iSmart app range and operational time.

[Walespete]

Hi, what is the range of the iSmart app's ability to connect to the car? On my MG4 it is 30 feet. Further than that it won't connect.

And for how long is the car able to connect after being locked? On my car it's 2 hours, then it goes to sleep.

Are these results the norm for an MG4?

 

[gary333]

You should be able to update the status of the car and request services like heating, charging, find my car at any time.

The ability to lock and unlock using the digital key is (i believe) using Bluetooth, so it can only reach as far as the Bluetooth signal can reach with the capability of transferring the secret communication data.

 

[Walespete]

Thanks for the reply.
Digital key doesn't work on my car.
It has been on charge all night, so I have to unlock the car and wake up the screen to check the state of charge, then reconnect the charger as unlocking the car stops it.

 

[gary333]

Thanks for the reply.
Digital key doesn't work on my car.
It has been on charge all night, so I have to unlock the car and wake up the screen to check the state of charge, then reconnect the charger as unlocking the car stops it.

Something is wrong as you shouldn't need to do that just to check the charge.

I will say the software isn't great so sometimes you have to refresh the app multiple times to get a charge reading, sometimes it just gives -- 2 or 3 times, other times it works perfectly. I get this too, and also with door lock status. Have you tried refreshing multiple times? Sometimes I find it works better if you go to the "shield" on the menu at bottom (Vehicle Status) and refresh on this screen, then return to main "MG" screen.

Although the car stops charging for a short while when you press the unlock button, it should restart and not need prompting / unplugged. The car is anticipating you are about to pull charger out so reduces charger down to a tiny trickle for 30secs to a minute or so.

 

[siteguru]

The range of the app (excluding the digital key) is ... wherever there is a data signal (for both the car and your phone). I've checked the status of my car parked in Glasgow whilst I have been on holiday in the south of Turkey.

 

[Walespete]

The range of the app (excluding the digital key) is ... wherever there is a data signal (for both the car and your phone). I've checked the status of my car parked in Glasgow whilst I have been on holiday in the south of Turkey.

That's 180,000 times more range than my car. Everything else on the car works, so I can live with this minor hiccup.

 

[Walespete]

Something is wrong as you shouldn't need to do that just to check the charge.

I will say the software isn't great so sometimes you have to refresh the app multiple times to get a charge reading, sometimes it just gives -- 2 or 3 times, other times it works perfectly. I get this too, and also with door lock status. Have you tried refreshing multiple times? Sometimes I find it works better if you go to the "shield" on the menu at bottom (Vehicle Status) and refresh on this screen, then return to main "MG" screen.

Although the car stops charging for a short while when you press the unlock button, it should restart and not need prompting / unplugged. The car is anticipating you are about to pull charger out so reduces charger down to a tiny trickle for 30secs to a minute or so.

It worked - going via the sheild icon. Thanks for the tip

 

[ajs]

Bluetooth range is about 10m/30' so if you're using the digital key that's about what I'd expect.

For checking charge I find the quickest way is often to open the Vehicle Status page first, then check charge. It works pretty reliably whenever both the car and my phone have a decent wifi or mobile data Internet connection.

 

[Anon70]

I find the operational time is around 24 hours unless you have the car hooked up to a charger and it has to keep awake to communicate with that. After that the car goes into deep sleep mode to save the 12v battery. To wake things up you just need to unlock and lock the car from the physical key to give you up to another 24 hours of connection time.

The only other things that impact connection are MG servers and mobile phone signal strength (of where the car is located)

 

[ajs]

I find the operational time is around 24 hours unless you have the car hooked up to a charger and it has to keep awake to communicate with that. After that the car goes into deep sleep mode to save the 12v battery.

I've had the car in the airport carpark for over a week and had no trouble getting vehicle location and status updates from it the whole time. I just check the Vehicle Status page and wait 30 seconds or a minute for the car to wake up and start responding.

 

[Walespete]

Hi, what is the range of the iSmart app's ability to connect to the car? On my MG4 it is 30 feet. Further than that it won't connect.

And for how long is the car able to connect after being locked? On my car it's 2 hours, then it goes to sleep.

Are these results the norm for an MG4?

Things have not improved. The only time I can now connect with the car is when it is awake. When locked or locked and charging, the iSmart app says the car is asleep.

 

[Martinonline]

I think the message you are seeing is the fallback message if the app can't talk to the car. It does not mean the car is asleep; it could be the Chinese servers are no working properly

Do you refresh the status page (shield) a number of times before giving up? Often I find the first time doesn't work. As per the 'Robert the Bruce' approach.

 

[Kenp1]

I just drag down on the main screen which does refresh.

 

[Kithmo]

Thanks for the reply.
Digital key doesn't work on my car.
It has been on charge all night, so I have to unlock the car and wake up the screen to check the state of charge, then reconnect the charger as unlocking the car stops it.

Unlocking the car should only pause the charge, it should resume within a minute or so.

 

[Walespete]

I think the message you are seeing is the fallback message if the app can't talk to the car. It does not mean the car is asleep; it could be the Chinese servers are no working properly

Do you refresh the status page (shield) a number of times before giving up? Often I find the first time doesn't work. As per the 'Robert the Bruce' approach.

I bought a new phone and the iSmart app I downloaded is nothing like the old one on my old phone. This new app connects fine. Problem solved.

 

[siteguru]

I suspect you'd changed to the 100 Years theme in the app on your old phone ... the default theme when you install the app is the White one, so of course it'll look very different.

 

[JohnV6]

Mine keeps going to sleep lately.

 

[gary333]

Mine keeps going to sleep lately.

Is it going to sleep or just not refreshing. I often have to try multiple times, sometimes as many as 6 on the “vehicle status” screen as this seems to work better then Home Screen.

 

[Walespete]

I suspect you'd changed to the 100 Years theme in the app on your old phone ... the default theme when you install the app is the White one, so of course it'll look very different.

Yep, your right