NickinVA

Hello! First post here, and thank you in advance. Just purchased a 2018 S560 (CPO). This model year seems to be in a bit of a black hole between mbrace and Mercedes Me. Anyone with a 2018 out there, what app are you using? Are the logins common between the two? What features work for you? Thank you!
Nick

superswiss

It's not in a black hole as much as it's the last model year that uses the old mbrace platform. The app that goes along with it is called Mercedes me in the US app store. The 2019 and newer models are on the new Mercedes me connect platform and the app that goes with it bears the same Mercedes me connect name. The mbrace platform is gradually being discontinued, because most vehicles that used it have 3G radios and the 3G networks no longer exist in the USA. Live traffic has long been shut down for example as TomTom pulled out of the partnership with Mercedes several years ago, and I believe remote start has recently been discontinued, and mbrace never had over-the-air/online update capabilities for the maps etc.

https://www.mbusa.com/mercedesme/index

https://www.mbusa.com/en/mercedes-me-connect

carlosinseattle

I have a 2018 W22 and use the app. I signed up for a 4 year subscription in September of 2023.

The app is mbrace
Functions are:
Remote start and stop. The app also displays the interior temperature of the vehicle when you start it. However, ther is no ability to set/change climate control settings, that's available on 2019 & 2020 W222's. Like Superswiss said, the tech has changed, and I think that functions was previously available.
Loc and unlock
Locate vehicle
Send 2 Benz, for looking up driving instructions in the app and sending to the car's nav.
Honk the horn and flash the lights for 5 seconds

Those are the facts. However, the hard part is you will NEVER get the same answer twice by asking anybody from MB about the functions and availability. 60% of the people will tell you it's been discontinued on that model year. And you'll hear all kinds of stories about functionality, or lack thereof. Best thing to know is that you can buy it and see how it works. If you decide it's not worth it you can cancel, then you get a full refund for the prorated portion/period that you don't use.

NickinVA

THANK YOU! That's exactly what I needed to know. Many, many thanks.

NickinVA

How did you actually subscribe? Call the number in the app? Thank you!

superswiss

Keep in mind, though that existing active subscriptions may have services that you can no longer get as a new customer and also can no longer be renewed. These services stay active for the remainder of an existing subscription, but once the subscription expires they can't be renewed. So he's right, you'll find out what services are available for your specific car once you subscribe.

Yes, I believe for mbrace you have to call now. Mercedes me connect has an online store to purchase and renew the subscriptions, but I believe there's no such store anymore for mbrace.

carlosinseattle

I called the number that was available, however I can't find the paper that I had saved with my notes. I just moved my office last month, so I might have tossed it. The best advice I can give you is to keep an open mind, MB really messed this up and made things confusing. Everybody you talk to will give you a different answer, and you'll probably be told the service isn't available more than once. If you call Mercedes ME they will say Mbrace doesn't work any longer, so I think you have to find a number for mbrace, however I don't remember how I found it, sorry.

I looked in the app for the phone number, and foudn this one: 866-990-9007.

Also found there are more services offered:
Driving Journal
Valet Protect
Curfew Minder
Speed Alert
Travel Zones

2012 merc amg

Mercedes Recently changed the name to Mbrace from Mercedes Me. I have a 2018. I paid a couple hundred a couple years ago to extend the service as it had run out from the factory 4 year service. Like was said the live traffic was discontinued a few years back. But the reason I signed up for the extension called the "Entertain package" was to continue to have the remote start. A couple of weeks ago the remote start stopped working with my iPhone 11 which is up to date with the most recent updates 17.5.1 but everything else still works including the door lock/unlock feature and the light/horn feature and the find the cars location. The tune in Radio still works too although Iheart radio stopped working quite some time ago. The map online search feature still works which has come in handy. When I try to remote start the car the app just disappears and the phone goes back to the home screen. I'd call MB to ask about this and they told me it much be something to do with my phone. I pretty much tried everything. My service expires on August 8th in a couple of weeks so I'm not gonna worry about it. No sense in paying over another 200 dollars for something that has very limited function at this point. The car does use 4G, I think it was the 2017's and below that used the 3g and the 2 g which are completely obsolete at this point, the 2018's are right on the edge right now.

carlosinseattle

You're right about this. The change from 3g to 4g in car happened for W222's built in in June of 2017. My first W222, an S550 4-Matic, was built in 6/17 so it barely made the cutoff. I bought it used in 2022, and was told by everyone except the phone salesman for Mbrace that the car was not going to work. Most of the literature available at the time said 2017 was the same as prior years, 2016 and before. But the old MB Mbrace website, which was available then, but no longer available, said the cutoff was mid 2017. Once the salesman said I'd be entitle to a full refund within 90 days regardless, and that if the service were to stop working at a later date, I'd also get the remainder of time refunded, so I went for it. I used it for 11 months, until I bought my 2018 S63. I only signed up for 1 year when I bought the S550, then I decided I didn't want it so I cancelled. I got a full refund within a month of cancelliing.

When I bought my 2018 last year I signed up for a 4 year subscription.

I can confirm as of this writing that my IPhone X can still start and stop the car, as well as all the other features mentioned. I also have the app installed on my Android phone.

badq45t

2g or 3g no wonder that was totally worthless for virtually anything. I have 16' so I am okay to not live with those features, I have a phone mount so I can easly use my phone without holding it. the other features for me are not that worthwhile

midcityeng

We make a great aftermarket remote start solution for your vehicle, where you can start it with your vehicle key and also a 3rd party phone app control method if you choose.
Give us a call for more information, we'd be happy to speak to you about it!

S_W222

All features within the mbrace app should work. The only difference is that the 2018 mbrace is way too slow in terms of sending a signal to the car (or the car takes way too long before taking an action). 2019-2020 app has a much improved user enterface and much faster communication with the car. Regardless, you will get access to all feautres you see in the mbrace app just fine. Car is already 6-7 years old now, so they may stop technical support for mbrace anytime soon (but u should get a refund by then anyway). I got a prorated refund when I sold my car within 24 hours. honestly the app was useless (just too slow to send signals and many times fails to deliver the action requested).

carlosinseattle

Good thing you can confirm a refund, just like they did for me. Weird thing is they were super slow to process payment, but refunded it super fast.
Sorry the app worked slowly for you. Signing in every time you use it is kind of annoying. Otherwise, the app works blazing fast for me, I can unlock the car door with my phone faster than I can by reaching into my pocket to use the key fob...maybe that has more to do with being attached to my phone all day...LOL
The only time the app can be slow is on remote start, but I know it performs a bunch of safety checks first. The annoying part for me is that if the car has less than 1/4 tank of gas, or windows or sunroof is open, remote start won't work. I do wish I could operate climate control from the app like what's available in the newer models. I knew about it before purchasing an 18, but it wasn't worth the $15K+ price difference I saw in the used car market at the time.

2012 merc amg

Unfortunately with my 2018 the remote start just won't work. Everything else with the app works as it did but when I hit remote start on my iPhone 11 the app just disappears and goes back to the home screen. Must have had something to do with the most recent iPhone update that makes the phone now not compatible with the newly named Mbrace app. the app use to be called Mercedes Me. I also have the Mercedes Me Connect app on my iPhone for my 2019 E class wagon which that app works fine. I currently have IOS Version 17.5.1 on my iPhone and when I hit update it says the version is up to date. I keep hoping for a new update to become available with the iPhone and hope that will fix this issue as I probably would pay the extra couple hundred bucks for another 2 more years of the Brace on this car as the remote start does come in handy plus the wifi and the Tune in Radio stations, also the door lock unlock feature. I called MB customer service about this issue but they had no clue. Oh well at least I'll save a couple hundred bucks Aug 8th and not renew when my subscription runs out.

carlosinseattle

Have you deleted the app and reinstalled yet? If not, try that and see what happens. My iPhone is older that yours, but is also running the newest IOS version.

2012 merc amg

Yep that’s the first thing I tried. Just did that again deleted and reloaded still the same thing.

carlosinseattle

Do you hve an Android phone you could try, just to see if it works? If you don't have one, maybe you can try the app with someone else's phone to see if it works.

Quadrobenz

Our 2017 S65 Cabriolet was built 11/2016. It was built with code 362, HERMES Communication Module-LTE. 4G was included in at least some S class models as early as November 2016. It will be listed on the build sheet if it was installed.

2012 merc amg

good suggestion I’ll give that a try. I think it is something to do with the newer apple iPhone update. That’s when it stopped working after the last iPhone update. I had the same thing happen a year ago with another app that controls Bed heating and cooling called a BedJet. The app never worked again after an update.

carlosinseattle

So I tried using the app this morning and now I'm having problems. On the Iphone, I can't lock or unlock, but I can start and stop the car. On my Android the app won't even sign in. System Error message...

2012 merc amg

I guess it’s the beginning of the end for 2018 and below cars for connected access. Must have been a reason mb changed the name recently to the old antiquated mbrace name. Maybe mb feels they will sell more new cars if they make older cars tech obsolete?

carlosinseattle

I'm on the phone with them now...will let you know how it turns out.

Real time update: All functions for the iPhone are working. However, no confirmation message when using lock/unlock. In the past I would get a confirmation that the lock or unlock was successful but that doesn't happen. I had to look at the car to see that it worked.
Still cannot even sign in with my Android phone.
I'll call MB customer care this afternoon if I have time: 800-367-6372

carlosinseattle

I didn't get any help with the customer service phone number, they said I needed to talk to mbrace. So, officially got the run around. App is working perfectly, but different on iPhone, but can't even sign in on either Android device.

superswiss

There might be an outage of some sort. Looks like others have issues as well: https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...ty-outage.html

Camaroguy72

mbrace is still out... anyone get remote start working? app keeps dying