Tester Guide: Capturing Diagnostics

Before You Start

Close any other OBD apps (Torque, Car Scanner, Carista, etc.) before using this app. ELM327 adapters only allow one active connection at a time — if another app is connected, the adapter will appear to connect but won’t respond to commands.

If you’re having connection issues, this is the first thing to check.

Enabling the Hidden Diagnostics Menu

  1. Open the app and go to the Settings tab
  2. Scroll down to the About section
  3. Tap the Build number 5 times quickly
  4. A prompt will appear asking to “Enable Diagnostics” — tap Enable
  5. Two new sections will appear at the bottom of Settings: Diagnostics and Advanced Diagnostics

To hide them again later, tap the Build number 5 times again.

Capturing a Diagnostic Log

Use this when you’re experiencing connection issues, unexpected behavior, or when asked by the developer to capture a log.

  1. Go to Settings and scroll to the Diagnostics section
  2. Tap Start Recording Diagnostics — a red recording indicator will appear
  3. Now use the app normally — connect to your adapter, drive, reproduce the issue you’re reporting
  4. When done, tap Stop
  5. Tap Share Diagnostics and send the file (via Messages, email, AirDrop, etc.)

Tip for connection issues: Start recording before you connect to the adapter. The log will capture the entire connection and initialization process, which is exactly what we need to diagnose connection problems.

The log file captures:

  • Bluetooth connection events (connect, disconnect, errors)
  • Adapter initialization commands and responses
  • All vehicle data received from the car

Capturing an A-B-C Snapshot

Use this to help identify which sensor bytes change when something in the car changes (e.g., heater turns on/off, climate setting changes, etc.).

  1. Go to Settings > Advanced Diagnostics
  2. Set the car to the baseline condition (e.g., heater off)
  3. Tap Take Snapshot A (baseline) — wait for it to complete (~20 seconds)
  4. Change the condition you’re testing (e.g., turn heater on)
  5. Tap Take Snapshot B (changed) — wait for it to complete
  6. Revert the condition back to baseline (e.g., turn heater off)
  7. Tap Take Snapshot C (reverted) — wait for it to complete
  8. Tap Share ABC Log and send the file

The log file contains all three snapshots and highlights exactly which bytes changed between A→B and B→C. This is invaluable for reverse-engineering what each sensor byte means.

Note: Live data polling pauses automatically while taking snapshots and resumes when complete. The snapshot reads data from all 12 vehicle ECUs (~45 data points), so each snapshot takes about 15-20 seconds.

Unplug Reminder Notifications

The app sends a notification reminding you to unplug the OBD-II adapter when your car turns off. If you’re not seeing this notification, check the following:

  1. In-app setting — Go to Settings and make sure Unplug Reminder is turned on
  2. iOS notification permissions — Go to iOS Settings → Notifications → IONIQ 5 Companion and make sure Allow Notifications is enabled
  3. Focus mode — If you’re using a Focus mode (Do Not Disturb, Driving, etc.), notifications may be silenced. Check iOS Settings → Focus to see if the app is allowed
  4. Notification style — In iOS Settings → Notifications → IONIQ 5 Companion, make sure Banners or Alerts is selected (not “None”)
  5. Low Power Mode — iOS may delay or suppress notifications when in Low Power Mode
  6. The car must actually turn off — The reminder triggers when the app detects the ignition switching off. If you disconnect the adapter before turning off the car, the notification won’t fire
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