Exploring the Volvo Cars app
Before you collect your car from the dealer, we recommend that you download the free Volvo Cars app and test in demo mode. The demo mode allows you to explore the majority of functions and provides information on how the app is used.
Volvo ID and linking the Volvo Cars app to the car
In order to use the Volvo Cars app, you need a Volvo ID. When a Volvo ID has been created, the app needs to be linked to the car.
Buying a used car with digital services
When buying a used car with digital services, it is important to delete data from the previous owner and add your own details to make the service work. Visit a Volvo dealer for assistance.
Devices compatible with the Volvo Cars app
The Volvo Cars app is compatible with various mobile devices and operating systems.
The Volvo Cars app is available for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch as well as Android phones. The app can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
For the Volvo Cars app to work as well as possible, ensure that you have updated the app to the latest version available for your device. More information on the technical requirements for the version and operating system as well as compatibility for device models is available from where you download apps.
Note
Volvo reserves the right to stop supporting older versions of apps and discontinue them from existing app stores at any time.
Internet connection
The app communicates with the car via the Internet, and so your mobile device must have an Internet connection to be able to execute your commands.
Contact between the Volvo Cars app and the car
The car’s systems that have contact with the Volvo Cars app are programmed to close when the car is not used for a long period.
After a few days, the system is deactivated to save the battery. At which point, it is not possible to use certain app functions. The system will be fully available again as soon as the car has been started.
Warning
The system’s services only work in areas where Volvo Assistance‘s partners have mobile coverage and where the technology permits.
Just as with mobile phones, atmospheric disturbances or sparse transmitter coverage may lead to connection being impossible, e.g. in sparsely populated areas.
Volvo Cars app
Using the Volvo Cars app, you can maintain contact with your car via different app functions.
There is the option to lock or unlock the car and start the climate control in the car before departure, for example.
Downloading the Volvo Cars app
The Volvo Cars app can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple App Store or Google Play. You can try out several of the app’s functions without linking it to a car by running it in demo mode.
Internet connection required
When you use the Volvo Cars app, your mobile device will send and receive data via the Internet. If you do not have a data plan, then your mobile network operator may charge you for that data. If you use the app abroad, you may be charged for data roaming. For more information, contact your mobile service provider.
Note
Data sharing for the roof buttons needs to be enabled for remote control of car functions, such as climate control and locking/unlocking, to work.
Connecting the Volvo Cars app to the car
To be able to use the services in the Volvo Cars app, the app needs to be connected to the car first.
When a main user (administrator) has linked his/her app to the car, more users of the car can be added.
Connect the Volvo Cars app to the car
Make sure your car is in an area with mobile coverage and that your mobile device has an Internet connection.
Ensure that you have your Volvo ID and the Vehicle Identification Number. A Volvo ID can be created when logging in to the Volvo Cars app, and you can find the Vehicle Identification Number in the windscreen or center display, for example.
If you are the main user (administrator), all of the car’s keys need to be taken with you. For other users, one of the car’s keys is sufficient. The first user to link his/her app to the car must be logged in to the Owner profile and be carrying all of the car’s keys.
- Sit in the car.
- Sign in to the Volvo Cars app with your Volvo ID and follow the instructions in the app. If you have already a car connected in the app and want to add a further one, select
Note
It is recommended that every user creates a personal Volvo ID in order to enjoy a more customised experience and support. - Make sure that data sharing for the Volvo Cars app is enabled. In the centre display, tap on
- Go back to Profiles and select Volvo Cars app devices to access the menu for connecting the app to the car.
Follow the instructions in the centre display and the Volvo Cars app.
Difference between administrator and non-administrator in the Volvo Cars app
The car’s Owner profile must be linked to the app before linking can take place for another profile. To be allocated the administrator role requires that all of the car’s keys are in the car when the app is linked.
A user that is administrator in the app can
- see which mobiles or other devices are linked with the car
- remove own and other linked phones/devices from the car.
A user that is not administrator in the app can
- see that own phone/device is linked with the car
- remove own phone/device.
Switching between several connected cars in the Volvo Cars app
If you have connected several cars to the Volvo Cars app, switch between these as follows:
- Go to the
- Select Connected cars.
- Highlight the car in question and select Switch to this car.
Tips for using the Volvo Cars app
If you experience disruptions with the Volvo Cars app, ensure that the car to which the app is linked is outdoors in an open area with mobile coverage, and that your mobile device has a good Internet connection. If the disruptions persist, read more in the section with frequently asked questions about the Volvo Cars app at volvocars.com/intl/support or contact Volvo’s Customer Service.
If the car is a used car, you should check that access to Volvo Assistance is activated in the car.
Remote starting the car using the Volvo Cars app
Using the Volvo Cars app, the car’s engine can be started remotely in order to heat or cool the car to a comfortable temperature.
Start by ensuring that the car is in a location where it can be started in accordance with local environmental regulations and laws.
Start the car from the climate function in the
It may also be possible to select 30 minutes. In which case, only the climate control starts but the car’s engine does not. Read about remote start of climate control in the separate section.
It is possible activate the function in the Volvo Cars app twice in succession, after that the car has to be started with the key before you can activate the function via the app again.
When the car is started remotely, functions such as seat heating, heated mirrors, and heated rear window are activated.
Points to remember for remote start of the car
The following requirements must be met before the function is used:
- The car is locked.
- There are no car keys in the car.
- The bonnet is locked.
- The car is parked and the gearbox is in Park.
- The engine is not running.
- The car is under supervision.
- There are no people or animals in or around the car.
- The car is not parked inside an enclosed space/area without sufficient ventilation.
- There is no risk to anyone who is in direct contact with the car (e.g. during a service in a workshop or children playing near the car).
- By law, use of the function is permitted at the set time.
The system will also check the following before starting the car:
- Engine status is OK (no critical fault codes).
- Sufficient fuel level (more than 8 litres (2.11 US gallons)).
You will also find user recommendations in the Volvo Cars app.
Note
For safety reasons, it is not possible to drive the car after it has been remote started via the Volvo Cars app. The function will be active until you depress the brake pedal and turn the ignition dial.
Lock function in the Volvo Cars app
The Volvo Cars app shows the current lock status, and you can both lock and unlock the car remotely.
You can find the lock function in the
Note
If the incorrect lock status is shown, open the lock function from the
Shortcuts to the Volvo Cars app
You can create shortcuts to the functions offered in the Volvo Cars app.
Widgets
If you are using the Volvo Cars app on an Android or iOS device, you can add Widgets (shortcuts) for faster access to functions such as climate remote start and lock/unlock car.
3D Touch
Using 3D Touch you have access to shortcuts for some functions in the Volvo Cars app.
Press firmly on the app icon on your phone to access, among other things, shortcuts to the following functions: Start climate control and Unlock the doors.
Sharing addresses to the Volvo Cars app
Some third party apps facilitate sharing addresses to the Volvo Cars app.
Remote starting climate control using the Volvo Cars app
If the car is equipped with the climate control package, you can start the climate control system immediately or set a time when the car will be used. In the latter case, the climate control system starts automatically to adjust the temperature of the passenger compartment before departure.
Direct-starting climate control
Start the climate control from the climate function in the
Setting the timer for climate control
A timer can be set so that the climate control starts automatically in order to heat the passenger compartment prior to departure. There is the option to select time, date, day of the week, as well as whether the setting should be repeated weekly. There is the option to set up to 8 different timers.
Set the timers from the climate function in the
Using the Volvo Cars app with Apple Watch
You can use an Apple Watch to access some of the Volvo Cars app’s functions, e.g. start/stop parking climate control and lock/unlock the car.
If the Volvo Cars app is installed on a phone and connected to the car, the app functions will automatically be available in the Apple Watch that is paired with your phone.
Functions that can be controlled from Apple Watch:
- Parking climate control (start/stop).
- Car remote start (start/stop).
- Doors (lock/unlock).
- Find the car by activating the car’s horn and/or direction indicators for a couple of seconds.
- See estimated range.
- See the car’s position on a map.
Pairing Apple Watch with your phone
For instructions on how to pair an Apple Watch with your phone, as well as technical requirements for this, see Apple‘s website.
Technical requirements
Technical requirements for applicable operating system and information about compatibility for different mobile models can be found on the information page in the relevant app store.
Deactivating the link between the car and the Volvo Cars app
Before the Volvo Cars app is uninstalled, you must ensure that the link between the car and the app is deleted or that ownership of your car has been terminated in the correct way in the app. If the Volvo Cars app is simply deleted, problems may arise when connecting to the car in the future.
Terminate ownership in the Volvo Cars app
If you sell your car, ownership and the link between the Volvo Cars app and the car must be terminated via the administrator’s account in the app. If you do not have access to the app, contact your Volvo dealer and explain that you want to sell your car.
To terminate ownership and remove the link:
- Go to Connected cars in the
- Select the relevant car.
- Press I no longer own this Volvo and follow the instructions in the app.
User history and other user accounts will be deleted once you have terminated the ownership. In addition, an automatic factory reset of the car takes place, so that profiles, user data, linked keys and personal settings, etc., are removed.
Volvo ID is personal and therefore does not need to be changed or deleted if the car is sold.
Contact your Volvo dealer if you want to delete your contact details from the dealer’s system.
Deactivating the link between the car and a connected phone
To remove the link between your phone and the car:
- Go to Connected cars in the
- Select the relevant car.
- Press Disconnect next to the unit you want to decouple and follow the instructions in the app.
This will remove the link between the selected unit and the car, but the car will retain the link to the other connected units.
Note
If the Volvo Cars app is deleted without the link to the car first being terminated, a factory reset must be carried out from the centre display. Only then is it possible to couple the Volvo Cars app to the car again.
Change of ownership when the Volvo Cars app is linked to the car
In the event of a change of ownership, there are some steps that need to be taken to unlink the previous owner and give the new owner the option to connect the Volvo Cars app to the car.
Selling the car
The previous owner should take the following steps:
- Deactivate the connection between the car and the Volvo Cars app.
- Reset user data – select factory reset.
Buying a car
The new owner needs to connect the Volvo Cars app to the car.
Change of owner when changing country
Further action is necessary when a car is purchased and imported into another country. Contact a dealer for information.