How To - Remove & Re-install and re-configure PAAK on Android to enable a Backup StartCode

[dtbaker61]

My Goal in documenting this process was to complete config of FordPass - PAAK to enable setting a BackupStartCode that could be entered on Console if and when needed.

I had trouble setting up on my old Android 9 in 3/2021, got it working, and it crapped out when my phone updated to Android 12 in 9/2022. Turns out that I had to follow this procedure to completely remove FordPass on phone, remove phone and PAAK pairings in MME, and re-install/re-configure to get it working again....

The Problem with PaaK config on some Android phones (like mine), is that the FordPass app displays a screen in the very beginning saying that your 'Device is not fully supported' for Phone As A Key (PAAK) functionality. Don't be discouraged! You WILL be able to set a Backup StartCode ... and have a 'virtual spare key' even if you lose both your Fob and your Phone.

After several days of trial and error, and some helpful communication from the PAAK development team at Ford, I was able to piece together a few not-well-documented details in the procedure that FINALLY got me thru with a valid Phone setup, and set a StartCode. With your 5-digit DoorCode, and Backup StartCode, you are set!

First steps are to clear any partial or 'failed pairings' from both your phone, and your MME console.

A - phone -
1. uninstall FordPass app from your phone
2. delete any previous Bluetooth pairings on phone between phone and MME by
phone>settings>Connections> tap on Bluetooth
if there is any MME pairing, tap the 'settings' icon next to it, and unpair
There MAY be two depending how far you got before! The PAAK pairing is not your phone name, but is just letters like " F8:8A:...etc.... "delete both.
3. turn phone OFF, and restart to clear cache, etc.
4. do not re-install FordPass yet

B.1 - in MME - make sure that you have enabled the Wifi Connectivity in your MME, and you are parked in a spot where you have wifi before enabling PAAK. If you have WiFi in your home, or whever you park your MME to do this Config, and future OTA updates, you might want to make sure that your MME recognizes the Network, has a password if needed, and can auto-re-connect when in range.

B.2 - in MME - Reset Phone as a Key to clear any partial Key stored in MME using the following steps on MME console after starting MME. This is mostly from p63 of user manual, but I've included some pictures to help find the right place in the Console Settings:

1. Press Vehicle - Settings on the console touchscreen
2. Press General tab
3. Press Reset.
4. Press FordPass Connect Reset.
6. Confirm you would like to continue with erasing all Phone as a Key,
and Backup Start Passcodes by Pressing 'Continue' on the pop-up dialog.


C - in MME - delete the 'regular' Phone pairing as well so that you have a clean slate

1. Press Settings on the console touchscreen(upper right)
2. Phone> 'remove' if you had entered it previously, you will re-pair AFTER PAAK
3. turn OFF your MME....

D - web - on your laptop or phone.... you will need your Ford.com email, password, and VIN

1. confirm/setup your MME, with VIN in your Ford.com account online
https://www.ford.com/profile/myprofilev2/innersettingspage/?navpath=ford-vehicle

verify that your vehicle appears under My Ford Vehicles, and the VIN number is correct, etc.

D - install FordPass on phone (while in MME) - Finally, to set up PAAK on the phone! you will need to enter your Ford.com email/password/PIN while sitting in MME during the process, so bring your login notes.....

1. Get your Fob and phone, and go sit in your MME...
2. download/install current version of the FordPass app to your phone from PlayStore
This is a good test to make sure you are in a spot where wifi connectivity is available
2. foot on brake, 'Start' button to turn on with Fob on center tray, leave it in park
3. REMOVE foot from brake for remainder of config, strange, but works better
5. open FordPass app on phone when install is complete
6. login to FordPass using Ford.com profile email and password (that you used in step C)
7. allow full access to phone for contact lists, etc
9. you will FINALLY get the FordPass dashboard open, and below the on-App 'start' button, you
10. touch 'Setup Phone As a Key' , follow prompts to continue.
11. you *may* get a 'device not supported' dialog pop-up... click 'continue, I understand'
12. Select your Phone to use as PAAK, continue....
13. App will display a 6-digit temp Bluetooth pairing code,
click the 'copy and continue' to put it in the phone clipboard
14. App asks for PIN to verify pairing, and hints it is usually 0000 or 1234.... it is NOT, its the 6-digit code you just copied to clipboard
15. tap-hold in the PIN entry area, and paste in the 6-digit passcode from previous step
16. if pairing FAILS, you have to delete EVERYTHING and start over
17. if pairing succeeds, the MME console will pop-up a dialog asking if you want to set up a Backup Start Passcode...

YES! Set up a StartCode you will remember if and when needed to ever start the MME without either a Fob OR phone present. This does not have to be numbers, you can use the full keyboard, and alpha & numbers for a decent password style StartCode. Once you have that....

E - MME - re-pair your 'regular' phone Bluetooth connection

1. Settings > Phone List > add phone
2. follow prompts and re-pair 'regular' phone functions
3. turn MME OFF

F - Verify that you can open and start MME without EITHER Fob or phone

1. exit MME, and put Fob somewhere more than 20' away so MME can't sense it, and turn OFF your phone, or put in 'airplane mode' so that the MME cannot connect Bluetooth
2. approach your MME without Fob OR phone,
with 5-digit door code (on card or memorized), and use it to unlock and get in

------ this is the part not well documented... to START using the Backup StartCode -------

2. do NOT put your foot on the brake, just hit 'Start' button, Console will think for a bit,
and display a screen to allow entry of your Backup StartCode password set during config
3. it may take up to 30 seconds for the screen to switch to code entry screen
3. touch the entry area, keyboard will pop up,and you can enter your StartCode with the Console keyboard....
4. be sure to keyboard 'return' key to enter the code
5. THEN system will prompt you to put foot on Brake and 'Start' button can be used!

...done!

I have found that having both my Fob and Phone with me when entering the MME tends to 'confuse' the system. I would recommend choosing between:

1. Use PAAK as first choice:
put the Fob in a drawer at home for 'spare', or put it in the MME after wrapping in foil. Hiding it INSIDE the car for emergency use and the occasional valet where you need to give them a key instead of your phone... using DoorCode+StartCode if and when the PAAK functionality screws up and doesn't see your phone.

2. OR delete FordPass App from your phone, never using PAAK, and use the Fob as a key... still with the Door+StartCode available if you lose the Fob now that you have the Backup code set. This *should* avoid your MME from getting confused if both Fob and Phone are present. You could re-install FordPass App on phone later without re-configuring PAAK.


-------

I hope this works for any/all of you who have been having trouble setting up and using PAAK, and were as nervous as I was about not having a 'spare'. - Dan
- updated 9/17/22

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[eltonlin]

Well done. Coincidentally enough I was attempting to properly set up the Backup Start Code for my Wife's iPhone. After spending way too long trying to debug this and that, the key steps for me were as you documented:

- remove the phone(s) from the phone list
- remove the "Mustang Mach-E" and the "XXXXX MACH E" from the phone BT device list
- remove any pre-existing PaaK you may have set up via Fordpass app
- Perform a PaaK Reset
- sign out of the app and sign in again
- restart process

The primary issue I had was that the pairing wasn't being initiated by the Mustang. This was because the wife's phone was constantly reconnecting via BT (to "XXXX MACH E") through some existing link that I thought I had deleted. It wasn't fully deleted until I reset PaaK via Settings.

 

[dtbaker61]

Well done. Coincidentally enough I was attempting to properly set up the Backup Start Code for my Wife's iPhone. After spending way too long trying to debug this and that, the key steps for me were as you documented:

- remove the phone(s) from the phone list
- remove the "Mustang Mach-E" and the "XXXXX MACH E" from the phone BT device list
- remove any pre-existing PaaK you may have set up via Fordpass app
- Perform a PaaK Reset
- sign out of the app and sign in again
- restart process

The primary issue I had was that the pairing wasn't being initiated by the Mustang. This was because the wife's phone was constantly reconnecting via BT (to "XXXX MACH E") through some existing link that I thought I had deleted. It wasn't fully deleted until I reset PaaK via Settings.

yeah... I suspect there were some artifacts from partial or failed installs, and then the weirdness of ending up with TWO bluetooth connections. One for PAAK, and one for 'regular' phone.

 

[eltonlin]

To add my observations for the record:

BT Connections:
- "XXXXX MACH E" (XXXXX = last 5 of VIN) - used for PaaK
- "Mustang Mach E" - used for Sync services; managed via "Phone List"

 

[dtbaker61]

To add my observations for the record:

BT Connections:
- "XXXXX MACH E" (XXXXX = last 5 of VIN) - used for PaaK
- "Mustang Mach E" - used for Sync services; managed via "Phone List"

yup, you do end up with two....

 

[bludzeph]

I am 15 miles from nearest AT&T cell. Do you know if this procedure will work without AT&T cell connection. I do have MME WiFi connection in garage.

 

[eltonlin]

I am 15 miles from nearest AT&T cell. Do you know if this procedure will work without AT&T cell connection. I do have MME WiFi connection in garage.

My guess is that the PaaK relies on the cellular modem.

 

[dtbaker61]

I am 15 miles from nearest AT&T cell. Do you know if this procedure will work without AT&T cell connection. I do have MME WiFi connection in garage.

I have no idea whether or not AT&T connection is required.... presumably, if the cell Phone your are configuring has a connection, you *should* be ok. But come to think of it, I did configure the MME WiFi connectivity to access my home WiFi network prior to successful PAAK. I did that first thing since I figured it would need the wifi to download OTA updates.

I think I'll go back and add this to the OP, since it *probably* is best to have WiFi connection set up in addition to having cell service for your phone during config.

This is very much like how the Inverters in the Solar industry communicate production data to the mfg for mfg and customer web portal display. They have an internal modem (hardwired AT&T plan in fact), and a configurable Wi-Fi setting for communication that is set to the home's network SSID and password. There are plenty of places with poor AT&T coverage, so the wi-fi 'backup' is important.

 

[Chiefsfan]

My Goal in documenting this process was to complete config of FordPass - PAAK to enable setting a BackupStartCode that could be entered on Console if and when needed. Not really concerned with using PaaK on a daily basis or remote start... Just wanting a way to get into the car, and start it without EITHER Fob or Phone present in case of loss, damage, or dead batteries in Fob and Phone.

The Problem with PaaK config on some Android 9 phones (like mine) in the current (3/2021 PAAK), is that the FordPass app displays a screen in the very beginning saying that your 'Device is not supported' for Phone As A Key (PAAK) functionality. Don't be discouraged! The current release is a little flaky, and it may randomly drop the Bluetooth connect for Automatic FordPass features, but you WILL be able to set a Backup StartCode ... and have a 'virtual spare key' even if you lose both your Fob and your Phone.

After several days of trial and error, and some helpful communication from the PAAK development team at Ford, I was able to piece together a few not-well-documented details in the procedure that FINALLY got me thru with a valid Phone setup, and set a StartCode. With your 5-digit DoorCode, and Backup StartCode, you are set!

First steps are to clear any partial or 'failed pairings' from both your phone, and your MME console.

A - phone -
1. delete FordPass app from your phone
2. delete any previous Bluetooth pairings between phone and MME by
phone>settings>Connections> tap on Bluetooth
if there is any MME pairing, tap the 'settings' icon next to it, and unpair
There MAY be two depending how far you got before! delete both.
3. turn phone OFF, and restart


B - in MME - Reset Phone as a Key to clear any partial Key stored in MME using the following steps on MME console after
starting MME. This is mostly from p63 of user manual, but I've included some pictures to help find the right place in the Console Settings:

1. Press Settings on the console touchscreen(upper right)
2. Press General.
3. Press Reset.
4. Press FordPass Connect Reset.
6. Confirm you would like to continue with erasing all Phone as a Key,
and Backup Start Passcodes by Pressing 'Continue' on the pop-up dialog.


C - in MME - delete the 'regular' Phone pairing as well so that you have a clean slate

1. Press Settings on the console touchscreen(upper right)
2. Phone> 'remove' if you had entered it previously, you will re-pair AFTER PAAK
3. turn OFF your MME, and exit the vehicle with your Fob and phone....

D - web - on your laptop or phone.... you will need your Ford.com email, password, and VIN

1. confirm/setup your MME, with VIN in your Ford.com account online
https://www.ford.com/profile/myprofilev2/innersettingspage/?navpath=ford-vehicle

verify that your vehicle appears under My Ford Vehicles, and the VIN number is correct, etc.

D - phone (while in MME) - Finally, to set up PAAK on the phone! you will need to enter your Ford.com email/password/PIN while sitting in MME during the process, so bring your login notes.....

1. Get your Fob and phone, and go sit in your MME...
2. foot on brake, 'Start' button to turn on, leave it in park
3. REMOVE foot from brake for remainder of config
4. download/install current version of the FordPass app on your phone from PlayStore
5. open FordPass app on phone when install is complete
6. login using Ford.com profile email and password (that you used in step C)
7. set/use your 4-digit FordPass PIN
8. allow full access to phone for contact lists, etc
9. you will FINALLY get the FordPass dashboard open, and below the on-App 'start' button, you
10. touch 'Setup Phone As a Key'


11. you *may* get a 'device not supported' dialog pop-up... click 'continue, I understand'
12. name your Phone to use as PAAK, continue....
13. App displays 6-digit temp Bluetooth passcode,
click the 'copy and continue' to put it in the phone clipboard
14. App asks for PIN, and hints it is usually 0000 or 1234.... it is NOT, its the 6-digit code you just copied to clipboard
15. tap-hold in the PIN entry area, and paste in the 6-digit passcode from previous step
16. if pairing FAILS, you have to delete EVERYTHING and start over

17. if pairing succeeds, the MME console will pop-up a dialog asking if you want to set up a Backup Start Passcode...
YES! Set up a StartCode you will remember if and when needed to ever start the MME without either a Fob OR phone present. This does not have to be numbers, you can use the full keyboard, and alpha& numbers for a decent password style StartCode


E - MME - re-pair your 'regular' phone Bluetooth connection

1. Settings > Phone List > add phone
2. follow prompts and re-pair 'regular' phone functions
3. turn MME OFF
4. exit MME, and put Fob somewhere more than 10' away, and turn OFF you phone, or put in 'airplane mode' so that the MME cannot connect to it


F - Verify that you can open and start MME without EITHER Fob or phone

1. approach your MME without Fob OR phone,
with 5-digit door code (on card or memorized), and use it to unlock and get in

------ this is the part not well documented... to START using the Backup StartCode -------

2. do NOT put your foot on the brake, just hit 'Start' button, Console will think for a bit,
and display a screen to allow entry of your Backup StartCode password set during config
3. touch the entry area, and enter your StartCode with the Console keyboard
4. THEN foot on Brake and 'Start' button can be used!

...done!

I have found that having both my Fob and Phone with me when entering the MME tends to 'confuse' the system. I would recommend choosing between:

1. putting the Fob in a drawer for 'spare', and use PAAK functionality... usng DoorCode+StartCode if and when the PAAK functionality screws up and doesn't see your phone.

2. delete FordPass App from your phone, never using PAAK, and use the Fob as a key... still with the Door+StartCode available if you lose the Fob. This *should* avoid your MME from getting confused if both Fob and Phone are present. You could re-install FordPass App on phone later without re-configuring PAAK if PAAK is 'fixed' in future OTA update.

-------

I hope this works for any/all of you who have been having trouble setting up and using PAAK, and were as nervous as I was about not having a 'spare'. - Dan

Shouldn’t be this hard.

 

[LNFitz]

Thank you @dtbaker61 ... You have saved my sanity a few times with this posting. Love/hate relationship with OTAs when they knock out my PAAK.

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