Tired of lack of Android support

[borski]

This is where I think Lucid should look to prioritize and do whatever it takes to get AA support. Not saying they are not already doing it but somehow need to accelerate.

They’re done. As stated by @mcr16 previously, it is waiting on Google to approve it. That’s why it isn’t out yet.

 

[JeffG]

I'm really getting tired of the lack of Android support by Lucid, whether it be no Android Auto or the new app experiences being released for iOS only with Android coming "in early 2025" with no date specified. When is early...Jan? Feb? March? April? Is this the same timing as AA being available in late Fall? I get that AA is in testing, but it's been the better part of a year since CarPlay was released.

Lucid is choosing not to prioritize Android, which is their right to do, but after 2 years of ownership I'm not interested in continuing to prioritize investing in an ongoing 2nd tier user experience, or recommending others do so.

Add Android watch support to the list.

 

[Buffalo Bob]

To me, it all boils down to this... Android Auto being held up in the Google certification process is totally understandable. The inordinate number of months it took Lucid to get around to submitting Android Auto to the Google certification process is not at all understandable. PLEASE mods... Don't use the short Google certification delay as the problem, when the problem is the months and months that transpired before.

 

[borski]

To me, it all boils down to this... Android Auto being held up in the Google certification process is totally understandable. The inordinate number of months it took Lucid to get around to submitting Android Auto to the Google certification process is not at all understandable. PLEASE mods... Don't use the short Google certification delay as the problem, when the problem is the months and months that transpired before.

I have no dog in this fight, but this is not Lucid’s first attempt at completing Android Auto. The first one was thwarted by… reasons that have nothing to do with Lucid, and it was over a year ago. I wish I could disclose why, but it is simply not true that Lucid has not cared. You’ll have to take my word on this one; or not, I can’t control that.

It is probably true that it was a lower priority than CarPlay. But it is not true that they sat on their hands for two years before doing anything.

As for the app, their tweet that announced the iOS app said the new Android app is coming early 2025.

 

[Buffalo Bob]

OK. I give up. I am never going to use the 'A' word again on this forum. What on earth is the point?

 

[BS8899]

To me, it all boils down to this... Android Auto being held up in the Google certification process is totally understandable. The inordinate number of months it took Lucid to get around to submitting Android Auto to the Google certification process is not at all understandable. PLEASE mods... Don't use the short Google certification delay as the problem, when the problem is the months and months that transpired before.

The AA slippage is but a broader issue with how Lucid handles SW issue resolution and communications.

While there is (now) a slide of the SW issues in their investor conference stack, just putting these items on a slide is neither a plan nor a schedule. It is merely a laundry list.

I think Lucid is "gun-shy" about communicating plans and schedules, perhaps thinking that by doing so, the owners "will hold Lucid to the plan and schedule". Inasmuch as that is a legitimate concern, does NOT communicating a plan nor a schedule solve the owners' frustration? Hardly! It engenders more frustration.

Lucid need to prioritize AND COMMUNICATE its plans to address the owners' pain-points. As a statement of the obvious, the prioritizataion should address the critical items first and provide credible schedules for resolution. Not communicating the plans and schedules does not accomplish any thing. Yes, schedules can slip due to unforseen circumstances. But communicating with stakeholders is key to maintaining credibility. For months, AA was promised for Fall 2024. It is now communicated as a Google certification scheduling problem after the Fall 2024 date passed. Lucid needs to do better!

 

[Batteryman]

Android user here, but I largely gave up on the app as a reliable means to interact with the car. My wife is an iPhone user and primary driver and she too finds the app of low value, so we'll see if things improve for her. I'm just happy that the car usually unlocks when I walk up (with my phone in my pocket), the audio system often works, and the car is a dream to spend time behind the wheel. Count me dubious on major updates and new integrations, it's not something Lucid has done well in my short experience.

Yeah, the delay in waking up the car makes app redundant for me.

 

[Batteryman]

The AA slippage is but a broader issue with how Lucid handles SW issue resolution and communications.

While there is (now) a slide of the SW issues in their investor conference stack, just putting these items on a slide is neither a plan nor a schedule. It is merely a laundry list.

I think Lucid is "gun-shy" about communicating plans and schedules, perhaps thinking that by doing so, the owners "will hold Lucid to the plan and schedule". Inasmuch as that is a legitimate concern, does NOT communicating a plan nor a schedule solve the owners' frustration? Hardly! It engenders more frustration.

Lucid need to prioritize AND COMMUNICATE its plans to address the owners' pain-points. As a statement of the obvious, the prioritizataion should address the critical items first and provide credible schedules for resolution. Not communicating the plans and schedules does not accomplish any thing. Yes, schedules can slip due to unforseen circumstances. But communicating with stakeholders is key to maintaining credibility. For months, AA was promised for Fall 2024. It is now communicated as a Google certification scheduling problem after the Fall 2024 date passed. Lucid needs to do better!

I think Lucid should not communicate about timelines for improvements. You never know how long it takes to debug before releasing. Just release when ready. Otherwise they give a date and if they can't meet that deadline, everyone gets upset.

 

[BS8899]

I think Lucid should not communicate about timelines for improvements. You never know how long it takes to debug before releasing. Just release when ready. Otherwise they give a date and if they can't meet that deadline, everyone gets upset.

If they don't understand the root cause of a problem or a feature, then YES, I agree they shouldn't communicate a planor timeline. Just say it is under investigation, root cuase and timeline will be communicated when root cause and fixes are acertained. taht's fine. The issue herein is that they don't communcate timeline and root cause on any of the bug fixes or features (e.g., AA). Keeping the owners in the dark is not a credibility building strategy.

 

[borski]

OK. I give up. I am never going to use the 'A' word again on this forum. What on earth is the point?

Don’t. I’m not trying to shut you up. I’m just trying to add detail.

Again, there is a difference between excuses and explanations. I am trying to provide an explanation. That doesn’t constitute an excuse.

They still should have had it out earlier. It is not a good look.

But that they didn’t isn’t due to incompetence. That’s all I’m saying.

 

[borski]

If they don't understand the root cause of a problem or a feature, then YES, I agree they shouldn't communicate a planor timeline. Just say it is under investigation, root cuase and timeline will be communicated when root cause and fixes are acertained. taht's fine. The issue herein is that they don't communcate timeline and root cause on any of the bug fixes or features (e.g., AA). Keeping the owners in the dark is not a credibility building strategy.

I actually totally agree with you.

 

[Buffalo Bob]

Don’t. I’m not trying to shut you up. I’m just trying to add detail.

Again, there is a difference between excuses and explanations. I am trying to provide an explanation. That doesn’t constitute an excuse.

They still should have had it out earlier. It is not a good look.

But that they didn’t isn’t due to incompetence. That’s all I’m saying.

No worries, @borski! Things are what they are. Nuff said.

 

[gavram]

OK. I give up. I am never going to use the 'A' word again on this forum. What on earth is the point?

Agreed. I just don't have the underlying empathy conveyed in the responses, as if this is the first time an auto mfg has implemented AA.

If this was indeed the first car mfg to implement I'd be much more understanding, but after spending 2 weeks driving yet another low cost rental with AA, in this case an $18k VW Polo, I'm done being tolerant of it not being in my $120k Lucid... particularly after being over halfway through my warranted ownership.

If they'd like to tack on 2 more years of warranty so I can enjoy the full value of my promised AA functionality, I think they'll find me to be VERY understanding of any future delays

 

[JGard18]

The lesson here (which I learned as an early Tesla and Rivian owner) is do NOT buy hope in a vehicle. Never hope it’ll do something it doesn’t do when you’re about to buy it. If you like how it is AS IS at the time of purchase, then proceed. But if you’re buying hopes and dreams, be prepared to get frustrated.

 

[joec]

OK. I give up. I am never going to use the 'A' word again on this forum. What on earth is the point?

What you seem to want is to be able to express your assumptions as fact, and then have others who actually have inside information that directly contradicts those assumptions stand by and not correct the record.

That's not what this forum is about. There are thousands of other places on the internet where your assumptions can be "true." We don't do that here.

Be frustrated. I'd be frustrated. That's all well and good. But don't say things others know aren't true and then complain when they try to set the record straight.

 

[joec]

As far as I can tell, part of the deal with choosing Android is dealing with the fact that a lot of companies don't prioritize Android. Maybe that sucks, but at some point you have to accept that's part of the choice. Just as not being able to sideload any old app I find on the internet is part of the deal when choosing iOS.

I chose the platform that doesn't have sideloading. It would be odd for me to complain about not having access to those apps (although I have many iPhone-using friends who do). Even if every once in a while I really wish I could for one particular app. That's part of the deal you make when choosing iOS.

Integration with Google services is also vastly superior on Android. If I were a die-hard Google app user, and I chose iOS, It would be weird for me to complain that it doesn't work as seamlessly with gmail or sheets or calendar, wouldn't it?

Or imagine me with my Mac, complaining that all the good AAA games only ever come out for PC? There's no reason a Mac can't run top-level games as far as I can tell, beyond simple economics. But I knew going into it that the best games were simply never going to be available to me so long as I remain a Mac user.

You all chose the platform that gets lower priority by many companies. That needs to be factored into the choice. Otherwise you're going to be perpetually frustrated. You're not going to change the incentive structure of these companies via complaining. I've been on the inside of these choices for over a decade. It's a cut-and-dried business decision.

And remember, I'm very much on the record saying Lucid absolutely needs to support Android. From the mobile app to Android Auto. This is not optional. But it's also not surprising where they put their resources first, and the fact Android support is lagging behind.

I'm just surprised so many Android users are surprised, I guess.

 

[DeaneG]

It would've also been useful if Lucid communicated had that they had fixed the android phone app's frequent significant error in sending destinations from Google Maps to the car. I had completely stopped using this capability because it didn't work. I think the fix was hidden in "bug fixes and enhancements" in a previous release.

 

[BS8899]

What you seem to want is to be able to express your assumptions as fact, and then have others who actually have inside information that directly contradicts those assumptions stand by and not correct the record.

That's not what this forum is about. There are thousands of other places on the internet where your assumptions can be "true." We don't do that here.

Be frustrated. I'd be frustrated. That's all well and good. But don't say things others know aren't true and then complain when they try to set the record straight.

Lucid has not done a good job in managing, communicating and setting expectations on bug resolutions. A number of you might have "insider info" that keeps you more informed than the rest of us. This is a perfect-storm for frustrations, speculations, and conflicts. Ultimately, Lucid needs to be much more forthcoming in communicating and setting expectations.

Sometimes we learn things (literally) years later, that are totally insane. A recent (recent, as known to me) example is the revelation of the dis-functional Air key FOB, there appears appears to be no fixes and no redesign replacements possible because of some NDA between Lucid and its FOB supplier. Clearly, Lucid, and several of the moderators, knew of this info for a while. Why not just come clean and let the rest of us know?!

Secrecy, incomptency and lack of honesta and timely disclosure of problems breed conspiracy theories. Sunlight is the best disinfectant!

As a sideline: in a separately post, @borski asked, why I (am being a nerd ) carry my phone, FOB, and valet card when I travel in my Lucid Air. My sister, who is visiting me in AZ for Christmas, reminded me that, 2 years ago, about 1 month after I got my 2022 AGT, we went on a trip to Sedona. On the way back, we stopped near Anthem and had no way to get back into the car. We had to call Lucid Service and have them remotely unlock the car to get home. Nowadays, I travel frequently between AZ and northern CA. I mostly travel at night and I stop in less crowded places for charging (e.g., Barstow, Buttonwillow, etc.). Some of these more remote stops have poor cell coverage. I'd hate to be locked out of my car again in the middle of the night. I recently learned at this forum that a reliable FOB is not going to happen!

 

[Bobby]

Lucid has not done a good job in managing, communicating and setting expectations on bug resolutions. A number of you might have "insider info" that keeps you more informed than the rest of us. This is a perfect-storm for frustrations, speculations, and conflicts. Ultimately, Lucid needs to be much more forthcoming in communicating and setting expectations.

Sometimes we learn things (literally) years later, that are totally insane. A recent (recent, as known to me) example is the revelation of the dis-functional Air key FOB, there appears appears to be no fixes and no redesign replacements possible because of some NDA between Lucid and its FOB supplier. Clearly, Lucid, and several of the moderators, knew of this info for a while. Why not just come clean and let the rest of us know?!

Secrecy, incomptency and lack of honesta and timely disclosure of problems breed conspiracy theories. Sunlight is the best disinfectant!

As a sideline: in a separately post, @borski asked, why I (am being a nerd ) carry my phone, FOB, and valet card when I travel in my Lucid Air. My sister, who is visiting me in AZ for Christmas, reminded me that, 2 years ago, about 1 month after I got my 2022 AGT, we went on a trip to Sedona. On the way back, we stopped near Anthem and had no way to get back into the car. We had to call Lucid Service and have them remotely unlock the car to get home. Nowadays, I travel frequently between AZ and northern CA. I mostly travel at night and I stop in less crowded places for charging (e.g., Barstow, Buttonwillow, etc.). Some of these more remote stops have poor cell coverage. I'd hate to be locked out of my car again in the middle of the night. I recently learned at this forum that a reliable FOB is not going to happen!

I’m not completely understanding what happened. Do you mean that your mobile key stopped working?

 

[borski]

It would've also been useful if Lucid communicated had that they had fixed the android phone app's frequent significant error in sending destinations from Google Maps to the car. I had completely stopped using this capability because it didn't work. I think the fix was hidden in "bug fixes and enhancements" in a previous release.

Also agreed. I think communication has improved but is not where it needs to be yet.

You won’t find me lauding their communication at present.