Using App with MG5

[MickH]

I wonder what others experience is when using the so called Smart App with the MG5. I have the facelift version of the car and to say the app is a tad quirky would be an understatement. It picks and chooses when it will or won't connect to the car with no apparent common denominator. The other question is has any one found a use for the Map option in the app, because as far as I can tell, there is no option to send any planned routes or favorites to the car so it seems a bit redundant. What are your thoughts on this rather cranky app.

 

[kevin ellard]

I wonder what others experience is when using the so called Smart App with the MG5. I have the facelift version of the car and to say the app is a tad quirky would be an understatement. It picks and chooses when it will or won't connect to the car with no apparent common denominator. The other question is has any one found a use for the Map option in the app, because as far as I can tell, there is no option to send any planned routes or favorites to the car so it seems a bit redundant. What are your thoughts on this rather cranky app.

Agreed that the app isn't very good but considering the way it has to work, I'm OK with it.
It has no way to contact the car. It contacts a server ( somewhere in Switzerland/Germany?) and the server tries to get in touch with the car via a low bandwith mobile connection. I'm sort of amazed that it works at all.
I now always go to the vehicle status screen which wakes up the connection and then the other stull more or less works.

 

[crispyjay]

I’ve switched to a Home Assistant set up. It’s a faff to set up and is at the limit of my technical abilities but seems to work better than the MG iSMART app even though it uses the same system to communicate with my car.

 

[MickeySw]

I wonder what others experience is when using the so called Smart App with the MG5. I have the facelift version of the car and to say the app is a tad quirky would be an understatement.

Only FL versions have access to MG’s iSmart app

It picks and chooses when it will or won't connect to the car with no apparent common denominator.

Not my experience, never had any issues the past few months

The other question is has any one found a use for the Map option in the app,

How about this, one can now get off the couch in time to do some overdue DIY project just as herself drives in?

because as far as I can tell, there is no option to send any planned routes or favorites to the car so it seems a bit redundant.

Better off using your phone for that purpose anyway.

What are your thoughts on this rather cranky app.

While there is always room for improvement, overall I’m quite happy with it presently (might change with the next ‘update’).

Pre-heating, SoC monitoring (when sitting in the coffee shop during a DC rapid charge) and remote unlocking are the features I most commonly use.

 

[kevin ellard]

I’ve switched to a Home Assistant set up. It’s a faff to set up and is at the limit of my technical abilities but seems to work better than the MG iSMART app even though it uses the same system to communicate with my car.

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Where did you get the Home Assistant MG software? Is is easy to set up? Can you use that when you are away from home? I quite like the app for monitoring charges when I am on a long journey.