Remote Climate via App no longer working?

Discussion in 'Prime Audio, Electronics, and Infotainment' started by panache, Dec 2, 2024.

  1. panache

    panache Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2009
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    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I have a 2017 Prime advanced. As of a few weeks ago, the remote climate start on the app stopped working. I can still get the app to connect to the car and it correctly updates the mileage and the charging status. I can also start charging via app if it plugged in. However the "Start climate" button is non-responsive.

    Now that it got quite cold I would like to be able to remote start the heat. I know I can do that via the key fob but at work I have to park some distance away where I can charge for free and that is beyond the fob reach.

    Is there any fix to this or do I need to bring it to the dealer? Thanks in advance!
     
  2. BBurd

    BBurd New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2024
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    Location:
    Southeast
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    I signed up for SafetyConnect last week specifically thinking the climate control worked and nope. Nothing. Same issue you're having where it will let me "set" it, but the Start Climate doesn't work. If you figure it out please post here.
     
  3. illumiN8i

    illumiN8i Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2018
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    Location:
    Grand Rapids, MI
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    Same issue here. I think the app is broken. It's been getting worse ever since they discontinued the Entune app and switched to the Toyota app.
     
  4. InfiniteInsight

    InfiniteInsight New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2024
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    Location:
    MD
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    I have a 2018 prime advanced and have the same issue. The Toyota app has connectivity to the car and displays metrics still, but when you tap remote climate, then make a setting and then tap start nothing happens. The button barely shows it's being pressed at all.

    I've cleared the cache and reinstalled the app. No luck. I'm sooooo glad I'm paying for a feature that doesn't even work -- especially since it's winter!


    Running a pixel 7 pro on Android 15 AP4A.241205.013.C1

    Toyota app 2.5.7


    Anyone with an iPhone that can tell us if it works on that platform or not?
     
  5. InfiniteInsight

    InfiniteInsight New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2024
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    Location:
    MD
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
  6. panache

    panache Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2009
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    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I called toyota and spent an hour on the phone. The rep said that remote climate was not an option for my car according to what she saw on her screen. She mentioned there was a software update that may resolve the problem, so I took the car in to the dealer and paid $100 or so for the update. Didn't work. The tech guy said I need to have a "connected services" subscription and that I only have the "safety connect" subscription to call 911 with the SOS button. I said I would look into it but I checked my account and all the app options 100 times and there is no "safety connect" add-on, only "EV remote"

    It seems to me the feature was just turned off by toyota and nothing that can be done unless many of us complain. The joys of subscription based services and features that we do not own and can be disabled on a whim when they no longer feel like it's worth their time to support it.
     
  7. Diemaster

    Diemaster Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2017
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    Location:
    so. cal
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    I heard some where that the primes use a 3G modem for those remote features. as far as i know, 3G was retired so it might be that. I don't know i abandoned any remote connectivity along time ago because, for me, the app NEVER worked. So I never payed for any subscriptions. if i had my way, I'd remove the cellular module/radio so the car cant send data i didn't consent to to Toyota.
     
  8. panache

    panache Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2009
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    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    Yes I did read the 3G discontinuation too. But if the 3G stopped working this would mean no connection would work to the car. I can still see the mileage and charge status and location where I parked on the app so some communication is still active. However all the apps and other features disappeared from the Toyota app within the last year (alexa, Iheartradio, etc). I never noticed as I never used them. Also I no longer get traffic on the on screen map which was fed through by the phone. I just wish there was a fix to remote heat and keep that going but it does seem it was disabled on the back-end. Is there perhaps some way to get the install file for the old Entune software? Maybe that would still work.
     
  9. primeobjective

    primeobjective Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2022
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    Location:
    Beaverton, OR
    Vehicle:
    2022 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XLE
    With the weather warming up, I tried the remote climate on my 2022 Prime and initially thought it wasn't working. The app would take forever and then give an error message that was of no help. I eventually remembered that the car had to be locked for at least a few minutes before the remote climate capabilities would work. So I locked the vehicle, waited about ten minutes, and tried again, and lo and behold, it works :)