Apple Watch

[domodan]

I really want to be able to leave my iPhone behind and just use the Apple Watch as the key for my new Model X. One of the places I go frequently is a bit of a black hole for cellular coverage. I actually got stranded with my old S when I used the app to unlock and drive because my wife had BOTH my key fobs in her purse and when I came out of the gym my car didn’t have a good enough connection to receive commands from my phone. I’d like to avoid that. Am I understanding correctly that the only Apple Watch option rely on a cellular connection?

I do have cellular on my watch. If that’s the case, maybe I run with that and use the “ring” key as a backup option. With the ring, once you’ve touched it on the pillar do I also have to put it in the phone holder on the console to “start” the car.

 

[ScoobyDoo82]

I really want to be able to leave my iPhone behind and just use the Apple Watch as the key for my new Model X. One of the places I go frequently is a bit of a black hole for cellular coverage. I actually got stranded with my old S when I used the app to unlock and drive because my wife had BOTH my key fobs in her purse and when I came out of the gym my car didn’t have a good enough connection to receive commands from my phone. I’d like to avoid that. Am I understanding correctly that the only Apple Watch option rely on a cellular connection?

I do have cellular on my watch. If that’s the case, maybe I run with that and use the “ring” key as a backup option. With the ring, once you’ve touched it on the pillar do I also have to put it in the phone holder on the console to “start” the car.

In my experience, using the ring to unlock the door at the B-pillar does not require another “tap” by the cup holders if you have the “pin to drive” option enabled. I tap my ring at the B-pillar, get in, enter my pin and I’m good to go.

It’s also worth noting that cellular isn’t necessary because the Bluetooth connection between your watch and the car should allow access.

 

[domodan]

In my experience, using the ring to unlock the door at the B-pillar does not require another “tap” by the cup holders if you have the “pin to drive” option enabled. I tap my ring at the B-pillar, get in, enter my pin and I’m good to go.

It’s also worth noting that cellular isn’t necessary because the Bluetooth connection between your watch and the car should allow access.

Which app uses the Bluetooth connection between your watch and car? I don’t have pin to drive enabled. Do you have to put your watch to your car?

 

[Vdub31]

I really want to be able to leave my iPhone behind and just use the Apple Watch as the key for my new Model X. One of the places I go frequently is a bit of a black hole for cellular coverage. I actually got stranded with my old S when I used the app to unlock and drive because my wife had BOTH my key fobs in her purse and when I came out of the gym my car didn’t have a good enough connection to receive commands from my phone. I’d like to avoid that. Am I understanding correctly that the only Apple Watch option rely on a cellular connection?

I do have cellular on my watch. If that’s the case, maybe I run with that and use the “ring” key as a backup option. With the ring, once you’ve touched it on the pillar do I also have to put it in the phone holder on the console to “start” the car.

I have the bracelet. I think you have two minutes to start the car (press brake) before you would need to put ring on center console.
But I too have a cellular capable watch and would love a native tesla app. Still too scared to give access to third party.

 

[jjrandorin]

Which app uses the Bluetooth connection between your watch and car? I don’t have pin to drive enabled. Do you have to put your watch to your car?

"phone as key" works with bluetooth to unlock your car. I have not read the entire thread so I apologize if this was already answered, but there is no official tesla apple watch app. "Phone as key" does not work from an apple watch. like it does from a phone, because the phone as key feature requires the tesla app and bluetooth LE, and there is no tesla app for the apple watch.

Where people sometimes get confused, is that you can also open the car with the tesla app, provided the car has a cellular signal. Thats not "phone as key" but any app on a tesla watch that opens the phone uses that function. If cell coverage is spotty or the car is parked someplace it does not receive cell signal (such as a parking garage or anywhere with poor / no cell coverage for the carrier Tesla uses in that country, which for the US is ATT), one can not use the Tesla app to open the car, or any third party watch app, but phone as key will work, if one has their phone with them that is.

The other thing that tends to confuse people is that there are work-arounds, for teslas that use a keycard as the main key. There are third party companies that melt those keycards down, take the chips out of them and put them in other products, like rings, etc.

Those operate like a keycard and also do not require cellular or bluetooth. They also dont require the tesla app, just like the keycard doesnt.

I have not followed this closely because, phone as key along with carrying a keycard works for me. Since we have to carry a drivers license anyway, and the keycard takes up as much space as a drivers license, its not difficult to carry for places one might not want to take their phone. Since this is the model Y subforum (and I have one of those as well) I know the model Y works the same way. I have no idea though, @domodan , if new model X use a keycard. I know they have phone as key available, but am not aware of whether they also come with keycards or if they come with keyfobs. Model 3/Y do not come with keyfobs although you can buy one separately if you want.

 

[domodan]

"phone as key" works with bluetooth to unlock your car. I have not read the entire thread so I apologize if this was already answered, but there is no official tesla apple watch app. "Phone as key" does not work from an apple watch. like it does from a phone, because the phone as key feature requires the tesla app and bluetooth LE, and there is no tesla app for the apple watch.

Where people sometimes get confused, is that you can also open the car with the tesla app, provided the car has a cellular signal. Thats not "phone as key" but any app on a tesla watch that opens the phone uses that function. If cell coverage is spotty or the car is parked someplace it does not receive cell signal (such as a parking garage or anywhere with poor / no cell coverage for the carrier Tesla uses in that country, which for the US is ATT), one can not use the Tesla app to open the car, or any third party watch app, but phone as key will work, if one has their phone with them that is.

The other thing that tends to confuse people is that there are work-arounds, for teslas that use a keycard as the main key. There are third party companies that melt those keycards down, take the chips out of them and put them in other products, like rings, etc.

Those operate like a keycard and also do not require cellular or bluetooth. They also dont require the tesla app, just like the keycard doesnt.

I have not followed this closely because, phone as key along with carrying a keycard works for me. Since we have to carry a drivers license anyway, and the keycard takes up as much space as a drivers license, its not difficult to carry for places one might not want to take their phone. Since this is the model Y subforum (and I have one of those as well) I know the model Y works the same way. I have no idea though, @domodan , if new model X use a keycard. I know they have phone as key available, but am not aware of whether they also come with keycards or if they come with keyfobs. Model 3/Y do not come with keyfobs although you can buy one separately if you want.

I found this via search and didn’t realize it was the Model Y forum. X is now getting the same treatment where they no longer come with fobs but rather phone as key and keycards.

Thanks for confirming the watch apps require cellular connectivity. That’s what I though, but one commenter made me question that.

 

[ScoobyDoo82]

I found this via search and didn’t realize it was the Model Y forum. X is now getting the same treatment where they no longer come with fobs but rather phone as key and keycards.

Thanks for confirming the watch apps require cellular connectivity. That’s what I though, but one commenter made me question that.

Lol.. boy this is getting confusing. Let me clear it up. Your watch does not need cellular connection in order to unlock and drive your car. I use the Tessie app, and on my watch with cellular on or off, connected or in a dead zone.. whichever, it still allows access to the car because it has been authorized and now uses the Bluetooth connection. Period. Sync your watch with that app, use it once with cellular, and then it will always work regardless of your cellular connection.

 

[domodan]

Lol.. boy this is getting confusing. Let me clear it up. Your watch does not need cellular connection in order to unlock and drive your car. I use the Tessie app, and on my watch with cellular on or off, connected or in a dead zone.. whichever, it still allows access to the car because it has been authorized and now uses the Bluetooth connection. Period. Sync your watch with that app, use it once with cellular, and then it will always work regardless of your cellular connection.

And that works even if your phone isn’t around? You can leave your phone turned off at home, and your watch will unlock your car and allow you to drive it?

 

[ScoobyDoo82]

And that works even if your phone isn’t around? You can leave your phone turned off at home, and your watch will unlock your car and allow you to drive it?

Yes sir. Exactly. Where I work, I’m parked 4 levels underground and have zero cell coverage where my car is parked. Sometimes I leave my phone and only have my watch on when I leave for a break. The Bluetooth on my watch lets me use Tessie to unlock and start my car.

 

[qdeathstar]

Interesting! I think it would still be inconvenient - have to touch the car each time to unlock? Normal Tesla key has to sit in the console - what about the watch strap? Hmm. I'm not tempted.

In only need to be there to put in drive.

 

[qdeathstar]

Yes sir. Exactly. Where I work, I’m parked 4 levels underground and have zero cell coverage where my car is parked. Sometimes I leave my phone and only have my watch on when I leave for a break. The Bluetooth on my watch lets me use Tessie to unlock and start my car.

Are you sure your iwatch doesn’t change cellular service? I don’t think you can set up an Iwatch as a key for your car.

 

[jjrandorin]

Since the creator of the tessie app is on these boards, I asked them to confirm how it works directly in another thread they are participating in here. If it does work that way I dont want to be mis informing people.

 

[qdeathstar]

Since the creator of the tessie app is on these boards, I asked them to confirm how it works directly in another thread they are participating in here. If it does work that way I dont want to be mis informing people.

This would be big news if true. I have a Tesla watch on my iwatch (Bluetooth only) and the watch needs to be close to the phone to work. Presumably with an iwatch that has a cellular connection, you wouldn’t need to be tethered.

 

[ScoobyDoo82]

This would be big news if true. I have a Tesla watch on my iwatch (Bluetooth only) and the watch needs to be close to the phone to work. Presumably with an iwatch that has a cellular connection, you wouldn’t need to be tethered.

I just tested it. Turned my phone off, went downstairs to my garage with my Apple Watch. Turned off its cellular connection. The car unlocked when I pressed the unlock button and then started when I pressed the start button. All Bluetooth. It’s not big news.. it works just like the iPhone does when it has no cellular connection- it reverts to Bluetooth as a way to verify the authenticity of the device and If has been previously paired or not. If the watch or iPhone has the same MAC address it allows Bluetooth to communicate with the car. This is by design.

I’m not sure why this such “crazy news” to people. It’s been this way for years and I have often gone up for a run or hike in the mountains and been able to use my devices to unlock/start my car without cellular all this time.

 

[jjrandorin]

Lol.. boy this is getting confusing. Let me clear it up. Your watch does not need cellular connection in order to unlock and drive your car. I use the Tessie app, and on my watch with cellular on or off, connected or in a dead zone.. whichever, it still allows access to the car because it has been authorized and now uses the Bluetooth connection. Period. Sync your watch with that app, use it once with cellular, and then it will always work regardless of your cellular connection.

The creator of the Tessie app specifically confirmed that it does not use bluetooth at all:

Tessie doesn't use Bluetooth at all currently.

Vendor - Official Tessie app talk

Figured out a way to do this that I think works pretty well, all things considered! Live in the latest update. Perfect, I like it!

teslamotorsclub.com

So, I am unsure how @ScoobyDoo82 's apple watch is connecting to unlock the car, but it absolutely is not bluetooth. Im not saying its not opening the car, I just now know that it is not using bluetooth to open, which is what phone as key uses.

 

[CaptUAL]

The creator of the Tessie app specifically confirmed that it does not use bluetooth at all:

Vendor - Official Tessie app talk

Figured out a way to do this that I think works pretty well, all things considered! Live in the latest update. Perfect, I like it!

teslamotorsclub.com

So, I am unsure how @ScoobyDoo82 's apple watch is connecting to unlock the car, but it absolutely is not bluetooth. Im not saying its not opening the car, I just now know that it is not using bluetooth to open, which is what phone as key uses.

Same with the STATS app. If I turn off LTE and WiFi, my Apple Watch Ultra does Not connect to my MSP via the internet. Bluetooth was left On, and unlike the iPhone, it is not able to connect via Bluetooth or be a key.

 

[FatherTo1]

Same with the STATS app. If I turn off LTE and WiFi, my Apple Watch Ultra does Not connect to my MSP via the internet. Bluetooth was left On, and unlike the iPhone, it is not able to connect via Bluetooth or be a key.

I'm not familiar with either app, but perhaps they're using NFC.

 

[CaptUAL]

I'm not familiar with either app, but perhaps they're using NFC.

Sorry, the NFC on the iPhone or Apple Watch does not communicate to the Tesla. Again, the Only way the Apple Watch can communicate is via WiFi or LTE with internet connection.

 

[domodan]

I just tested it. Turned my phone off, went downstairs to my garage with my Apple Watch. Turned off its cellular connection. The car unlocked when I pressed the unlock button and then started when I pressed the start button. All Bluetooth. It’s not big news.. it works just like the iPhone does when it has no cellular connection- it reverts to Bluetooth as a way to verify the authenticity of the device and If has been previously paired or not. If the watch or iPhone has the same MAC address it allows Bluetooth to communicate with the car. This is by design.

I’m not sure why this such “crazy news” to people. It’s been this way for years and I have often gone up for a run or hike in the mountains and been able to use my devices to unlock/start my car without cellular all this time.

I’m guessing your Apple Watch was connected to your WiFi? I’d be curious if you do it with WiFi and cellular off and see if it still works. Sounds like it won’t.

 

[jjrandorin]

If anyone is interested in the exact question I asked the developer of the app in their thread, its linked above in post #75. I am not going to re post the word for word here, but I asked pretty directly, at least I think I did.