Volkswagen App

iswrong

cleanbowtie this is off-topic for this thread, which is about not being able to log into the VW app anymore.

Whether such an app is needed at all is a different discussion for another forum thread. Let's stay focused here on getting the app working again for people who use it.

Jfm

Themble not intuitive indeed but witnessed a couple of times when charging at Ionity stations without Wecharge (using Ionity own RFID tag). I never used We charge nor have an account there. Doesn't work at home though.

ntropic

cleanbowtie Tomorrow it will be _40°C, I have a newborn and can't cool down the car without the App before going to the car, which is parked about 5 minures away. Don't tell others what they need an App or API for.

cleanbowtie

ntropic It would seem you missed the part when I said 'in my opinion'. Have a delightful day and be safe in the heat.

Taijian

I am currently having an ongoing conversation with Volkswagen Support that - so far - seems productive and as if they are actually trying to be helpful and figure out the exact issue to fix.

Fingers crossed, will report when I know more.

tacki

after more than 3 weeks back and forth with VW support, it felt like Taijian describes.. my hopes were high.. Thank you very much to all providing templates!
But now I have also received the final more or less same feedback as many of you .. custom ROMs.., security-critical requirements.. , eg es stated by MaxMustermann above... wishing me an "enjoyable drive".

Roughly a year ago, before buying the car I did test the app, and it was indeed one reason why I bought a VW in the first place, their app was working on GrapheneOS without Google. I feel betrayed. I am done with VW (including the other brands of their group). I have left my according 1 star rating in the Play Store.
Seems as European I need to buy an Asian car to avoid American big tec?

Please consider adding the app com.volkswagen.weconnect to the list of Apps banning GrapheneOS

unkn

Same happened to me, the app stopped working on GOS. Contacted support, they sent me the same email response, I passed them the usual information about hardware attestation. I have a paid subscription (₂₂₇ EUR) for 2 years that started December 2025, for which I requested a refund, my argument was that since the app was working on my phone when I bought the subscription and I did not change anything on my hardware, and they did change the app and as a consequence, it is no longer working, so I cannot use it. They said they don't normally do refunds, but will make "an appeal for an extraordinary cancellation to our specialized review department."
Today I got the email that my full refund was approved.

Kamika242

unkn They said they don't normally do refunds, but will make "an appeal for an extraordinary cancellation to our specialized review department."
Today I got the email that my full refund was approved.

It's very alarming, that they preferably do a refund, than thinking about to change their strategy.
Here in Germany we now everyday read how badly VW is faring, how many people are set to be made redundant again and how many plants are closing, but apparently things aren't bad enough for them yet. Arrogant company!

I'm still glad that you're getting a refund.

Taijian

tacki Since you actually own a VW car AND paid for the use of the app, you just might also submit a complait to the relevant regulators that @MaxMustermann referenced above? Just to add to the volume, because that might just be one way to try to pester them into making changes or at least force them to compensate you for their breach of contract.

Themble

This issue now has even got covered by the popular German comupter magazine Chip: https://www.chip.de/news/auto-fahrrad/boese-ueberraschung-fuer-vw-und-cupra-fahrer-app-blockade-fuer-viele-handys_b5ac1bcc-23e2-4797-b94a-8252d970a293.html

Kamika242

Themble

That's really something the EU should care about, instead of sensless prohibitions, regulations, total surveillance and weaponry.

iswrong

Themble Nice! The article is really well-written and very critical of what VW is doing here. They are also pointing out the hypocrisy of VW/Cupra saying that it's because they only want to rely on "standard Android security tech", while not using the most standardized tech (AOSP-based remote attestation).

tacki

Here the final reply I received from Volkswagen:
bold below highlighted by me

Hello,
Thank you very much for your detailed feedback and for sharing your perspective with us in such detail. We greatly appreciate it when customers provide such well-informed accounts of technical background and their own experiences.

We understand your comments regarding GrapheneOS and other security-focused Android systems. Many of these platforms do indeed meet high security requirements. At the same time, the Volkswagen app is currently based on certified Android standards and security-relevant system components that are reliably provided exclusively on Play Protect-certified devices. This is why certain features are not guaranteed to be available on non-certified devices—even if the system is technically very secure.

Your comment regarding the Android Hardware Attestation API is entirely valid from a technical standpoint. This technology offers a robust way to verify a device’s integrity independently of Google certifications. We have already shared your suggestion internally so that it can be taken into account in future technical evaluations.

We deeply regret that this experience did not meet your expectations regarding digital sovereignty and data protection. Your feedback clearly demonstrates how important this issue is to many users. Although we understand your decision, we would have liked to continue serving you as a customer.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Keep pushing, keep complaining!

iswrong

tacki At least they started replying with different mails and not just standard boilerplate. I got a reaction that is slightly different from yours:

Hello XYZ,

Thank you for your message and for sharing these details.

We have forwarded your feedback and the technical documentation regarding GrapheneOS directly to our development and management teams for review.

However, please understand that we cannot offer technical support or guarantee that the app will work on GrapheneOS. Alternative operating systems are currently not supported by Volkswagen AG.

If you have any further questions about our digital services, please reply directly to this email. Further contact options can be found under https://contact.volkswagen.com. When calling, please mention your case number 0004583613 so that we can help you as quickly as possible.

We wish you a safe journey with your Volkswagen at all times.

Best regards
Your Volkswagen Team

Please keep on replying to their e-mails. At least at this point it seems like they aware of that attestation using standard AOSP APIs is possible and are forwarding information to their development team.

Kodi

Yep, keep sending messages. I fired off a bunch of emails yesterday.

The more they receive, the more they will realize it's not a handful of people and might do something about it. That's very encouraging email, thanks @tacki

Themble

After two mails to them complaining about the ban of GrapheneOS and the request to allow it again, today I have received the following mail from the developers of the Cupra app, which probably shares most of its code with the VW app:

If your current operating system (GrapheneOS) is version Release 2026061600 and is based on Android 16, please provide us with the following information so that we can continue our analysis with the appropriate department:

A screenshot showing the restricted app access along with the timestamp.

A screenshot showing your smartphone’s operating system and any visible additional information (GrapheneOS).

Your smartphone model.

A screenshot showing your current version of the My CUPRA app.
We thank you in advance for your cooperation and look forward to your feedback.<

I am so happy to see that we are taken seriously. Remember: Complain but always be polite. Being polite we achieve things much easier.

EDIT: The only request of theirs I couldn't fulfill was the OS being based on Android 16 due to GrapheneOS already being on Android 17. :-)

MaxMustermann

Just received this reply from VW:

Hello,
Thank you very much for your message.
Please note that the Volkswagen app is only supported on iOS and Android devices running supported operating system versions.
On devices running alternative operating systems (so-called custom ROMs, such as GrapheneOS, LineageOS, or similar solutions), the Volkswagen App may experience limitations or lack certain functionality. These systems are not part of Volkswagen AG’s supported environment for the Volkswagen App, which is why we unfortunately cannot offer technical support for them.
The reason for this is that the Volkswagen App is based on security-critical system components and certified Android standards to ensure reliable and secure use of our digital services.
Of course, we’re happy to assist you with any questions regarding the use of our official apps and services.

If you have further questions about our digital services, please reply directly to this email. You can find additional contact options at https://contact.volkswagen.com. If you call us, please provide your case number 0004541902 so that we can assist you as quickly as possible.

We wish you a safe and enjoyable drive with your Volkswagen at all times.

Best regards,
Your Volkswagen Team

I replied the following to keep the ticket open. Please feel free to use my mail to also contact VW.

Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for your reply.

I would like to technically clarify your classification of GrapheneOS as a “custom ROM”. GrapheneOS is not a rooted, manipulated or insecurely modified system, but a security-focused Android operating system based on the Android Open Source Project.

My device is a Google Pixel 10 Pro XL with a locked bootloader, active Verified Boot, no root access and sandboxed Google Play services. The Volkswagen ID works in the browser. The issue occurs exclusively during login in the Volkswagen app.

The fact that GrapheneOS is not Play Protect certified does not mean that the device is insecure. It merely means that GrapheneOS is not part of the traditional Google-certified Android ecosystem.

I therefore kindly ask for technical clarification as to whether login in the Volkswagen app is being rejected due to the Play Protect or Play Integrity status, and whether GrapheneOS is being excluded intentionally or unintentionally as a result.

For the responsible technical department, I would like to refer to the GrapheneOS Attestation Compatibility Guide:

https://grapheneos.org/articles/attestation-compatibility-guide

This guide explains how app providers can verify secure GrapheneOS devices using standardized Android Hardware Attestation, in particular by taking the official GrapheneOS Verified Boot keys into account. This allows the actual device integrity to be assessed, rather than relying solely on formal Google certification.

If Volkswagen intentionally excludes GrapheneOS, I kindly request clear written confirmation of this decision. In my view, such a practice raises questions regarding consumer choice, interoperability, transparency, proportionality and fair access to connected vehicle services.

I therefore kindly ask you to answer the following questions specifically:

Is GrapheneOS intentionally excluded by the Volkswagen app or backend?

Is the login rejected due to Play Protect or Play Integrity?

Will Volkswagen assess support for secure GrapheneOS devices via Android Hardware Attestation?

Which device integrity data is processed during login?

Why is only a general connection or reinstallation error displayed?

I kindly ask you to forward this matter to the responsible technical department for app authentication, backend, device integrity verification, data protection and digital compliance.

Thank you for your renewed technical review.

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