MG iSmart 2.0 [merged]

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

Thanks for the responses. The app reports it is compatible with Android 8 and above, and my device is listed as compatible. Certainly iSmart V2.0.1 worked (" ") ok with it, but no joy so far with V2.0.2.

As you suggested Ian, tried clearing the cache before opening it after install, no different. I haven't dared to clear the data as well, as I think I will have to rebind the app to the car - is this true? That's the next step to try anyway. It's no good if it won't run, bound or not!

It's quite likely if no-one else is having the same issues that it is a problem with my phone. Anyone else successfully running iSmart with Android 8?

The car is bound to your account, not your phone.
You shouldn't have to rebind, just login using the method (email or phone number) that you originally used.
If the app asks you to rebind, you've used the wrong method - try the other.

 

[2Sheds]

Ok, tried deleting the data and the cache before opening after installation. No go. Just a black screen. Will try installing on my wife's phone next, but unfortunately it's the same vintage as mine. Will report back.

 

[2Sheds]

Ok, tried on a second phone, Android V8.1.0. App will not run on that either. Looks like not only have MG broken a not-great-but-usable app, now it's not compatible with Android 8 either, despite saying it is.

Will await to see if anyone reports being able to run V2.0.2 on Android 8, but meanwhile will have to do without it.

Thanks for the help and suggestions.

 

[siteguru]

Maybe not practical, but ... have you thought about rooting your phone and installing a later ROM (e.g Android 9 or 10)?

Pointless doing it for just one app, but maybe useful if you encounter other issues. (Or just get a new phone - they're not expensive now, especially one with equivalent or better performance than a phone stuck at Android 8).

 

[dawson2099]

Go to the 'Battery' Tile (It thinks about it for a moment), then the 'Cog' at the top right. You choose from 10% increments from 40% to 100%. The 'Mode' (Long-trip mode or Battery Health mode) is indicated appropriately when you return.

Interestingly the first time I did this it successfully changed to 'battery health' mode - having redone it to type this I'll be dammed if I can get it back to 80%! (Have tried restarting App etc etc).

Back to mental gymnastics and length of time charging in Zappi go I :-(

Does the wall charger override the car limit of 80%? I have the car set in health mode at 80% but still the ZAPPI charger carries on to 100%.

 

[ukslim]

Go to the 'Battery' Tile (It thinks about it for a moment), then the 'Cog' at the top right. You choose from 10% increments from 40% to 100%. The 'Mode' (Long-trip mode or Battery Health mode) is indicated appropriately when you return.

Interestingly the first time I did this it successfully changed to 'battery health' mode - having redone it to type this I'll be dammed if I can get it back to 80%! (Have tried restarting App etc etc).

Back to mental gymnastics and length of time charging in Zappi go I :-(

If the app doesn't work, you can always set it from the Infotainment screen.

 

[2Sheds]

Maybe not practical, but ... have you thought about rooting your phone and installing a later ROM (e.g Android 9 or 10)?

Pointless doing it for just one app, but maybe useful if you encounter other issues. (Or just get a new phone - they're not expensive now, especially one with equivalent or better performance than a phone stuck at Android 8).

I might look into that, but all I can say is that I haven't had any issue with running any other apps on the phone. I know that operating systems get outdated eventually, but the performance of this phone with Android 8 is still perfectly acceptable for me so far. And I'm averse to replacing tech until I have to.

I think that MG have probably broken the app for Android 8 with V2.0.2 (unintentionally) and so they need to fix it. It's still possible it is a problem with my phone, so I'll keep trying different things, if I get anywhere I'll report back, it may help someone else.

 

[DBedford]

Does the wall charger override the car limit of 80%? I have the car set in health mode at 80% but still the ZAPPI charger carries on to 100%.

Any chargers app SHOULD not be able to override the cars set charging limit as the car will/should be effectively blocking the charge, Strange !

 

[Naveen]

I had the same message in App Store saying this is not available for your country when i clicked update option from within the app in the About section.
But if you just go to the App Store, search for MG iSmart you will have an update option there which worked fine.
I don’t quite like the UI of the updated version. There is no dark mode. Just one white skin. Data aren’t laid out in a sensible way. In the old version i can see the battery percentage and range remaining next to each other. In new version they are at different places. The lock unlock icon was overlaid on top of the car picture in old version which was easier and intuitive. In newer version they are beneath the car picture and not immediately obvious to know whether car is locked or not.

I agree I liked the look and feel of the old version...Android user btw

 

[ukslim]

I might look into that, but all I can say is that I haven't had any issue with running any other apps on the phone. I know that operating systems get outdated eventually, but the performance of this phone with Android 8 is still perfectly acceptable for me so far. And I'm averse to replacing tech until I have to.

I think that MG have probably broken the app for Android 8 with V2.0.2 (unintentionally) and so they need to fix it. It's still possible it is a problem with my phone, so I'll keep trying different things, if I get anywhere I'll report back, it may help someone else.

Google ceased support for Android 8.1 on 10 Jan 2021. You're unlikely to see MG target it.

Android 11 is the oldest version still in support, and I suspect that's only got a couple more months left in it. Android OS

These dates are for "security support", btw. That means they've ceased to release security updates, so if you have Android 10 or below, any security holes found since support ended have not been patched up.

 

[Ian Key]

Does the wall charger override the car limit of 80%? I have the car set in health mode at 80% but still the ZAPPI charger carries on to 100%.

I have the Zappi too but it stops at the limit I set on the iSmart app.
I have nothing set in the car, no charging schedule and no charging limit.
In the iSmart app I set the charging limit but nothing else.
The only charging schedule I set is on the Zappi app, in my case from 00:15 plus 6.5 hours as that's when I get the reduced price for my electricity..

 

[MSvirus]

Oh dear, bad to worse. Just tried installing V2.0.2 from the Play Store on my Android phone (8.0.1) and now the app won't even open, just a black screen. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling, restarting phone in-between, several times, getting nowhere. Anyone having the same issue? Ideas?

I have Android 8.0 on my phone, and have used iSmart 2.0.1 with great success on that yesterday morning. Yesterday evening I updated to 2.0.2, and I also only get a black screen when the app is loading, and it is stuck there. Found no fix for it. So it is not only your phone, it is the android version I guess.

 

[fnegroni]

I get that it doesn’t work on a version of Android that the app is meant to support. But do you really trust running an app on an OS that is not even getting security updates?

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

All support and security updates for Android 8.0 ended in February 2021.
Might be time for a new phone.
Preferably Android 12 or newer, as I don't think 11 has long left either.

 

[dawson2099]

I have the Zappi too but it stops at the limit I set on the iSmart app.
I have nothing set in the car, no charging schedule and no charging limit.
In the iSmart app I set the charging limit but nothing else.
The only charging schedule I set is on the Zappi app, in my case from 00:15 plus 6.5 hours as that's when I get the reduced price for my electricity..

Thanks. I was at the dealer yesterday who advised that setting to long range mode would make the car charge to 100%. They seemed oblivious to the fact that the app and car are both set to health mode. I'm thinking it must be the infotainment system which is still using R24, which is the latest version according to the dealer. I understand it to be R46.

 

[MSvirus]

The phone is only used for iSmart, not for calls or anything else. Don't really want to get a new phone just to run that single app. Too bad it is not possible to program the preheat of battery and coupe from the car then. How easy and trouble free it was with my old webasto....

 

[fnegroni]

The phone is only used for iSmart, not for calls or anything else. Don't really want to get a new phone just to run that single app. Too bad it is not possible to program the preheat of battery and coupe from the car then. How easy and trouble free it was with my old webasto....

But why would you run that single app with access to an online account that is bound to your car on an old phone? If anything I wouldn’t run ISMART on anything other than a secure phone or a device we no network whatsoever.
Why wouldn’t you run ISMART on a windows PC at this point?
Could you update that phone to a more recent OS?

 

[dawson2099]

Is it possible to run ismart on a windows pc?

 

[stevegant]

Thanks. I was at the dealer yesterday who advised that setting to long range mode would make the car charge to 100%. They seemed oblivious to the fact that the app and car are both set to health mode. I'm thinking it must be the infotainment system which is still using R24, which is the latest version according to the dealer. I understand it to be R46.

We have the same problem as you on a 2023 Trophy. The car is set to 80% charge limit and always ignores this and charges to 100%. I agree, must be software and I have added it to my list of niggles for the first service in February.

 

[dawson2099]

I'm doing the same for the first service. I read somewhere that software upgrades cost the dealer which might explain them fobblng me off continually.