phone as Key NOT working ?!

[mamejunkie]

I am having similar inconsistencies but hopefully they will all resolve

Fords ultimate resolution will be to ship another key fob to everyone.

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[SnBGC]

Took delivery 3 weeks ago. PAAK with iPhone 12 worked reliably to start with. However, it is getting worse with each passing week. I can be standing right next to the car and the Bluetooth won't connect, even when I manually try to do so. Yes, I have the FordPass app open on the phone. I have had to use the door pillar and the extra code to get in and start my car a few times now.

Basic message is that reliability is getting worse over time, not better.

So far I can echo that tale.....
PaaK was quite reliable yesterday.
Left for work today and left the fob at home. Car unlocked right away in the driveway while I put my briefcase in the back and secured it to the child seat tether points. (it has wheels...). Then I went back in the house to get my water bottle and lunch bag and returned to a locked car that wouldn't let me in. I had to get out my phone and open the FordPass app AND clear the messages from the app. Those little message and alerts that appear at the top of my phone......I pull down to see all the alerts. FordPass had a bunch in there so as soon as I cleared those messages.....the bluetooth connected and I was off on my way.

It's buggy to say the least. Do you have a lot of messages that you haven't cleared? If so, give that a try and let us know if PaaK starts to work better for you. ?

 

[Maric]

My PAAK is working perfectly so far. I leave my FOB at home. Here is my software version.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Android 11

 

[dtbaker61]

My PAAK is working perfectly so far. I leave my FOB at home. Here is my software version.

that's half the equation perhaps.... what phone, and version of phone OS do you have?

I just checked my sync4 version on MME display > settings>general>about sync , and I also have version 243... apparently all up to date.

I uninstalled, and re-installed FordPass on my phone, removed and re-added my MME vin, and FordPass errors out early in the config process... saying my phone is not capable of PAAK. ... my phone is a Samsung Galaxy j737v (android), with latest update software version j737vvru8bt12

 

[Maric]

that's half the equation perhaps.... what phone, and version of phone OS do you have?

I just checked my sync4 version on MME display > settings>general>about sync , and I also have version 243... apparently all up to date.

I uninstalled, and re-installed FordPass on my phone, removed and re-added my MME vin, and FordPass errors out early in the config process... saying my phone is not capable of PAAK. ... my phone is a Samsung Galaxy j737v (android), with latest update software version j737vvru8bt12

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Android 11

 

[dtbaker61]

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Android 11

hhhhmmmmm, I wonder if my version of android on my phone is too old? ...
I still think we should be getting two functional Fobs standard since the PAAK is not 100% reliable, and apparently NOT compatible with older phones.

 

[agoldman]

I've given up on PAAK entirely. Vaporware...

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

I've given up on PAAK entirely. Vaporware...

No it’s not.


va·por·ware
/ˈvāpərˌwer/

noun
INFORMAL•COMPUTING

1. software or hardware that has been advertised but is not yet available to buy, either because it is only a concept or because it is still being written or designed.

 

[macchiaz-o]

Some tips for phone-as-a-key (PaaK) on Android:

While setting up, I got to a screen where the FordPass app said I'd need to wait one or two minutes for it to finish pairing multiple connections to the car.

It didn't seem like anything was happening. After a long while (though less than two minutes -- I'm not that patient), I noticed there were notifications popping into my status bar.

So I dragged down from the top to see what they were and it was Android 11 waiting for me to confirm Bluetooth pairing requests that were initiated by FordPass.

So I confirmed each of those. It might have been three or four? I can't remember. Then PaaK worked.

Ok. Second tip. The audio/phone/AA connection to the car is called Mustang Mach-E by default. That's fine.

But the PaaK connection is just a string of hexadecimal numbers.

Android lets you rename this. I recommend giving it a better name so that when you inevitably pair with other nameless bluetooth gadgets in the future, you'll be able to tell which is which so you can forget the correct items if you ever need to.

To rename, go to the list of previously connected devices and then tap the settings gear next to the hexadecimal entry for PaaK. Then tap the pencil to rename it.

HandsFreeLink is my parents' Honda. I'll rename that now, too.

 

[KrazyEd]

Phone as a key was working fairly well with my Android and Mach E. FordPass sent a message
that there was a software update for this and to take the car in to have it done. AFTER the
update, I had no more PAAK at all. I took back to Ford dealership in Vegas who said that everything
was showing as working and no issues. I suggested that mechanic attempt to connect HIS phone.
He did and it worked perfectly. His was an iPhone. After being on the phone with FordPass for an
hour, I got no improvement. Later that night, I tried a friend's iPhone, and it worked as well. I attempted several Android phones and it will not even attempt to connect. Is anyone else getting
this " Phone Shaming " from their Mach E?

 

[SnBGC]

Phone as a key was working fairly well with my Android and Mach E. FordPass sent a message
that there was a software update for this and to take the car in to have it done. AFTER the
update, I had no more PAAK at all. I took back to Ford dealership in Vegas who said that everything
was showing as working and no issues. I suggested that mechanic attempt to connect HIS phone.
He did and it worked perfectly. His was an iPhone. After being on the phone with FordPass for an
hour, I got no improvement. Later that night, I tried a friend's iPhone, and it worked as well. I attempted several Android phones and it will not even attempt to connect. Is anyone else getting
this " Phone Shaming " from their Mach E?

I have Android and PaaK works. Not consistently. Or quickly. Or conveniently. But it works almost half the time without having to do anything special. The other half of the time I have to mess with my phone and wake it up or change settings or do some other strange series of "fixes". Sometimes I just give up and enter the code on the B pillar and then the start code.

Usually I am in a hurry with my hands full so I just remember to keep FaaK (Fob as a Key) in my pocket and the access to my vehicle is as expected and desired.

Sorry to hear you are having problems with PaaK. I am not really that convinced about the idea that our phones should control everything we use in life. Seems like a big ask to me.

 

[Griddlez]

My question is, has anyone been able to add their phone as a key after the error messages that the app was showing a few weeks ago? Has anyone successfully added a phone since then?

 

[MWRA]

So my paak has been inconsistent. Works more often than not, but any time it doesn’t is annoying. Usually if I just wait a minute it works. I’m about to give up on it. If your ford pass app works then a backup is to start the car from the app itself. After getting stuck leaving work today for a 5 minutes I’m probably just going to start carrying a key

 

[Ford Motor Company]

So my paak has been inconsistent. Works more often than not, but any time it doesn’t is annoying. Usually if I just wait a minute it works. I’m about to give up on it. If your ford pass app works then a backup is to start the car from the app itself. After getting stuck leaving work today for a 5 minutes I’m probably just going to start carrying a key

Hi there! Would you send us a private message with your VIN and dealership name and location? I’d like to look into this concern on my end.

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