android phone never wakes car

[Bobby]

I've been having this problem since day 1 (2025 Lucid AT - Oct 31 pickup). The app spins forever even after I manually open the car and everything is on. Soft/Hard Resets hasn't solved the problem. I've tried the open, force stop, re-open trick and it works maybe 50% of the time.

I have my car in service at the moment for a broken seat and provided all the key fob + android app delay issues as part of the service call. I'm hoping there is something wrong with the wiring in the car to get a signal. Services fix yesterday - turn on passive unlock which I promptly disputed as a feature I don't want turned on.

Edit: I'll have to try turning off wifi when I get the car back from service.

Silly question, why do you need the app to work after you’ve opened the car and everything is on?

 

[MacBain00]

Silly question, why do you need the app to work after you’ve opened the car and everything is on?

It was just me testing out the app to figure out what is going wrong. I was turning on the car while the app was spinning to see if it even recognized the car was on.

Edit: Which it did not. I had to force close the app and relaunch. Then it saw the car was on.

 

[Bobby]

It was just me testing out the app to figure out what is going wrong. I was turning on the car while the app was spinning to see if it even recognized the car was on.

Edit: Which it did not. I had to force close the app and relaunch. Then it saw the car was on.

The app uses a cellular signal to connect to the car. As such, it has no bearing on whether you are sitting in it or 1000 miles away. Is your car on Wi-Fi? This seems to mess with it.

 

[borski]

I've been having this problem since day 1 (2025 Lucid AT - Oct 31 pickup). The app spins forever even after I manually open the car and everything is on. Soft/Hard Resets hasn't solved the problem. I've tried the open, force stop, re-open trick and it works maybe 50% of the time.

I have my car in service at the moment for a broken seat and provided all the key fob + android app delay issues as part of the service call. I'm hoping there is something wrong with the wiring in the car to get a signal. Services fix yesterday - turn on passive unlock which I promptly disputed as a feature I don't want turned on.

Edit: I'll have to try turning off wifi when I get the car back from service.

Edit2: This behavior happens while at home or if the car is in an open parking lot with a clear view of the sky.

Do not use the app as your main method of unlocking the car. It uses the cloud which is not consistently reliable.

Set up mobile key. Period.

If you want passive unlock off, just press the handle. But you need mobile key.

 

[MacBain00]

The app uses a cellular signal to connect to the car. As such, it has no bearing on whether you are sitting in it or 1000 miles away. Is your car on Wi-Fi? This seems to mess with it.

Yes it's on wifi. happens in all locations though. not specifc to just home.

 

[MacBain00]

Do not use the app as your main method of unlocking the car. It uses the cloud which is not consistently reliable.

Set up mobile key. Period.

If you want passive unlock off, just press the handle. But you need mobile key.

I'm not using it to unlock the car. I'm using it so I can turn on the heat, open the frunk/truck for someone, turning on preconditioning while i'm not near the car.

I use my mobile key for opening the car. The fob is unreliable.

 

[borski]

I'm not using it to unlock the car. I'm using it so I can turn on the heat, open the frunk/truck for someone, turning on preconditioning while i'm not near the car.

I use my mobile key for opening the car. The fob is unreliable.

Okay gotcha. Sorry for misunderstanding.

 

[Bobby]

I'm not using it to unlock the car. I'm using it so I can turn on the heat, open the frunk/truck for someone, turning on preconditioning while i'm not near the car.

I use my mobile key for opening the car. The fob is unreliable.

I have never heard anyone say that the fob is unreliable (unless they have an actual problem with hardware that requires service). In fact, I will admit it is more reliable from a greater distance than mobile key. The negative to the fob is some owners have found that it eats batteries too quickly. When you find it to be unreliable, it could be due to the need to clean off bitterant (use the search for info) or supply a new battery. Batteries are cheap, why not buy a big box and simply replace the battery monthly? Personally, I don’t like to carry an extra piece of hardware so I’m willing to wait the extra couple seconds for mobile key to unlock the car. It turns out that the mobile key unlocking delay, which is usually two or three seconds, is exactly the correct amount of time for my wife to look at me and roll her eyes.

That said, I have been the first to criticize Lucid about their terrible unlocking implementation. It might’ve seemed like a good idea when it was designed, but it has failed miserably. I was actually at a Lucid event where Peter himself said that they are disappointed with the fob as well and they wish they could do something about it, but they are locked in a contract. If I were Lucid, I’d get a really good lawyer and get my ass out of that crappy contract and supply a brand new fob to everybody. But I have no expertise in the legal or automotive field and I’d imagine this is way harder to do than say.

 

[MacBain00]

I have never heard anyone say that the fob is unreliable (unless they have an actual problem with hardware that requires service). In fact, I will admit it is more reliable from a greater distance than mobile key. The negative to the fob is some owners have found that it eats batteries too quickly. When you find it to be unreliable, it could be due to the need to clean off bitterant (use the search for info) or supply a new battery. Batteries are cheap, why not buy a big box and simply replace the battery monthly? Personally, I don’t like to carry an extra piece of hardware so I’m willing to wait the extra couple seconds for mobile key to unlock the car. It turns out that the mobile key unlocking delay, which is usually two or three seconds, is exactly the correct amount of time for my wife to look at me and roll her eyes.

That said, I have been the first to criticize Lucid about their terrible unlocking implementation. It might’ve seemed like a good idea when it was designed, but it has failed miserably. I was actually at a Lucid event where Peter himself said that they are disappointed with the fob as well and they wish they could do something about it, but they are locked in a contract. If I were Lucid, I’d get a really good lawyer and get my ass out of that crappy contract and supply a brand new fob to everybody. But I have no expertise in the legal or automotive field and I’d imagine this is way harder to do than say.

Hi Bobby. Thanks for the response. I've been reading about the fob issues for quite some time so I went in with eyes wide open. Sadly, I feel like my expectations weren't low enough. I already purchased a faraday case for the fob before getting the car.

Just for some perspective, the car is about 30 days old. I've already changed the key fob battery. I didn't look to see if there is a bitterant issue with the fob. The range I have is at best 2ft to unlock the doors with the fob and a slightly above non-zero chance of my frunk/truck opening. The fob does lock the doors from a decent range. I carry the fob since I have about 6 keys I need to carry at all times. The only 2 times I want the fob to work is when I'm walking to the car in the rain or when I'm carrying groceries. The truck doesn't from my mobile key or fob when I'm right next to the truck. As per the reason for this thread (and partial hijack at this point), the android app doesn't wake the car.

The above is the reason I put car into service along with my broken seat. Something is fundamentally wrong with the car when trying to use what I would consider a basic feature set.

 

[DeaneG]

... If I were Lucid, I’d get a really good lawyer and get my ass out of that crappy contract and supply a brand new fob to everybody. But I have no expertise in the legal or automotive field and I’d imagine this is way harder to do than say.

I've had the same thought, IMO it would've been cheaper for Lucid to break the contract and pay liquidated damages than continue to get bad press from reviewers who can't get into the car. But not my monkey, not my circus.

 

[Bobby]

Hi Bobby. Thanks for the response. I've been reading about the fob issues for quite some time so I went in with eyes wide open. Sadly, I feel like my expectations weren't low enough. I already purchased a faraday case for the fob before getting the car.

Just for some perspective, the car is about 30 days old. I've already changed the key fob battery. I didn't look to see if there is a bitterant issue with the fob. The range I have is at best 2ft to unlock the doors with the fob and a slightly above non-zero chance of my frunk/truck opening. The fob does lock the doors from a decent range. I carry the fob since I have about 6 keys I need to carry at all times. The only 2 times I want the fob to work is when I'm walking to the car in the rain or when I'm carrying groceries. The truck doesn't from my mobile key or fob when I'm right next to the truck. As per the reason for this thread (and partial hijack at this point), the android app doesn't wake the car.

The above is the reason I put car into service along with my broken seat. Something is fundamentally wrong with the car when trying to use what I would consider a basic feature set.

There is 100% definitely a bitterant issue with some batteries. If your batteries have bitterly them, wipe them with alcohol prior to using them in the fob. Also, don't use the fob and mobile key simultaneously. Pick one. And turn off wi-fi.

 

[borski]

There is 100% definitely a bitterant issue with some batteries. If your batteries have bitterly them, wipe them with alcohol prior to using them in the fob. Also, don't use the fob and mobile key simultaneously. Pick one. And turn off wi-fi.

This. Rub all your batteries with alcohol. They will “last” many months longer.

 

[borski]

I've had the same thought, IMO it would've been cheaper for Lucid to break the contract and pay liquidated damages than continue to get bad press from reviewers who can't get into the car. But not my monkey, not my circus.

Yeah, I have no idea. But I am certain if it were as simple as “it will cost us some money” that would have been done a long time ago.