Exclude home location from auto-lock?

[A-Train]

I've searched around and haven't found anything that speaks to this ...

Teslas have an option to exclude your home location from auto-locking your car when parked, as long as you're within a certain distance of your saved home address.

Does BMW (i7) offer anything like this? It would be such a good convenience.

Thank you.

[AlteBMW]

Originally Posted by A-Train

I've searched around and haven't found anything that speaks to this ...

Teslas have an option to exclude your home location from auto-locking your car when parked, as long as you're within a certain distance of your saved home address.

Does BMW (i7) offer anything like this? It would be such a good convenience.

Thank you.

I don't think there is this option and in any event it is a good idea to lock your car when parked at home because that shuts down most of the electronics and lets the car "hibernate". (Maybe that is more important for an ICE than a EV)

[deutsch100]

YES, and right now ONLY the 7 Series has the "exclude Home" feature, aka geofencing.

It does not work for me, sadly though. You must set your home address in the car, but the GPS thinks my car is parked at the house next door. I have my home address set correctly, but the app and car think I am next door

This Exclude Home is under doors and locks.

[DroMike]

Originally Posted by deutsch100

It does not work for me, sadly though. You must set your home address in the car, but the GPS thinks my car is parked at the house next door. I have my home address set correctly, but the app and car think I am next door

In December, just after I picked up my car, I tried the "Exclude Home" feature and had a similar experience -- the car thought it was 50 feet away, etc. At the same time however, I also set the roof blind to auto-shut after the car was locked -- unfortunately the setting didn't "stick." Now, after several software upgrades, it works fine. That said, perhaps I should re-visit the "Exclude Home" feature - software upgrades might have fixed it too. It's a moot point anyway because now I agree with AlteBMW that it's not a good idea to exclude locking your car at home.

[A-Train]

My goal is to park at home, walk away, and have the car remain unlocked automatically. And for every non-home location where I park, I want the car to lock as I walk away and unlock as I approach.

I do not believe the i7 allows the above in particular.

Is anyone able to get their i7 to do this?

[deutsch100]

Originally Posted by A-Train

My goal is to park at home, walk away, and have the car remain unlocked automatically. And for every non-home location where I park, I want the car to lock as I walk away and unlock as I approach.

I do not believe the i7 allows the above in particular.

Is anyone able to get their i7 to do this?

The current 7 Series has EXACTLY what you want and are describing, it is called EXCLUDE HOME. I posted earlier about this, did you read it?

But, I have not been able to get it to work. It still locks at home, since the car and app think I am at the house next door.

One thing to note about the EXCLUDE HOME "feature"...if you set and activate this, when you walk by your car in the garage or driveway and you have your phone or digital key+ with you, the car will not "wake" up, so your app will never update time and info. You will have to lock the car, or send a command via the app or open a door.

[A-Train]

Originally Posted by deutsch100

The current 7 Series has EXACTLY what you want and are describing, it is called EXCLUDE HOME. I posted earlier about this, did you read it?

But, I have not been able to get it to work. It still locks at home, since the car and app think I am at the house next door.

One thing to not about the EXCLUDE HOME "feature"...if you set and activate this, when you walk by your car in the garage or driveway and you have your phone or digital key+ with you, the car will not "wake" up, so your app will never update time and info. You will have to lock the car, or send a command via the app or open a door.

Alas, with "exclude home" checked, the car still locks when I walk away after parking. I just attempted the procedure a moment ago and that was the outcome, unfortunately. Perhaps you meant something else in terms of what boxes to check, etc.? Or perhaps I'm just inexplicably unlucky (entirely possible!)?

[deutsch100]

Originally Posted by A-Train

Alas, with "exclude home" checked, the car still locks when I walk away after parking. I just attempted the procedure a moment ago and that was the outcome, unfortunately. Perhaps you meant something else in terms of what boxes to check, etc.? Or perhaps I'm just inexplicably unlucky (entirely possible!)?

Mine still locks too at home, even with "Exclude Home" checked. Me, you and 2 others I know....same experience. It seems ONLY Tesla has really geofencing.

But, my new 7 does everything else so well (if not perfect), that I just have to look past, not use and not think about "Exclude Home"

I unchecked "exclude home" and I have my 7 set to Auto Unlock upon approach, but NO auto walk away lock. This works well for me.

[A-Train]

Originally Posted by deutsch100

Mine still locks too at home, even with "Exclude Home" checked. Me, you and 2 others I know....same experience. It seems ONLY Tesla has really geofencing.

But, my new 7 does everything else so well (if not perfect), that I just have to look past, not use and not think about "Exclude Home"

I unchecked "exclude home" and I have my 7 set to Auto Unlock upon approach, but NO auto walk away lock. This works well for me.

Agreed; this car is amazing. If the geofencing issue is my biggest complaint, then I'm in good shape! There are some other software tweaks / corrections that would be very welcomed (such as air con Sync staying on between drives) but nothing too bad. Loving this car... Other than being an EV, it's not really worth comparing it to Tesla Model S that I came from. The MS was really good; but not an i7 (and not intended to be).

[pcgeek]

Originally Posted by A-Train

Alas, with "exclude home" checked, the car still locks when I walk away after parking. I just attempted the procedure a moment ago and that was the outcome, unfortunately. Perhaps you meant something else in terms of what boxes to check, etc.? Or perhaps I'm just inexplicably unlucky (entirely possible!)?

I think that's how it works as they designed it which makes it functionally useless.

The "Exclude Home" is tied to JUST the unlock when approaching option. The lock when walking away is independent with no exclude option.

It's insane. If you don't want it to chirp and wake up every time you walk by but also want to leave it unlocked in a secure garage there isn't a way to do that.

[deutsch100]

Originally Posted by A-Train

Agreed; this car is amazing. If the geofencing issue is my biggest complaint, then I'm in good shape! There are some other software tweaks / corrections that would be very welcomed (such as air con Sync staying on between drives) but nothing too bad. Loving this car... Other than being an EV, it's not really worth comparing it to Tesla Model S that I came from. The MS was really good; but not an i7 (and not intended to be).

I would much rather have my HVAC SYNC staying on between drives, than have the geofencing work. I mean....in a perfect automotive world, they should both work though.

In 2021 I ordered and waited 4 months for a Tesla. I kept it 35!! days before running back to BMW. To me, every BMW "shortcoming" is still better than most things Tesla!

[toygar]

my24 740 has that option in the menu, very useful

[Ice4life]

You never want to leave it unlocked anyway because that's bad for the battery. Unless it's locked its constantly searching for the key and running in the background.

[DroMike]

Originally Posted by Ice4life

You never want to leave it unlocked anyway because that's bad for the battery. Unless it's locked its constantly searching for the key and running in the background.

That's some good information I didn't know about. Thanks for the education.

[deutsch100]

Originally Posted by DroMike

That's some good information I didn't know about. Thanks for the education.

If your car key or Digital Key+ is not near enough to the car, a BMW will not keep trying to connect.

But, BMWs in the past, especially 2002-2014-ish....the car not going to sleep was a big draw on the battery.

The last BMW I had an issue with, regarding the car not sleeping and trying to communicate with the key was 2010 and 2012 7 Series. EVERY BMW past that, no issue. YMMV