Is PAAK now a reasonable app?

[imstriker]

Been 100% PaaK since day 1 about 2 years ago. It's driven me crazy many a time, but I'd still recommend it in most cases if you are into that kinda thing.

It's not perfect, but I'm not sure any Android app is. Sometimes it crashes, or my phone just doesn't bluetooth in time, or it just needs a nap. It has been a huge improvement from the beginning though. That said, I still always unlock my car remotely before walking out into the rain!

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[DR.J56]

I’ve had good experience with PAAK in a year and a half and 35K miles. Sometimes it’s slow to respond but I’ve never been stranded. I do not carry a fob and never have. In the beginning I had to use the emergency code a few times (2 or 3). That didn’t phase me any.

I’ve even had my phone battery run out before while driving and still no issues.

 

[Arjan]

My car is parked right in front of my house, sometimes i walk to the window on the 2nd floor and i see the lights of the car come on. So i tried once to open the car by leaving the phone on the second floor and it opened ! So for me it is a nono

 

[JCHLi]

Over the past two years I've only used the fob when taking it in for service or detailing.

Recently, I received a phone update from Samsung which messed with the Bluetooth conductivity, so now I'm finding if I haven't used the car in a bit, the Bluetooth gets stuck on 'connecting'. So I end up having to cycle the Bluetooth toggle.

So in my case, no, it worked better before, and any update to your phone may end up impacting it.

 

[HGxxx]

Pixel 7, only PAAk user, door opening sometimes is a bit iffy, but overall happy

 

[NJDevFan30]

Well, I'm not encouraged. I tried to set it up and I keep winding up in a circular loop that gets nowhere. I get a message that says, "LIMITED SUPPORT FOR THIS DEVICE" Phone as a key will still function, but we're still working to optimize the experience". When I click proceed with setup it just takes me back to the home screen with my car on it.

I'm using a Galaxy S22 so it's not like I have some weird phone...

EDIT: I may have broken through by entering through a different part of the app. Stay tuned.

Galaxy S22 phone here as well. I've used PAAK exclusively since getting the car, July '21. About a month ago it stopped working completely. I tried removing and setting up a new key and can't do that as the phone will not make the connection with the car. (AA works fine via Bluetooth for what that's worth.)

It's at the dealer now for a number of things and they're looking into the PAAK issues as well.

 

[ChuckA]

For me the PaaK was not reliable and I was left holding groceries at the liftgate too often. I carry the keyfob now but would use PaaK only if necessary.

Using PaaK only I was left using backup start key codes often because PaaK wasn’t recognized. This no longer happens using the keyfob. I don’t get the no key message, and the foot activated liftgate always works.

It’s wise to setup PaaK since it guides you into setting up the backup start key code and personal door code.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Also find the auto-lock when walking away using PAAK is troublesome. Example: Park the car, run across lot to Starbucks, don’t get the notification of auto-lock… walk out to find car exterior lights on and car unlocked 25% of the time.

I don’t trust auto-lock since I am the child of a many decades master locksmith. Besides, the paradigm of locking the car as I shut the door is already ingrained, so I also never have had to rely on the car’s auto-lock since mine works every time. ?‍?

 

[DrAchoo]

So I have it working and used it this morning. I did have to open the Ford app before it unlocked my door.

While I'm at work my phone has a key icon notification. Does anybody know what this specifically means? Is it actively communicating with my car (and thus the car could be opened by someone)? Is it "ready" to actively communicate and this costs some battery drain throughout the day? Will this turn off after some hours (like overnight?)

Like a post above, I do wonder if I turn the lights on every time I walk in my kitchen (situated over my garage).

I think at the end of the day I'd just like to find my fob which is still doing its best to hide on me.

 

[jmatero]

I have to say, PAAK is my biggest complaint with the car. It worked flawlessly for a while when I took delivery over the Summer but then unreliable. I've removed/re-added my iPhone and might get a few times working well then not so much again. Different iPhones, different iOS versions (beta and non-beta), even did 2 master resets and it will work well a few days then unreliable. Longest stretch of success I had was after 4.1.2 update... worked 90% of the time for a couple weeks... then back to walking up to the car, light on door might be on, might not... push the button... nothing. Open the app, says it's connected, nothing. then mysteriously the door button like might come on and press few more times, door opens. Fob works every time... to unlock....AND lock. When I walk away from the car with the fob, I get the audible chirp, the car locks, and I get instant notification on the phone. PAAK walk away, I have to walk a long distance and may/may not get the chirp... and they while walking around in a store, I get the notification. I haven't done a master reset since 4.1.2 and might try one last time.

Some observations from an iPhone user (iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple leather MagSafe case, attached MagSafe wallet - same behavior with iPhone 12 Pro I had before the 14):

1. Having phone in hand (as recommended by Ford) does improve reliability a bit.
2. Detaching MagSafe wallet from phone before walking to car improves reliability a bit more.
3. Having no MagSafe case and no attached wallet improves PAAK quite a bit.
4. I park outside of our attached 2-car garage near the large aluminum door. If I park at the bottom of the driveway or in the street, PAAK is more reliable. When I'm parked near the door and walk out to the car it's least reliable.
5. When I'm parked with no cars on either side of me, it's more reliable.
6. When approaching the rear of the car, I see the welcome lights come on pretty reliably. When I approach the front of the car, or at an angle towards the drivers door, VERY unreliable.

Feels like a signal/interference issue at play.

 

[theriddler]

I have only had my '23 for a little over a month and 735 miles but have not had one issue with PAAK yet. Hopefully it continues.

 

[awp0]

I use it almost 100% of the time, and it has always "worked" in the sense that I've never been stranded or needed to use the door code or backup passcode. But most of the time it requires multiple door button presses before the door will open. It almost never activates the welcome lights while I'm approaching. Sometimes I need to pull the phone out of my pocket and turn it on before it works. It's a slow and poor experience in general, however I still prefer it to carrying a key everywhere.

 

[SnBGC]

I carry my fob out to the car with me when I leave home and take it in with me when I return. In between those times, I leave the fob in the car and lock the doors manually when I exit.

Works great because I don't have to carry the fob around. About half the time Paak opens the door for me and about half the time I have to use the door pillar code.

Never need the backup start code because the fob is in the car.

Wizard of Oz
PaaK (with the fob hiding behind the curtain)

 

[DrAchoo]

Well, it didn't last. In the afternoon it didn't open my car. I closed and opened the Ford app. Nothing. I unlocked the doors with the Ford app and then entered my password to start the car.

I'm back to my spare fob.

 

[theganyo]

Mine used to work but stopped after some update, so I reset the PaaK system and it never worked again. No matter how many times I’ve reset and tried to add the phone again, it never connects to the car after downloading the virtual key. ?

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