FordPass - somebody should get fired

[nor3bo]

Nobody has a (working) frunk button in FordPass. Some people have a non-functional frunk button

Mine actually works fine, but it's only available after setting up the PaaK. I'm on a Pixel 4XL

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[nor3bo]

I can confirm the frunk button works with a Premium delivered two weeks ago. Don't have the 80% charge fix but I have BlueCruise and that sketch app.

FordPass is pretty wacky. Keeps telling me the driver open is opened with SecuriAlerts (which I've disabled). I've given up trying to fix it.

Same with my Prem4X that was delivered close to the end of October. Frunk button is functional (and no dividers in the frunk), but still a tanking charge at 80%

 

[Jimrpa]

Some of us HAD a non-functioning frunk button.

Some of us still don’t have a frunk button of any type - non-functioning or functioning ?

 

[Jimrpa]

Pretty sure GT/GTPE owners have a functional frunk button. I think the newer delivery Selects/Premiums do too.

And that gets us back to why has ford already abandoned the early adopters? ?

 

[mkhuffman]

Keeps telling me the driver open is opened with SecuriAlerts (which I've disabled). I've given up trying to fix it.

I had the same issue. I discovered that I had to turn off the schedule and turn off SecuriAlert.

 

[scoopman]

I've set up paak and my backup code and I'm going to try and see if I have the good experience or the not so good experience with this. I'm a sucker for wanting the frunk button (which does work on my car)

 

[DevSecOps]

Don't give up.

I just get frustrated because I've put a lot of time into PaaK. I've looked at BT communication logs between the phone and car, I've decompiled and inspected the FP app, I've looked over logcat and I developed both Android ROMs and Android Apps for years. I have never made a SINGLE post about iPhones on this forum or others because it's simply not my thing and I would be speculating, which I don't like to do. But yet people either don't read what I have said or just post the same theories about Android that just aren't true, which gets frustrating. I equate it to 1.7.1, which I get DM's about all the time. For some reason people think 1.7.1 is going to give them updated RFA Modules, Bluecruise, frunk opening, better PaaK etc, which is just false. Anyway, rant over...

My experience with PaaK is great and almost flawless (other than the FP Android team invalidating my key at work - I forgive you). So what I have done that's special... My car is updated 100% and my permissions are correct on my phone. It's really that easy. There are some quirks that I've discovered and documented like turning BT off and on will sometimes cause FP to fail scanning, which is fixed via FC and Open. I've noticed that extensive use of AA will cause thermal throtteling on the phone which can affect PaaK, but that's on the OS level. There's a couple other issues that I'm trying to validate as well, but nothing earth shattering.

Edit: I rebooted my phone and PaaK worked to open the door. Maybe that solved the problem this time. I will try it again tomorrow.

You may want to look into Tasker to reboot your phone every XX days while you are sleeping. It has a billion other use cases as well

I may need module updates because all my PaaK issues returned today in a big way

If you DM me your VIN I can check for you. And yes modules updates appear from my testing to have major implications in the effectiveness of PaaK. The latest RFA update (released last week), for example isn't as stable with PaaK as October's update, in my experience.

 

[DevSecOps]

I've set up paak and my backup code and I'm going to try and see if I have the good experience or the not so good experience with this. I'm a sucker for wanting the frunk button (which does work on my car)

If you want me to go to your house and update the cars modules with you, let me know. Based on your build date you're gonna probably experience issues because you are on the RFA update that caused issues for me.

 

[scoopman]

If you want me to go to your house and update the cars modules with you, let me know. Based on your build date you're gonna probably experience issues because you are on the RFA update that caused issues for me.

Let me DM you

 

[shutterbug]

Some of us still don’t have a frunk button of any type - non-functioning or functioning ?

I had a non-functioning one for about a month and a half. Then it got tired of not having anything to do and went away,

 

[scoopman]

So @dsuyang and @PaaK_Android, former Google Android team product manager here. I just set up PAAK for laughs tonight, and I'm hoping my backup code works when PAAK fails. It seems quite clear for PAAK discovery to work properly with this vehicle, your service needs to not be killed by Android, and you need Location permission. If the user isn't a super-Android dork, they're not going to know to do these things manually.

Just a suggestion, but why would you not deprioritize every other thing you're working on for your Android app and make sure it checks and does everything possible to direct and instruct users to do these things if they have PAAK enabled? You should definitely be able to detect if PAAK isn't connecting properly, or if your service is being killed, or if you don't have Location granted...... You should also be able to find out (one would hope) if the user had to use recovery codes to get in and start their car, or if the user went back to using a FOB. These should be clear counter-metrics that your app isn't working properly and might not be set up properly by the user. FordPass isn't shy with notifications, it should be screaming at the user if they have PAAK and the app isn't set up properly for it to be reliable.

Currently you might be almost guaranteeing that users will be locked out of starting their cars at some point if they don't read these 20 page threads and make manual changes to the app's permissions and battery optimization. This basically makes everything else you are doing potentially worthless.... All it takes is one bad experience such as the many many ones you can find on this board, and you lose any engagement on your app from that customer. (I mean, how can you not read the "PAAK made me look like an idiot" thread, literally that's the subject line, and not think something needs to be fixed pronto for the average user?)

Just my 2 cents here, I mean it only constructively.

 

[scoopman]

I had the same issue. I discovered that I had to turn off the schedule and turn off SecuriAlert.

At least you have the ability to set a schedule -- the Android app says "Your Schedules" but then doesn't have the toggle or any way to set a schedule for SecuriAlert.

 

[DevSecOps]

@scoopman to be fair and not trying to defend the FP team, but many of the permissions aren't controllable via the API anymore. Android prevents this on the OS level so that the apps can't be malicious. Some "developer friendly" apps, like tasker, or even some apps like LastPass have instructions on how to enable/disable things, but I can't tell you how many people are beyond lost once they get into their settings.

Android changed the Bluetooth/Location settings for privacy a couple years back, which they ironically now reversed because of wanting to track people with COVID. Battery optimization settings can't be modded by the app either. My complaint with location is that it's not prompting at all even after PaaK setup, which I told them about here.

We're on this weird cusp in technology where we haven't found the answer yet so we use bluetooth. Google is working on digital car keys using ultra wideband which is supposed to be done in 2022. Until then, and until we get a new car that supports it, we are in a stupid limbo of tech.

I do think that they've (the FP Android duo) have been really nice to come here and at least listen. Both have about 1 week on the forum, so they have some catching up to do I'm sure. But it's commendable that they had the "cojones" to come here and admit that they are in charge of Android FP and are showing a desire to help.

It's got a ways to go to be perfect, but I'm happy they are listening.

 

[scoopman]

@scoopman to be fair and not trying to defend the FP team, but many of the permissions aren't controllable via the API anymore. Android prevents this on the OS level so that the apps can't be malicious. Some "developer friendly" apps, like tasker, or even some apps like LastPass have instructions on how to enable/disable things, but I can't tell you how many people are beyond lost once they get into their settings.

Android changed the Bluetooth/Location settings for privacy a couple years back, which they ironically now reversed because of wanting to track people with COVID. Battery optimization settings can't be modded by the app either. My complaint with location is that it's not prompting at all even after PaaK setup, which I told them about here.

We're on this weird cusp in technology where we haven't found the answer yet so we use bluetooth. Google is working on digital car keys using ultra wideband which is supposed to be done in 2022. Until then, and until we get a new car that supports it, we are in a stupid limbo of tech.

I do think that they've (the FP Android duo) have been really nice to come here and at least listen. Both have about 1 week on the forum, so they have some catching up to do I'm sure. But it's commendable that they had the "cojones" to come here and admit that they are in charge of Android FP and are showing a desire to help.

It's got a ways to go to be perfect, but I'm happy they are listening.

I agree it's great they are listening and actually identified themselves in these threads with incendiary titles. Like you I'm trying to be constructive in helping them improve the app here.

TLDR: they are not following developer best practices to help users get the app in a usable state for paak.

I completely understand and know intimately why the Android framework team I was on removed apps abilities to change these things directly themselves. And why runtime permissions were implemented. These are all vectors for abuse by apps.

What I am saying is that any well written app will follow best practices of telling the user context and helping the user to provide the consent. This has all been around since 2015ish. See here https://developer.android.com/training/permissions/usage-notes

Ford Pass can deep link into the places to turn off battery optimization for the app and ensure it isn't being killed by the Doze service. See here for what they should be following with users, and how to ensure they qualify for a Play Store exemption to make such a call in their app. https://developer.android.com/training/monitoring-device-state/doze-standby

FP isn't even trying to use location when paak is set up to ensure the permission consent is triggered and set properly, for example.

Ford is pretty tight with the G these days and I'm sure they could get a Developer Advocate to help them.

 

[EELinneman]

I spoke too soon. Yes, resetting from the car let me set up an Android phone as PaaK, but it completely ignored the 90% charging limit and topped off Man o' War. Doing this a few times isn't bad, but I want to follow the recommendations and set a 90% charge limit.

My guess is that the team is focused on features for the LIghtning right now. There are a lot more orders for this and it has to be supported. I just hope they can slip in some fixes while working on these other priorities. To be clear, I understand that this is not easy. But, the user experience is critical and these problems need to be fixed.

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