Toyota’s Remote Connect app for smartphones aims to provide convenience to access Toyota resources and minor car control. In fact, the app can work from anywhere in the world.
Using the app does require a subscription though. As of this posting, it’s $11/month (CAD) or $9/month (USD). Some might wish to pay the fee but others might not see the value in it. This post will help you decide if it’s not worth the investment or perhaps it’s a feature you’re interested in before buying a Toyota.
Setup is incredibly easy. Make sure you have your VIN number handy, open the Toyota app on your vehicle’s touchscreen display, and follow the on-screen instructions. It’ll instruct you to install the Toyota Remote app on your Android or iOS phone. The last step is to create a Toyota account (if you don’t already have one).
Each time you open the app on your phone, it won’t auto-login for security purposes. It’ll ask for your Toyota login credentials, your phone’s fingerprint scanner, or facial recognition (at least on Android, this entire article was tested on an Android device).
After setup is complete, upon opening the app you’ll see a picture of your vehicle, the odometer, and the estimated fuel range.
You can “view status” to display if your doors are locked or unlocked and if the windows, hatch, hood, doors, or moonroof are open. If you happen to leave anything open or unlocked for a few minutes and the car detects no one is sitting in a seat while the car is off, the app will send you a notification that something is open or unlocked.
Just below the status, you’ll have limited remote control features which include remote engine start/stop, lock/unlock doors, and turning on the hazard lights.
There’s also a “Guest Driver” mode. You can create multiple profiles here and set alert conditions
-If the vehicle reaches a certain speed (maybe you have a young one that you don’t want a young one driving on the highway).
-Set a geographic limit (if you don’t want someone driving too far away from home).
-Curfew so you’ll get alerts if the vehicle is used outside of the days and times you specify.
-A total kilometer limit to ensure someone doesn’t make unnecessary long drives. This is great for valet service.
-Get alerts for the total time the vehicle is on.
-Lastly, “Ignition On” will send you an alert if the vehicle is turned on.
The additional items are minor items such as “cards”. The first on the list is a card showing you where you last parked your vehicle.
The next card is your recent trips. Here it’ll outline your vehicle’s driving history for the last few days on Google Maps. You’ll also get a driving score that checks for fast acceleration, harsh corner turning, and hard braking. I would take the score lightly as it’s a bit inaccurate. I’m the type of driver that lets go of the acceleration pedal when I see a red light coming up, however, I notice sometimes I’ll get marked for harsh breaking. I think the score feature relies more on GPS tracking than any actual built-in car tracking so it might explain why the score tracking is a bit inaccurate.
The next card is Roadside Assistance to contact Toyota for towing, battery boost, unlocking the door if you locked the doors with your keys inside (this is extremely rare with new key fobs as they won’t lock the door if they detect it inside the car with no passenger), fuel delivery, tire change service, and winching (if your car gets stuck in a ditch or snow). Roadside service is covered on certain warranties.
The next card allows you to schedule a maintenance appointment at a Toyota shop. Just under that, the next card is a vehicle health report that details your car’s recall notices, engine oil quality, and smart key fob battery.
The last item of note is the ability to access your car’s manual.
There are other items such as opting in or out of marketing notices, notification history (such as if you left your car unlocked), profile editing, and managing your Toyota subscription service.
