A DIY Solution for R1S Keep Mode

Rivian Mom · 2025-05-15T14:45:12+00:00

I've been using my phone's hotspot for months, and my Rivian connects to it automatically to run TuneIn and Spotify through the built-in apps on the main display. To be clear, this wasn’t Bluetooth streaming but actual phone data, and the apps worked perfectly without any issues. In Monday for the first time, I saw a Connect+ message pop up, even though the truck was linked to my phone’s data. I can still stream from my phone using Bluetooth, but the sound quality and user experience weren’t as good. This issue started between over-the-air software updates, though it might be tied to a specific date in the system. I tried a soft reset, but nothing changed. Has anyone heard if Rivian changed their policy on this? I remember Connect+ used to mention it provided "data" for streaming apps, suggesting you could use your own data instead. Now, it seems like you need Connect+ just to access the apps at all. I was surprised they allowed phone hotspots to work before, so this might be a deliberate change. I’m okay with paying for Connect+ if this isn’t just a temporary glitch. Any insights would be appreciated.

Rivian Blue

Member

Dec 27, 2024

I love my R1S, but losing Keep Mode after moving from Tesla has been a real bummer. So I decided to solve it myself. And it's been working out great.

This is a simple shortcut to turn on climate, but it will only run if my phone is not on certain WiFi networks. This allows me to define where to NOT automatically turn on climate (home, work, friends house, wherever you want). I pair this with an automation that automatically runs the shortcut whenever my phone disconnects from the bluetooth in the truck.

It works really well. I jump out of the truck to run an errand, and my climate stays on, and my truck is still nice and toasty when I get back ten minutes later.For those that are concerned about waste, I'm reminded that climate is on due to Rivian's aggressive Live Activity on iOS. The automation can be turned off at any time, and for in town errands, is worth it's weight in kWH to have this absolute crucial feature back.

Bonus: It's almost better than Tesla's too since I don't even have to think about it. I always wished Tesla's keep mode would just always work for 10 minutes or so every time you left the vehicle, vs having to tap the button every time.

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