MyChevy App sucks
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What is abysmal about it? The Look and Feel (Form), or how it operates (Function)?
If this is about how it operates, there are multiple factors that can affect your experience
-> Your mobile signal to internet
-> Your cars signal to ATT network
-> OnStar server load
-> OnStar internet connection
-> ATT network status
You see, the app operates in what is commonly called asynchronous mode. This means that when you log into the app and press a button to, say, remote start the car, the app has to first authenticate with OnStar.
If that succeeds, because it is a Start action, OnStar then asks for a PIN. If both are correct, then OnStar adds your Start request to a queue, which is processed by one of several OnStar servers. How soon your request is processed can depend on a variety of factors (like how many people are using the app at the time, etc).
When your request is processed from the queue, OnStar attempts to communicate with your vehicle over ATT network. This can take some time. Once communication is established, your vehicle authenticates and makes sure that it is indeed OnStar making the request. Once that determination is made, your car receives the Start request. It takes a few seconds to process that, and once it has determined that a Start happened successfully, it sends a confirmation message to OnStar. This is stored in another message queue on OnStar side. OnStar server reads that message and lets your app know that restart is complete.
As you can see, it is quite a series of steps .. and all of them have to happen without a hitch for the app to work as intended, and even then, it is slow (because it is asynchronous communication). OnStar uses 4G technology for newer vehicles (like Gen 2 Volt). For older Volts, it actually uses a crude form of text messaging to communicate with the vehicle. I am actually surprised that the app works as well as it does, given all the complexities.
Having said that, if you are having consistent failures with your app, maybe there is something that OnStar needs to fix on their end. Mis-configurations are not un-common. Or it could be bad hardware, or an issue on the phone, or an issue with ATT signals where you park, or something else.
If this is about how it operates, there are multiple factors that can affect your experience
-> Your mobile signal to internet
-> Your cars signal to ATT network
-> OnStar server load
-> OnStar internet connection
-> ATT network status
You see, the app operates in what is commonly called asynchronous mode. This means that when you log into the app and press a button to, say, remote start the car, the app has to first authenticate with OnStar.
If that succeeds, because it is a Start action, OnStar then asks for a PIN. If both are correct, then OnStar adds your Start request to a queue, which is processed by one of several OnStar servers. How soon your request is processed can depend on a variety of factors (like how many people are using the app at the time, etc).
When your request is processed from the queue, OnStar attempts to communicate with your vehicle over ATT network. This can take some time. Once communication is established, your vehicle authenticates and makes sure that it is indeed OnStar making the request. Once that determination is made, your car receives the Start request. It takes a few seconds to process that, and once it has determined that a Start happened successfully, it sends a confirmation message to OnStar. This is stored in another message queue on OnStar side. OnStar server reads that message and lets your app know that restart is complete.
As you can see, it is quite a series of steps .. and all of them have to happen without a hitch for the app to work as intended, and even then, it is slow (because it is asynchronous communication). OnStar uses 4G technology for newer vehicles (like Gen 2 Volt). For older Volts, it actually uses a crude form of text messaging to communicate with the vehicle. I am actually surprised that the app works as well as it does, given all the complexities.
Having said that, if you are having consistent failures with your app, maybe there is something that OnStar needs to fix on their end. Mis-configurations are not un-common. Or it could be bad hardware, or an issue on the phone, or an issue with ATT signals where you park, or something else.
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2,737 Posts
You can try the Onstar RemoteLink app. But, it is no longer supported. Both apps work quite well for me except the reported lifetime MPG is currently incorrect.
I have to heartily disagree. The remote start feature alone makes it worthwhile. The vehicle location function is great. The remote locking and unlocking provides peace of mind. Charging status, tire pressure, code reading, checking for recall notices.
Frankly, I see little support for your assertion.
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389 Posts
I think the app works quite well. My problem is with the car. We have no AT&T signal where we live, so the app doesn't work unless we are an hour away from home.
Not sure if you use AT&T yourself .. you may be able to get a MicroCell from ATT
https://www.att.com/att/microcell/
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2,138 Posts
Works fine on my Galaxy S7, rarely has an issue.
You only say this because you have not seen the Nissan app so don't know what "useless" really means!
On a serious note...both apps leave a lot to be desired. Clearly GM and Nissan's strong suits are building cars, not building apps. And that's probably not a bad thing.
At least with Nissan there are some third party apps that while still stuck with the crappy/slow API provided with Nissan actually make the user experience tolerable. Things like auto-updating each hour while charging is detected, and single button press widget to remote start HVAC. I don't know if there are any suitable replacements for the Volt (if there are, please let me know).
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3,684 Posts
As a BEV driver it is important to me to be in contact with the car. It does everything I could ask for !! Consistently. Good cell coverage for the car in my area?
What do you expect this app to do for you?
2.5 years later and it still sucks. Not that critical. But geesh.
Not just the App, but the "mychevrolet" service behind it is broken as well.
I tried to schedule a service appointment on the app.
First Dealer, No Dice, Must Call.
Second Dealer, No Dice, Must Call.
Third Dealer, two weeks out !!
During that process the App Crashed out like 3 times.
Now I go to create a 2nd Profile on the Volt.
It wants a separate account for that, which I really don't need or want.
So I do and it says email unverified.
Never got the email. Check car and it has email address correct and it's a hotmail account.
So I log out of my wife's mychevy app account on my phone, try to login with this new account and says it can't, unverified.
Go to the mychevrolet web site and I click send verification again. Nothing. Check Junk mail, nothing.
Tried to change it to a gmail account. Feels like it sort of sent the email, but nothing on gmail.
Try to login in with that gmail account and it says no. It still only allows login on the unverified hotmail account.
I guess mychevrolet.com is on strike too.
The implementation of the radio is really well done. Better than Tesla, Ford, Subaru or Jeep. But this back end if for the birds.
And they want how much for the onStar services? Yeah right.
Not just the App, but the "mychevrolet" service behind it is broken as well.
I tried to schedule a service appointment on the app.
First Dealer, No Dice, Must Call.
Second Dealer, No Dice, Must Call.
Third Dealer, two weeks out !!
During that process the App Crashed out like 3 times.
Now I go to create a 2nd Profile on the Volt.
It wants a separate account for that, which I really don't need or want.
So I do and it says email unverified.
Never got the email. Check car and it has email address correct and it's a hotmail account.
So I log out of my wife's mychevy app account on my phone, try to login with this new account and says it can't, unverified.
Go to the mychevrolet web site and I click send verification again. Nothing. Check Junk mail, nothing.
Tried to change it to a gmail account. Feels like it sort of sent the email, but nothing on gmail.
Try to login in with that gmail account and it says no. It still only allows login on the unverified hotmail account.
I guess mychevrolet.com is on strike too.
The implementation of the radio is really well done. Better than Tesla, Ford, Subaru or Jeep. But this back end if for the birds.
And they want how much for the onStar services? Yeah right.
From what I gathered after talking to OnStar people on the phone, the app and the website are 2 different entities, operated by 2 different organizations. It's like the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing.
Oh, and I thought that only the 2015-up Volts use AT&T, and the earlier ones use Verizon?
Oh, and I thought that only the 2015-up Volts use AT&T, and the earlier ones use Verizon?
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380 Posts
I've never ever had a problem with it, on my iPhone......even works on the Apple Watch too...I've locked, unlocked the Volt, pre conditioned her, and just this AM set up an appointment thought the iPhone App....
Sometimes, the mileage on the Volt doesn't match whats on the App...or MyChevrolet page, thats about the only problem I've ever had !
Sometimes, the mileage on the Volt doesn't match whats on the App...or MyChevrolet page, thats about the only problem I've ever had !
Can’t even get into the app (iPhone X iOS 13.2) with my new profile. Still refuses to send confirmation email.
Total junk.
I had a similar problem getting confirmation emails with my Cox account that I use for almost everything. Tried again using my generic Yahoo account and got the confirmations just fine. Try a different email address from another provider.
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380 Posts
I'm using my iCloud account, seems to work fine ?
Tried Chatting with GM. Useless. Because I also mentioned my SD Card for Nav is bad they prefer blame that instead of trying to figure out why I'm not getting the validation email. The Service person also said your should not have more than one online account even though the car forces you to do so.
So I used a sledge hammer. It won't allow changing the email. Another stupidity.
So I deleted the profile in the car. And recreated it. I thought perhaps maybe I should use the primary email (my wifes email) for the step that asks for an email. Very vague confusing wording on this. It's not clear is it want a new email for this profile or the "primary" email. Because it does say "Primary Email" in the description. So I put my wifes email. It said already used. Well that answer that question and GM Chat was clueless. So I used a new email, this time a gmail account (one I prefer not use).
Car never sent a validation email yet again.
Now I logged on to my.chevrolet.com with this new email (the car setup the account again). And as soon as I logged in, it send another validation email. Bingo, I finally get an email. I click on it and I'm in.
So now it wants all my Profile stuff before the account is full set up. Put in my name, address, phone. Hit Submit "Server Error".
Tried in another Browser. Server Error. Tried different phone numbers and addresses. Server Error.
I think the account is at least validated and maybe I got rid of one ugly error in the car every time I get in.
I don't even care that much about the app I just wanted to have a separate profile. I've had multiple profiles in my cars for like 20 years. The first car I did it on it ended being confusing on who what on first. So I've never used it on any car since. Finally I decided to do it on the Volt. What a nightmare.
Turns out even though the account username password validated, the car was still not satisfied and still kept popping up messages email not verified.
So after 3 hours on phone with GM, I finally got it working. They never really fixed it, I did, but they has the same idea. The first email I used (a hotmail account) refused to receive emails on. Yes, I checked junk mail. Tried like 20 times. So I deleted the profile on the car and created a new one using a gmail account. That one got the email but refused let me complete the profile. Now using a 3rd email address that I'm trying to ween off of, I created an account on my.chevrolet.com FIRST. Validated the email, saved the user profile stuff. Then when creating the Profile in the car, instead of creating brand new account (from the car), I chose add profile then "login". That worked. Then I had to go manually set all the attributes for the profile in the car that normally a new profile would walk you through. The emails I really wanted to use are now stuck in the my.chevrolet.com abyss.
So now when using myChevrolet App I still don't use this new account, I have to use my wife's if I want access to the car. The "account" I created is JUST for my profile (and maybe MY chevy car, which will never happen).
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