue" brings up 70million results (change that to Android, and you get 139million). So it's not exactly a non-issue outside of Tesla.


It's even worse if you Google "iPhone Bluetooth Connection Issue" (over 90 million hits).


----------



## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

point being, there are bluetooth connectivity issues well beyond Tesla


----------



## raptor (May 6, 2018)

Zippo said:


> If Tesla offered a traditional Model 3 key fob for $250 would you buy one?


YES! This car attracts a lot of attention, so nothing is more embarrassing than trying to get into your own car while being observed by other people, but you can't because of this damn BT issue. Then you have screw around with your phone, or grab your backup card.

I try to unlock the car while I'm still a few seconds out, but sometimes you just forget.


----------



## ahagge (May 6, 2017)

Zippo said:


> If Tesla offered a traditional Model 3 key fob for $250 would you buy one?


$250? No. But if they offered one for an equivalent price to 3rd party fobs for other manufacturers ($50-$80), then most likely yes. And considering that Tesla's wouldn't have to include a physical key and would likely be Bluetooth-based, it should be even cheaper.


----------



## wackojacko (Sep 1, 2017)

xnappo said:


> Hell no - I don't carry keys anymore
> 
> I was sort-of serious about my solution of putting the card in my phone case, it works well for now as I am already taking my phone out of my pocket when I get in the car.
> 
> ...


I find the card works in my wallet. It's going though some cash and one side of the leather. But I just need to tap my wallet
on B pillar if the phone doesn't work right away. I don't need to take it out of my wallet.

And yes, no keys for me either


----------



## littlD (Apr 17, 2016)

Zippo said:


> If Tesla offered a traditional Model 3 key fob for $250 would you buy one?


Nope, I've got Phone Key working all the time.

Of course, Middie wants to play, so she plays possum then works a few seconds later on rare occasion.


----------



## Janus67 (Jul 28, 2016)

Zippo said:


> If Tesla offered a traditional Model 3 key fob for $250 would you buy one?


I honestly don't feel like I should have to give them additional money for a feature that just doesn't work well. My Pixel XL is less than 2 years old, works flawlessly otherwise, but I have about a 50% chance of my car unlocking. Even after turning on/off airplane mode. If someone wants a fob they should be able to go to their SC, get one, get it paired, and be out of there. Then some of the time I get in the car after it successfully unlocks -- then prompts me to tap the key card to start the car.

I love the idea of the phone as a key, but if it won't work 100% of the time for everyone they should make good for those customers. There's reports about people that have iPhoneXs (one phone I've heard people have very high success rates) so it isn't only a certain-phone issue.

Also, as the car becomes more mainstream (in the next year) not everyone is going to want to do homework to get their phone to work properly to open their car. Including needing to change OS/battery optimization settings on their phone. They just want to walk up to their car and get in like most cars from the last 5-10 years, get in, push a button [foot on brake], and go.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

Janus67 said:


> I honestly don't feel like I should have to give them additional money for a feature that just doesn't work well. My Pixel XL is less than 2 years old, works flawlessly otherwise, but I have about a 50% chance of my car unlocking.


You are assuming the fault lies with Tesla software or hardware. All Tesla can do is release a product that complies with the Bluetooth standard. It's a known fact that not every phone complies with the standard 100%. Even phones that do comply can have issues (Bluetooth stack overflows, power settings reducing refresh rate, interference from poorly implemented 3rd party apps, etc.).



> They just want to walk up to their car and get in like most cars from the last 5-10 years, get in, push a button [foot on brake], and go.


That's how my wife and I do it with our Samsung S8+ and S9 phones. 100%. Over two months ago we changed a few settings to make sure the phone didn't put the Tesla app to sleep or give it a very slow refresh rate and everything has been working 100%. If you don't want to get a phone that works, that's why Tesla supplies the key cards.

I'm not sure what else they can do. I don't want to carry around an extra dongle doo-dad that is completely unnecessary! I never have to replace batteries on my phone, key fobs need battery replacement (every year on my Mazda) and are expensive when you lose them. If I lose my phone, I'm going to buy a new one anyway!


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

Janus67 said:


> My Pixel XL is less than 2 years old, works flawlessly otherwise, but I have about a 50% chance of my car unlocking.


The Pixel is well known for being rife with Bluetooth issues. Google released the first Pixel less than two years ago and, no, they didn't get it right, they have been patching the Bluetooth radio software ever since. It's now a big ball of yarn (technical term).

https://www.androidauthority.com/google-pixel-bluetooth-issues-android-8-1-oreo-823249/



> I love the idea of the phone as a key, but if it won't work 100% of the time for everyone they should make good for those customers.


I would only agree that if it was the car that was causing the incompatibility, then Tesla should make good on it. Tesla doesn't have the resources to warranty every Android and Apple phone ever made! And why should they?


----------



## Janus67 (Jul 28, 2016)

I didn't say that Google got everything right, just that for my purposes the phone has otherwise been flawless. I haven't had any BT syncing issues when I had my fitbit, with a pair of BT headphones [since sold], our shower speaker, or with our CR-V, but it has issues consistently working with the Tesla.

I'm not saying that Tesla should have to warranty every single android and apple phone ever made. Just that if the technology doesn't work 100% of the time across the board [which it doesn't, some of which is no fault of their own -- and should have been quite visible if they tested with more than 1 phone during development] that an option should be available that doesn't involve me pulling a keycard out of my wallet [or even pulling my wallet out of my pocket and tapping on the B billar]. At least with my old '01 Accord I could reach in my pocket and hit unlock, or our 2017 CR-V the fob just works, I touch the door handle and it opens. I push the start button it works, 100% of the time.

Folks like you and I are likely to be far more forgiving of technology that works 'some of the time' than the person that decides to order one of these cars a year from now when the wait-times are shorter and they are more available.

Let's just say it doesn't help anything that when I very happily am showing off the car to a friend/neighbor/coworker and about to give them a ride and I go to open the door and it doesn't work, or it works the second time after waiting 10 seconds. My friend walks up to his S and it opens every time.

I never said that Tesla should stop development/supporting the Phone-Key system, it's a cool idea. But for those like myself that it doesn't appear to work every time, or people down the road that either don't have a smartphone and don't want to have to tap the car every time they get in (and only from the drivers side, so I can't even easily get my kids in the car without walking around to the other side to unlock if I have to tap this time) that a fob should be an easily available option that either comes with the car and you can leave it at home or pick one up at the SC.


----------



## slasher016 (Sep 12, 2017)

My Pixel XL works about 99.5% of the time. Do you have your battery optimizations set to tell it ignore the Tesla app?


----------



## Janus67 (Jul 28, 2016)

slasher016 said:


> My Pixel XL works about 99.5% of the time. Do you have your battery optimizations set to tell it ignore the Tesla app?


Yep, have tried both the Tesla app and the 'bluetooth "app" thing in the battery optimization page both set to not optimize.


----------



## littlD (Apr 17, 2016)

Ok, remember how I said I hadn't had a problem in quite a while...

Middie played a practical joke on me in a pouring rain storm this afternoon when, you guessed it, she demanded the key card.

You've heard of AutoPilot jail, I'm putting her in Supercharger jail, no premium electrons for a while.

That'll teach her to leave me soaked like that.


----------



## AndyN (Jan 10, 2018)

AndyN said:


> I have read dozens of threads on this - with no answers. Tesla sells bluetooth-as-a-key as the 'convenient' way to get in your car with NO fine print. I do not see a list of "supported" phones that I needed to know about before buying the car. I have a moto G5 plus, my wife has a samsung Galaxy J7 - both less than a year old. These are not fringe phones. So there is no way we should have to go purchase a different phone. Tesla needs to FIX THIS - or acknowledge bluetooth was a bad idea and send me a pair of (free) FOBs.


FOR THE RECORD - I think I've experienced THE 'ah-ha' moment on this. My Moto G5+ recently updated from Android Nougat to* Oreo (8.1)*. OMG. Model 3 bluetooth key WORKS now. Reliably. Even without the Tesla app running. YAY! (this should be documented somewhere).


----------



## babula (Aug 26, 2018)

slasher016 said:


> My Pixel XL works about 99.5% of the time. Do you have your battery optimizations set to tell it ignore the Tesla app?


Same here, mine works ~98% of the time.


----------



## babula (Aug 26, 2018)

AndyN said:


> FOR THE RECORD - I think I've experienced THE 'ah-ha' moment on this. My Moto G5+ recently updated from Android Nougat to* Oreo (8.1)*. OMG. Model 3 bluetooth key WORKS now. Reliably. Even without the Tesla app running. YAY! (this should be documented somewhere).


Great point, I'm often able to get in without the app loading all the way. I think some people wait for the app to load before they attempt to open the door (I did this early on).


----------



## Shadyfolks (Oct 31, 2017)

Both our Android phones S8+, S9 work well. We've both had it happen once for my DH and twice for me where the Bluetooth somehow switched off. 
Someone mentioned updating the blue tooth version, I don't see how to do that.


----------



## mswlogo (Oct 8, 2018)

Every brand and different versions of Android implements Bluetooth LE differently. As a developer on both iOS and Android using Bluetooth LE, Android is a total nightmare. Apple got Bluetooth LE working correctly since the iPhone 4S (about 6 years ago). Android didn’t get it right until 2017 (Android 8.0 on Pixel only) And many brands didn’t deploy Android 8.0 until 2018 and many didn’t deploy it correctly (due to their proprietary hacks that broke it). It’s an absolute nightmare on Android. I need 6 phones to test Android, need just one for iPhone.

I know of medical device companies that won’t even support Android.

Good luck on Android. And I wouldn’t be blaming Tesla if you have issues. You’re best off with a Pixel if you must run Android. Samsung is THE worst. They hack up everything. They JUST got Bluetooth LE working correctly this past September for the first time ever. Pixel had it right since summer of 2017. Apple since 2012.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

Shadyfolks said:


> Both our Android phones S8+, S9 work well. We've both had it happen once for my DH and twice for me where the Bluetooth somehow switched off.
> Someone mentioned updating the blue tooth version, I don't see how to do that.


We must think alike, my wife and I have a Samsung S8+ and a Samsung s9. Both have worked perfectly from day 1 on both our Model 3's as well. The phone does have to be in the line of sight, Bluetooth doesn't go through water (bodies). But if your BT switched off, chances are the BT icon in the quick access bar at the top of the screen was accidentally touched.

So yeah, it surprises me if I hear someone claim Samsung BT is messed up. Because, like you and others, that hasn't been our experience at all. But, if it's messed up, give me more of that because I LOVE phone as key functionality with our two Samsung phones! I do know there are a bunch of older Apple phones that don't work reliably with the Model 3. I think everything pre-iPhone 5 is not LE enabled.

APPL shareholders like to boost Apple and trash the competition, especially when the stock has seen it's best days and is in freefall.


----------



## @gravityrydr (Apr 12, 2016)

Since my phone updated from Android 7.0 to 8.1 I have had no more phone key issues.


----------



## phigment (Apr 9, 2017)

@gravityrydr said:


> Since my phone updated from Android 7.0 to 8.1 I have had no more phone key issues.


My wife has a Galaxy S7 and I have the S7 Edge. Mine would work fine and hers wouldn't. Then I found out her phone stopped getting OTA updates and was still on 7.0. I flashed Android 8 and all works well now.


----------



## Rdwrrr (Nov 22, 2018)

I have a Samsung S9+, a Pixel 3XL, and my wife has a Samsung Note 8. All three of them work perfectly well. My sister who borrows the car on occasion with an iPhone 8 struggles sometimes as her phone doesn't detect immediately, unless she unlocks the screen...


----------



## mswlogo (Oct 8, 2018)

Rdwrrr said:


> I have a Samsung S9+, a Pixel 3XL, and my wife has a Samsung Note 8. All three of them work perfectly well. My sister who borrows the car on occasion with an iPhone 8 struggles sometimes as her phone doesn't detect immediately, unless she unlocks the screen...





Rdwrrr said:


> I have a Samsung S9+, a Pixel 3XL, and my wife has a Samsung Note 8. All three of them work perfectly well. My sister who borrows the car on occasion with an iPhone 8 struggles sometimes as her phone doesn't detect immediately, unless she unlocks the screen...


Make sure your daughters iPhone has "Background App Refresh" and "Location Always" enabled on the Tesla App. Also make sure she is not running "Low Power Mode". She might have enabled Low Power Mode one day when low on battery and never put it back to normal.


----------



## John Rea (Jun 19, 2017)

It has worked 100% for me (Samsung Note 8) and my wife (iPhone 7 plus).


----------



## dimwitdoc (Oct 30, 2018)

Hi all--
I've had my Model 3 for about 3 months now. I had an original Google Pixel that was about 2 years old and the phone as key was a nightmare. I had every problem:
1) not connecting to the car (90% of the time) except with a reset of the app or toggling airplane mode
2) said "connected" but door wouldn't open and/or car wouldn't start
3) walk away and come back unlock fail

I had the phone replaced (for free for unrelated problems) with the same original Pixel model and the problems stayed the same.

Yes, i undid the "battery optimization" thing on Tesla app and bluetooth apps. I deleted and reconnected the "phone as key" countless times. It didn't matter what version of car or phone software--I now have version 9 on the car (and the phone has 9 (pie) as well--how odd) and nothing changed anything. 

I bought a Google Pixel 3 on Black Friday special and it has worked (almost) flawlessly. Walk up, open door, drive. Sometimes there is a delay of under 3 seconds. It has relieved a lot of anxiety, especially when I have passengers or need to get in the trunk--no more "Oh you spent all this money on a high-tech fancy car and the doors won't even open?!" The only remaining time it fails pretty consistently is right after charging--for some reason I have to toggle the app or airplane mode if I stop charging with the doors locked then try to get in.

Bottom line is I think the earlier Pixel (and probably other earlier android phones) have Bluetooth LE that sucks, and I think it's a combination software/hardware problem. My new phone says "connected" and works as if it's connected up to 50 feet away or so. Old phone, even when connected, lost the connection within a few feet. Also noticed that when I originally set up the "phone as key", the new phone found the car instantly--the old phone searched for a while and sometimes found the car, sometimes didn't. 

Good luck to my fellow stubborn Android users.

Update 12/24: I think I figured out the "fail" when charging: I think it's not related to charging but the fact that I'm near the car for too long. I've noticed in general if you stay connected (like if the car is in the driveway and you're near enough in the house that the bluetooth stays connected) the ability to open the door times out. This makes sense as a safety feature. I think when I'm charging I'm often near enough to the car for long enough that the connection times out. In the near future I'm hoping to to a trial to see how long it is before the timeout occurs. I'm guessing somewhere around 3 minutes...


----------



## Tombolian (Sep 27, 2018)

Another Galaxy S8+ working perfectly from day 1.


----------



## nonStopSwagger (May 7, 2018)

Pixel 1 was pretty bad, would work as expected around 75% of the time. Upgraded to a Pixel 2 a few months back, 100% success. Both phones were on Android 9 "pie".


----------



## raptor (May 6, 2018)

Since V9, my Pixel XL has worked perfectly up until 2018.48.12.1, where I started experiencing various bluetooth issues again. Very annoying, but a great experience while it lasted.


----------



## NEO (Jun 28, 2017)

I have a pixel 1 and it works 95%+ of the time so it is possible. I can't remember all the settings I changed but my Tesla app can change system settings and make sure it isn't optimized. Also, when it doesn't work I just make sure the screen is active and then it works 100 % of the time


----------



## Jason F (Jul 6, 2018)

Works 100% on my Samsung S8+. So much so that I would be afraid to upgrade my phone and lose the reliability.


----------



## Trebonius (Sep 6, 2018)

My Pixel 2 has worked fine. It only gave me trouble once, last week after months of ownership. So I rebooted my phone. Fine since then.


----------



## systemBuilder (Jul 1, 2018)

Pixel 1s had bad radios, some of them. I tried streaming to my home stereo and it lost the connection every 30s. Verizon sent me a new phone.


----------



## Chris350 (Aug 8, 2017)

Also, be aware that having a case on the phone also affects this....

When I take the case off of my Pixel 3 XL, and have the phone in my rear pocket, it works 100% of the time.

With the case on, I have to turn my right hip towards the door to get it to work...


----------



## Bernard (Aug 3, 2017)

Android bluetooth works fine for me, and my phone is almost 4 years old (Galaxy S5 Neo, not sold in the US, still running Android 6).
I occasionally have to put my hand in my pocket to wake up the phone and the negotiation when I push the door handle on a (very) few occasions takes 1-2s instead of being instantaneous, but these are very minor issues.
If the phone runs out of power, however, it appears to lose some code that the car expects to receive for authentication and then I have to delete the phone as a key, and set it back up as a key.
(Running out of power is unfortunately easier these days, as my original battery is down to 60% capacity and I can no longer source OEM batteries for that phone; non-OEM ones are available, but not much better than 60%. But it's the best phone that is water-resistant, accepts any capacity micro-SDXC cards - I have a 200GB card in it now -, and has replaceable batteries -- three non-negotiable attributes for me.)


----------



## Chipper (Jul 10, 2018)

My Moto G5 Plus went from working 1% to 95% of the time after Moto released an update from Android 7.1 to 8.1. I have had my Model 3 for about 3 months and my Moto G5 Plus would only work if I turned airplane mode on, then off in proximity to the car. It would work as a key until I parked and got out of the car, but it would never lock the car when I walked away. With Andoid 8.1 it works almost all of the time. It's not perfect, but it is a LOT better. I am happy that I no longer look like an idiot waving my wallet at the B-pillar to unlock it with the key card. As luck would have it, I received my keyfob two days after the update.


----------



## scaots (Sep 13, 2017)

Just another couple data points...

My LG G6 worked great 99% of the time as a key to walk up and unlock.

My Huawei Mate 20 X usually does not work. Huawei is very aggressive about killing background stuff. There are settings in two separate places to ensure that apps can run in background and give notifications or do whatever they need to do. But that still doesn't help using the BT key. I found out that Huawei will actively kill the BTLE polling activity after so many pings (that makes the BT key work) when the phone is in standby. So unless I turn the screen on or it was just on, it does not work to walk up and unlock. Pretty annoying that they don't yet have a setting to allow this as there are also other practical uses for this and this phone has the biggest battery you can get anyway and apparently has been this way for at least a year with Huawei software so I'm not expecting quick fix. 

If you are having issues, make sure that the Tesla app and BT processes are not limited by any power saving settings and allowed to run freely in the background and have whatever permissions are needed.


----------



## CaptainCold (Aug 21, 2018)

I had time get my Samsung Note 8 replaced because I cracked the screen. 

Updated my new device and downloaded my Tesla app.. now it's missing from my pull down menu (status bar).

Cant easily unlock my car anymore.

Also, the Bluetooth connectivity is dodgie. When I walk up and try to get in my model 3, it doesn't always unlock. I'll need to open the app, and click unlock.

Anyone else experiencing these issues?


----------



## Bokonon (Apr 13, 2017)

CaptainCold said:


> I had time get my Samsung Note 8 replaced because I cracked the screen.
> Updated my new device and downloaded my Tesla app.. now it's missing from my pull down menu (status bar).


1. On your phone, open Settings > Apps. 
2. Find the Tesla App and tap on it.
3. Tap "Notifications".
4. Enable "Phone Key Status"

That will restore the persistent "Tesla" notification icon to your phone's status bar and pull-down menu.



CaptainCold said:


> Cant easily unlock my car anymore.
> Also, the Bluetooth connectivity is dodgie. When I walk up and try to get in my model 3, it doesn't always unlock. I'll need to open the app, and click unlock.


Assuming you've already setup your phone as a key for the car, it sounds like Android is "optimizing" the Tesla app, which means it can shut it down if it's running in the background. Disabling this optimization improves the reliability of the Android phone key.

1. On your phone, Open Settings > Device Maintenance > Battery.
2. Scroll down to "Unmonitored Apps" and tap it.
3. Check whether the Tesla app appears in the list. 
4. If not, tap the three dots in the upper-right corner and select "Add Apps"
5. Locate the Tesla app, check the box next to it, and tap Done. Confirm that the Tesla app appears in the "Unmonitored Apps" list.

Additionally:

6. Tap the Tesla app in the "Unmonitored Apps" list.
7. Ensure that "Modify System Settings" is set to "On"
8. Tap "Battery". Look for "Optimize Battery Usage". 
9. If this says "Optimizing Battery Power", tap it, and select "All Apps" from the dropdown list at the top of the screen. Find the Tesla app, and ensure that its toggle switch is set to "Off". Go back one screen, and confirm that "Optimize Battery Usage" now says "Not optimized".

After doing all of this, toggle airplane mode off and on, and open the Tesla app for good measure. If you're near your car, wait for "Phone Key" to show "Connected" to confirm that the phone-key connection has been successfully established. From that point forward, your phone key should work more reliably.


----------



## CaptainCold (Aug 21, 2018)

Bokonon said:


> 1. On your phone, open Settings > Apps.
> 2. Find the Tesla App and tap on it.
> 3. Tap "Notifications".
> 4. Enable "Phone Key Status"
> ...


Thank you so much for this.


----------



## Tinker2A (Nov 9, 2018)

Just to add another data point with another Android phone:


dimwitdoc said:


> Hi all--
> I had every problem:
> 1) not connecting to the car (90% of the time) except with a reset of the app or toggling airplane mode
> 2) said "connected" but door wouldn't open and/or car wouldn't start
> 3) walk away and come back unlock fail


I am using a Fairphone 2 with Android 7.1.2 and these are exactly the kind of issues I have been experiencing with Phone Key since I took delivery of my Model 3 back in February 2019. Neither Tesla support (they at least tried) nor Fairphone support have been helpful in resolving the issues.
Here on the forums I gathered that upgrading from Android 7 to Android 8 helped some people so I decided to take the jump and flashed the current nightly build of LineageOS 15.1 (based on Android 8) to my FP2. And it helped!
The phone now reliably connects to the car and unlocking works like a charm.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

Tinker2A said:


> I am using a Fairphone 2 with Android 7.1.2 and these are exactly the kind of issues I have been experiencing with Phone Key since I took delivery of my Model 3 back in February 2019. Neither Tesla support (they at least tried) nor Fairphone support have been helpful in resolving the issues.
> Here on the forums I gathered that upgrading from Android 7 to Android 8 helped some people so I decided to take the jump and flashed the current nightly build of LineageOS 15.1 (based on Android 8) to my FP2. And it helped!
> The phone now reliably connects to the car and unlocking works like a charm.


That's excellent. And it's one more data point to support what I've been saying all along - the phone as key functionality works fine on Tesla's side of things, but you need a phone that properly implements Low Energy Bluetooth protocols. Also, you might have the same phone and Android version as someone with excellent "phone as key" functionality but your phone's BT functionality could be hobbled by third-party software messing with the Bluetooth stack or power-saving features that prevent the phone from transmitting/receiving Bluetooth at will.

In short, Tesla has been unfairly blamed for flakey Bluetooth implementation when it actually works extremely reliably with a proper phone setup. I find the "phone as key" functionality to be one of my favorite features of the car. I do carry a key card as a backup but I've never had to use it. It's a good thing to have in case your phone dies or gets lost. Most people only carry one car key with them at all times so this is a more robust solution than what most people are already using and it achieves it without a bulky key fob. It's very difficult to get locked out of a Tesla. Assuming you are parked in an area with LTE reception, even your spouse can activate the car for you remotely (or Tesla service can do it Over-The-Air too). No more calling the locksmith to avoid breaking a window!


----------



## StromTrooperM3 (Mar 27, 2019)

Rich M said:


> On Android, you need to add the Tesla app to the list of apps that are not allowed to be 'put to sleep' by the OS.


Thank you for the suggestion. I've been told over and over my phone is junk and needs to be updated. It's a note 8 one of Samsungs highest end phones I always found it hard to believe that within a year the BT technology is already too old to work with the car properly.

I think you might have just saved me months of aggravation 😎


----------



## StromTrooperM3 (Mar 27, 2019)

PNWmisty said:


> Assuming you are parked in an area with LTE reception, even your spouse can activate the car for you remotely


Never even thought about adding the tesla app to my tablet that stays at home just for this reason!! Thanks for the great idea!


----------



## pweady (Dec 18, 2018)

I have a LR RWD and it seems like since the V10 upgrade my car takes 10 seconds or to to recognize the phone key to start the car. It unlocks the doors immediately and sets the correct seat profile but when I try to select D it asks for the key card. After a few seconds it sees the phone key and lets me go. It's pretty annoying and does it almost every time I get in. I used to have the issue with the car not unlocking sometimes until I toggled airplane mode but that's actually been fine since V10. I have the Tesla app and any bluetooth settings excluded from power saving. Any ideas? Anyone else have a similar issue? I've submitted a bug report. Thanks.

Peter
LR RWD Aug 2018 2019.32.12.2
LG G8 Android 9 App 3.10.1


----------



## 3V Pilot (Sep 15, 2017)

pweady said:


> I have a LR RWD and it seems like since the V10 upgrade my car takes 10 seconds or to to recognize the phone key to start the car. It unlocks the doors immediately and sets the correct seat profile but when I try to select D it asks for the key card. After a few seconds it sees the phone key and lets me go. It's pretty annoying and does it almost every time I get in. I used to have the issue with the car not unlocking sometimes until I toggled airplane mode but that's actually been fine since V10. I have the Tesla app and any bluetooth settings excluded from power saving. Any ideas? Anyone else have a similar issue? I've submitted a bug report. Thanks.
> 
> Peter
> LR RWD Aug 2018 2019.32.12.2
> LG G8 Android 9 App 3.10.1


Have you tried deleting the profile and creating a new one? I think I remember this fixing some issues a few updates back.


----------



## NR4P (Jul 14, 2018)

The cars BT implementation is definitely flakey. I carry an Android and iPhone. Sometimes the car won't unlock until I take one of them, either one out of my pocket and light it up. 

Or the car unlocks, lets me drive and then shows "No device connected" in the BT streaming window. I have to manually tap BT icon on M3 screen and force a connection. 

The above happens about once a week.


----------



## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

NR4P said:


> The cars BT implementation is definitely flakey. I carry an Android and iPhone. Sometimes the car won't unlock until I take one of them, either one out of my pocket and light it up.
> 
> Or the car unlocks, lets me drive and then shows "No device connected" in the BT streaming window. I have to manually tap BT icon on M3 screen and force a connection.
> 
> The above happens about once a week.


Bluetooth will not transmit thru a body - when you say take it out of your pocket, is it in a back pocket with your body between the phone(s) and car?


----------



## Zombietech (May 26, 2016)

Thought I'd share that the Google Pixel 4 has, so far, worked flawlessly locking/unlocking my Model 3. I had the original Pixel and it worked about 50% of the time despite countless efforts to tweak power and other settings. My car was built May 2018


----------



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Zombietech said:


> Thought I'd share that the Google Pixel 4 has, so far, worked flawlessly locking/unlocking my Model 3. I had the original Pixel and it worked about 50% of the time despite countless efforts to tweak power and other settings. My car was built May 2018


Ditto. No issues here with a Pixel 4 XL.


----------



## StromTrooperM3 (Mar 27, 2019)

I've upgraded to a Note 10 Plus and have exponentially better results than my note 8. However I've made one change in settings and set the phone to power mode > high performance. 

I've also added a Galaxy Watch to my mix. I find the phone unlocks the car flawless, however then connecting to media and phone it seems to stay connected to my watch and not the car. Looking for a way to prioritize BT connections will keep you all posted


----------

