My R1T won't pair with my new iPhone

[Ken E.]

The Rivian app seemed to import perfectly well onto my new iPhone 16.

But I couldn't figure out how get it to pair as a key card. Neither could the Rivian rep who I spent 30 minutes on the phone with me. He suggested a free house call (in Atlanta) -- but not until mid-May!

This has created two problems. Over the next month, I must pull out a keycard to start my R1T. Plus, as I'm leaving the vehicle, I have to remember to pull about my phone to lock it manually.

My son told me he found reference on an online forum to others having this same problem. Not sure how it was resolved.

Has anyone else experienced or heard about this problem? Thanks!

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[Osyras]

No Apple CarPlay for you then!

 

[W1SE]

I lost all connectivity with my phone for a different reason. After I months it finally got fixed. But Luckily I have a fob and the fob works just like the PAAK.

 

[tk21]

16Pro here and no problem with it…

what vehicle Software build; have you tried a full reset….need more info…

 

[Ken E.]

16Pro here and no problem with it…

what vehicle Software build; have you tried a full reset….need more info…

Not sure what software "build" is. It's a Gen 2 R1T and the software is updated to version 2025.10.30.

I've done a couple of soft resets and a hard reset to no avail.

The card key Bluetooth seems invisible to the phone. And the phone's Bluetooth works fine: It recognizes and pairs up with the Rivian media Bluetooth -- no problem there.

 

[godfodder0901]

Not sure what software "build" is. It's a Gen 2 R1T and the software is updated to version 2025.10.30.

I've done a couple of soft resets and a hard reset to no avail.

The card key Bluetooth seems invisible to the phone. And the phone's Bluetooth works fine: It recognizes and pairs up with the Rivian media Bluetooth -- no problem there.

Did you make sure you removed your old phone as a key? They limited phone keys to two (pretty sure that limit is still in place?).

 

[BCondrey]

Try a reset?

I got a new iPhone 16 pro and had to re-associate it as a key. Pair it with BT first I guess. It wasn't an issue.

When I picked up the truck two years ago the iPhone wouldn't pair, period. We did a infotainment reset and it paired right up. Have you tried that?

 

[R1TandMe]

Did you make sure you removed your old phone as a key? They limited phone keys to two (pretty sure that limit is still in place?).

Not true We have three phones as keys. one 16Pro and two 11Pro Max

 

[Ken E.]

@godfodder0901 "Did you make sure you removed your old phone as a key?" Yes, I did.

@BCondrey " When I picked up the truck two years ago the iPhone wouldn't pair, period. We did a infotainment reset and it paired right up. Have you tried that? " Yes, two or three times, plus a couple of hard resets.

As I wrote above, the media Bluetooth is discoverable by the iPhone and works fine; the card key Bluetooth appears to be invisible to the iPhone.

 

[pickupman2022]

When I replaced my iPhone I didn't remove the previous phone first. Problem is when you transfer or restore backup everything including phone name gets copied and the Rivian doesn't understand it is different so I won't setup new. They way I fixed it was to use another family members phone key to remove my original phone. Then I was able to setup my new phone as a key.

 

[Cycliste]

I always include the model year in my phone name to help me keep track of which phone is which as I hand down my old phone to the children

 

[AlanP]

How did you get an appointment so quickly? I have a similar problem and have been waiting since January. Only 2 more weeks till it’s fixed.

 

[Ken E.]

How did you get an appointment so quickly? I have a similar problem and have been waiting since January. Only 2 more weeks till it’s fixed.

Wow. And I thought I was having to wait longer than I should! Maybe it helps that I'm in Atlanta not too far from the Rivian shop.

 

[icy1007]

Delete the app and redownload it.

 

[golden2332]

My iPhone 16 Pro had been working perfectly with my R1T Gen1—until I updated to the following software versions:

• iOS 18.5 (Public Beta)
• Rivian 2025.10.01

Since the update, the Phone as a Key (PAAK) feature no longer works. The phone app still functions for locking/unlocking the vehicle, and I suspect Bluetooth music streaming still works as well.

However, on the Rivian’s main display, I now get a “Key Not Found” error, and the Rivian app shows that PAAK is not functioning.

Interestingly, when I check my iPhone’s Bluetooth settings, I can see “Rivian Phone Key” blinking on and off, as if it’s repeatedly connecting and disconnecting.

My guess is this is a software bug, likely introduced by the update. It’s unclear whether the issue lies with Rivian, iOS, or some combination of both—but hopefully it gets resolved soon.

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