1-click lock-unlock with iPhone/Android/Apple Watch/SmartWatch

[enriquebp]

Hi guys!

Now that Onto seems to be worrying about us a lot more than they used to do in the past (I certainly have seen very interesting improvements with some of their new recruits, e.g. Paul Sykes head of fleet as well as the new VP of customer service), can we all request once more that they integrate their app with shortcuts/Siri on iPhone and the equivalent in Android so we can add lock/unlock buttons to our homepages/lock screens in our phones?

That would make it a LOT easier for us to access our cars, specially when it is raining/we are carrying heavy stuff etc. That would save us having to unlock our phones, finding the Onto app, clicking to refresh bluetooth and clicking once more to lock. (The only thing we can do right now is add a shortcut to open the app, but nothing else)

That would also mean being able to use our Apple Watch or any Smartwatch to access our cars, which is definitely handy as most of us run out of charge on our phones a lot more frequently than in our watches. And we would be able to lock/unlock just by saying ‘hey Siri unlock my car’.

I honestly don’t understand why this hasn’t been done yet. This is literally VERY easy to do on iOS (the official iOS Shortcuts API makes it extremely easy for even a newbie iOS programmer). I’d think it’s the same on Android but I do not know how it works on Android.

I suggested this 18 months ago and got told “the team was already looking into it”. I know I am not the only one that has suggested it.

18 month delay (and counting) for the most simple yet most user-experience focused feature is extremely disappointing for a “tech startup”.

I hope @Carol and/or @Ayman_at_Onto can give us a response as to whether we can hopefully look forward to this being done in the short term. This is literally half a day of work for a programmer! (or even less).

[Koda]

I also suggested similar to this about a year ago now too wirh no sign of progress.

App Widget?

Downloaded the app ahead of collection and quite surprised to see there isn’t a widget for the app to quickly access from the home screen to just hit a few quick buttons to lock, unlock, and toggle the model-specific feature function. I don’t imagine it would be too hard to create such a thing, and think it could make it a bit quicker and easier to live without a key?

[Jason]

Some of their marketing material has showed a new app in development. This was over 3 months ago mind.

[Kev]

Or offer a key but take a £50 or so deposit

[Koda]

If they were going to give a key in exchange for a deposit it would presumably be at the cost of a replacement. Average of around £250-300? I Personally can’t see it happening though.

[enriquebp]

Personally I don’t want a key. I’d rather use my phone or watch, but not the way it works right know, which is annoying.

I use my phone to unlock the front door of my house with ONE click. I can also use Siri or just 1 tap on my Watch and it’s open.

[Kev]

Is it still the case you can’t get the Tesla app if you have a Tesla? That has an auto lock/unlock mode based on how close the phone is to the car.

[Kev]

They’d still have a key, so a replacement wouldn’t be that much, I think Ford charged me £100 for a new keyless entry key, programmed and removed the lost key from the ECU

[Koda]

I Feel like that may just be Ford being surprisingly cheap. Nissan quoted me a little over £250 for a replacement LEAF key when a spare went missing (and then wanted to charge a separate extra charge for the cost of a battery in the new key too!)

[E7EV]

@Kev

They’d still have a key, so a replacement wouldn’t be that much

Didn’t I read that they take parts from one of the keys to use in their hardware for locking/unlocking with the app?

[E7EV]

@Kev

Is it still the case you can’t get the Tesla app if you have a Tesla? That has an auto lock/unlock mode based on how close the phone is to the car.

Tesla App

There’s been quite a few questions around why we don’t just give access to the Tesla App.

Essentially, Tesla do not support fleets at the moment. We don’t get an option on the Tesla App to separate our vehicles into different accounts. This means that our login to the Tesla App has access to ALL our Tesla vehicles. Therefore, we have no way of giving you access to just your vehicle, and if we gave you logins to the Tesla App you would have access to our whole fleet. We hope you can understand why we can’t do this.

However, we have discussed this with Tesla and they responded that they are working on a fleet solution to remedy this. They have not given us a time-frame or any reassurance that it’s something they will definitely offer, but we will keep you updated if we hear of any developments.

[Kev]

Good point, that’s certainly the case with the E-208, as I have half a key that was left in the vehicle

[Kev]

@E7EV

However, we have discussed this with Tesla and they responded that they are working on a fleet solution to remedy this. They have not given us a time-frame or any reassurance that it’s something they will definitely offer, but we will keep you updated if we hear of any developments.

I’ve seen that message, but I think that was about a year ago, I was hoping Tesla had made a bit of progress on that by now

[Kev]

@Koda

I Feel like that may just be Ford being surprisingly cheap

They did say, had I not had a single key, it would’ve been an eye watering amount as they’d have to replace the ECU (no idea if that’s true or not)

[E7EV]

Elmo supply keys, and offer their own insurance so wonder why ONTO is so attached to the “access by app” model.

I was quite happy with using the app but must admit I tend to use the key now that I have it.

[Kev]

@E7EV

I was quite happy with using the app but must admit I tend to use the key now that I have it.

I’ve hardly used the app in the time I’ve had the E208… going to be hard going back to the app from Thursday

[enriquebp]

7 days and still no reply whatsoever from Onto. Why would they have a Community if they don’t even take a look at it?

cc/ @Carol @Ayman_at_Onto

[gt6k]

Quite a few of us took part in the handsfree unlock trial and whilst a good idea it was largely a failure. My experience was that it would unlock the car when I went near the front door to pick up the post or when i passed the car on the way out to the pub but would take a minute to unlock when I was stood next to the car in the rain trying to get in.

[Ayman_at_Onto]

@enriquebp

t a LOT easier for us to access our cars, specially when it is raining/we are carrying heavy stuff etc. That would save us having to unlock our phones, finding the Onto app, clicking to refresh bluetoot

Hi @enriquebp,

The iPhone lock screen widgets are sadly non-interactive with only limited capabilities.

The Onto keyless tech and subscription service requires much more interaction in terms of key sharing, error messages, and underlying booking mechanisms. We’re exploring methods which may allow us to develop such features, so all hope is not lost - but it’s unfortunately not as easy as you may expect.

We are, however, launching a new Beta this week with a simplified one-touch lock and unlock from the app. We’ll also be improving the ability to share keys with named drivers, among other things, and this new beta app is built from the ground-up, allowing us to consider new features + functionality like the one you’ve mentioned above. Keep your eyes peeled mid-week for the new Beta which we’ll announce on the forum

For handsfree unlock @gt6k - we’re also hoping to get a new, larger scale trial out in the coming month with a number of updates to help improve the speed of unlocking!

[flirble]

Sign me up for the hands free unlock best bit of having a key