I haven't activated HondaLink trial yet on my van, but was wondering the same thing. Can you do a road trip with your phone, do you need your FOB? Can you put it in the console out of sight and it will stay locked if you lock it with the phone?

I don't know if I'm comfortable with that because someone could break in and leave with the van if they found the FOB (score!!) but I was curious.

 

HondaLink allows you to remote start, open or lock the doors. I do not know about creating any NAV trips as I could not see anything on it. You have to use a smart cell phone, apple or android. Here is it's weakness, the car and your cell phone has to be connecting to a cell tower, no exceptions to that. So if you car was outside of a football stadium let's say Kansas City Arrowhead and you wanted to remote start it from downtown Chicago, you would be able to start it, lock or unlock it. Of course you have to pay for the monthly up-charge for this Remote service. You have to download the app off from Apple or Android service on-line and also turn-on the HondaLink in you vehicle and also pair your blue-tooth with your vehicle as well. You still have the same limits for time of running with remote start of 10 minutes run-time, but can continue to extend it's time by issuing another remote signal to start. Your key FOB would need to stay in the vehicle, however if it was not in your car, the first time you shut-off the car it would not restart for long periods of time (this requires the key FOB). Even though you could lock the FOB inside your car, anyone could get into the car and step on the brake pedal and start it. One of the advantages of the HondaLink, is if you forgot where you parked your car (multiple story parking lot or a large parking area let's say at a amusement park. The cell phone would display a map of where it is.

I do not have this service but, spent some time on the Internet reading up on it. Honda should have made this more clear on what it does for you and where. A web site said instead of having let's say UPS deliver to your home a package at the door, you could remotely from work, open the tailgate to allow UPS to put the box inside of your car and after a few minutes you could lock it remotely. Hope this helps.

 

HondaLink allows you to remote start, open or lock the doors. I do not know about creating any NAV trips as I could not see anything on it. You have to use a smart cell phone, apple or android. Here is it's weakness, the car and your cell phone has to be connecting to a cell tower, no exceptions to that. So if you car was outside of a football stadium let's say Kansas City Arrowhead and you wanted to remote start it from downtown Chicago, you would be able to start it, lock or unlock it. Of course you have to pay for the monthly up-charge for this Remote service. You have to download the app off from Apple or Android service on-line and also turn-on the HondaLink in you vehicle and also pair your blue-tooth with your vehicle as well. You still have the same limits for time of running with remote start of 10 minutes run-time, but can continue to extend it's time by issuing another remote signal to start. Your key FOB would need to stay in the vehicle, however if it was not in your car, the first time you shut-off the car it would not restart for long periods of time (this requires the key FOB). Even though you could lock the FOB inside your car, anyone could get into the car and step on the brake pedal and start it. One of the advantages of the HondaLink, is if you forgot where you parked your car (multiple story parking lot or a large parking area let's say at a amusement park. The cell phone would display a map of where it is.

I do not have this service but, spent some time on the Internet reading up on it. Honda should have made this more clear on what it does for you and where. A web site said instead of having let's say UPS deliver to your home a package at the door, you could remotely from work, open the tailgate to allow UPS to put the box inside of your car and after a few minutes you could lock it remotely. Hope this helps.

Wow, thank you for taking time to do the research and clarify this!

So, to summarize, a phone cannot be used instead of a keyfob. (you cannot drive a car without the keyfob).

It also seems that the Internet (cell) service is required even if the phone is in close proximity to the car (within yuBluetooth range).

Compared to solutions that Kia/Hyundai have with apple carkey and Toyota/Lexus with their digital key (that can work in bluetooth-only mode), Honda’s approach is not much useful.

 

@superturtle
So, to summarize, a phone cannot be used instead of a keyfob. (you cannot drive a car without the keyfob).
Correct, it will not enable the ignition system at all except for the Remote 10 minute start cycle than it shuts off. So they do not allow you to start the car for someone else to drive or you forgot your keyfob.

It also seems that the Internet (cell) service is required even if the phone is in close proximity to the car (within yuBluetooth range).
That is also correct. They made the remote start so that let us say you were flying into the airport and after exiting the aircraft you could remote start you car so it would be pre-warmed or pre-cooled out in the airports parking lot. BTW the bluetooth range is only good for 100' of operation, considering you are not in a building with no view of your car.