Can you clone a Homelink entry?

[phxazcraig]

This should be simple, but seems to be impossible. I have two automatic gates into my gated community, and I got my car (2023 MYP) set up for the gate I normally use. Borrowed a fob, drove to the gate, saved the signal, etc. Now when I come up to that gate it opens for me. So far, great!

But I have another gate I seldom use, and I would like to open it in the same way. It's the same signal - the fob I used opened either gate - but I know longer have the fob to clone from. When I go to that gate I have to stop and put in a gate code.

I'd like to clone the old entry to a new one, using the same signal but moved to another (GPS) location. Any way to get that done? Any way to simply bring up the other gate entry manually and fire it off?

 

[stopcrazypp]

Can't you just press the garage door icon on the top of the screen and tap the saved entry to activate it?

 

[arnolddeleon]

Yes, you can bring up all your Homelink entries manually. Just look above the space where they appear automatically. If I'm remembering correctly, there should be a touchable spot there.

 

[phxazcraig]

Can't you just press the garage door icon on the top of the screen and tap the saved entry to activate it?

Gate is not a garage.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Gate is not a garage.

Why does that matter? The system doesn't care, all it does is send the fob signal. The garage door icon includes all your saved fobs, it's just a generic HomeLink icon to indicate the most common usage.

From manual, the icon covers all HomeLink applications:

If your vehicle is equipped with the HomeLink® Universal Transceiver, you can operate up to three Radio Frequency (RF) devices, including garage doors, gates, lights, and security systems.

Model Y Owner's Manual | Tesla

Learn how to integrate your smart garage and use it with your vehicle.

www.tesla.com

Anyways, as mentioned have you tried manually opening it as per the suggestion?

 

[phxazcraig]

Why does that matter? The system doesn't care, all it does is send the fob signal. The garage door icon includes all your saved fobs, it's just a generic HomeLink icon to indicate the most common usage.

Because I don't have a FOB. I do have a gate code and a keypad.

From manual, the icon covers all HomeLink applications:

If your vehicle is equipped with the HomeLink® Universal Transceiver, you can operate up to three Radio Frequency (RF) devices, including garage doors, gates, lights, and security systems.

Model Y Owner's Manual | Tesla

Learn how to integrate your smart garage and use it with your vehicle.

www.tesla.com

Anyways, as mentioned have you tried manually opening it as per the suggestion?

Yes, I have manually opened my gate for years using a keypad and gate code.

 

[arnolddeleon]

So it turns out finding the button to manually activate a given Homelink entry is not as obvious/easy when the geolocation doesn't match how you saved it.

What you want to do bring up the controls (car icon). Then on the controls page there is "tab" for the Homelink controls. If you press that then you will have access to all the Homelink buttons that you have programmed and can manually activate what you need.

This is the not as convenient as having the button pop down when you are in the right area. The hot spot that remains once the pop down button hides only persists while you are in the same general as to where the button as was programmed.

If I really wanted to clone a button then I might buy a cheap cloning remote. Clone the car (using the above technique to have the car send the signal) and then program a new Homelink entry using the now cloned remote. Bonus is you also get a remote. Downside is a little bit of cost (looks like less than $20 though). Something like this: Universal Remote. Note that I'm not vouching for this specific remote, it's just one of the ones that came up on a quick search.

 

[Goobers]

I always thought fobs have some sort of identifier sent as part of the code, that the receiving unit checks too. And that would be why even if you have a fob that can trigger multiple units, a different fob that can trigger one of them doesn't necessarily trigger the rest.

In other words, each fob has to be programmed with the unit. edit: originally, I said separately, but some units require all fobs to be present and programmed at the same time. But they ALL still have to be programmed to work.

I would just buy a compatible replacement fob that can program directly to the unit, then use homelink to clone that fob. This way, you'd also have a spare fob.

 

[phxazcraig]

You've all answered how to use a FOB to program a Homelink entry. Fine and good.

But that's not the question. I want to know if there is a way to use one Homelink entry ... basically for any other purpose. Specifically I would like to call up the programmed entry at a different gate, activate it and watch the gate open. I know the same fob worked on both gates. And yes, I could go get a FOB somewhere, but that's not the point. The point is that I have one software entry that works, and I just want to use it and copy it.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Because I don't have a FOB. I do have a gate code and a keypad.

Yes, I have manually opened my gate for years using a keypad and gate code.

No, you aren't getting my point. I mean manually bringing up the list of paired fobs on your car's screen and activating it that way.

From the manual, there no way to pair a fob signal to two locations (if they are close enough, the closest is to set a location in between that both can be detected), but you can always pull up the list of paired fobs in your car and pressing to activate it manually.

From this video:

Press controls button on bottom left to bring up vehicle controls, click the garage door icon on the right to bring up list of paired fobs. Press the button to activate the fob you are interested in.

 

[arnolddeleon]

You've all answered how to use a FOB to program a Homelink entry. Fine and good.

But that's not the question. I want to know if there is a way to use one Homelink entry ... basically for any other purpose. Specifically I would like to call up the programmed entry at a different gate, activate it and watch the gate open. I know the same fob worked on both gates. And yes, I could go get a FOB somewhere, but that's not the point. The point is that I have one software entry that works, and I just want to use it and copy it.

Are you sure you've read all the answers correctly?

The answer is YES. I described it in text, and I see @stopcrazypp posted screen shots.

You can manually activate an existing Homelink for whatever your heart desires.

 

[phxazcraig]

I'll have to head back to the gate in the car to try again. Last time I tried this I brought up a list of 3 Homelink addresses, including my garage, the back gate and an attempt at making a front gate entry. I can edit the entries or delete them, but I couldn't activate anything from there. Hopefully the above shots show an alternate menu, but it looks like what I remember. Except I had three entries, two functional when I got close. But again, pressing on the icons did not activate anything. That's my memory.

 

[Goobers]

You've all answered how to use a FOB to program a Homelink entry. Fine and good.

But that's not the question. I want to know if there is a way to use one Homelink entry ... basically for any other purpose. Specifically I would like to call up the programmed entry at a different gate, activate it and watch the gate open. I know the same fob worked on both gates. And yes, I could go get a FOB somewhere, but that's not the point. The point is that I have one software entry that works, and I just want to use it and copy it.

And I told you, it doesn’t automatically allow a remote to work just because you cloned the signal. The remote has to be programmed (“learn”) into the unit. Hence why I said, I belive they also have individual IDs sent in the signal.

And that requires a separate entry in home link.

 

[arnolddeleon]

I'll have to head back to the gate in the car to try again. Last time I tried this I brought up a list of 3 Homelink addresses, including my garage, the back gate and an attempt at making a front gate entry. I can edit the entries or delete them, but I couldn't activate anything from there. Hopefully the above shots show an alternate menu, but it looks like what I remember. Except I had three entries, two functional when I got close. But again, pressing on the icons did not activate anything. That's my memory.

click on the icon or name DO NOT click on settings. You can tell you got it right because you will see the radiating green animation.

Here is a clip that shows it:

New video by Arnold de Leon

photos.app.goo.gl

This should work if the cloning the remote was sufficient to make things work (i.e. you didn't have add your car to the gate). Your original description indicates that was the case. This also makes sense for something like a community gate, they (the managers of the gate) wouldn't want to be bothered to have to add every fob/car that is programmed.

This still won't solve the problem of creating a new entry but you should be able to at least activate the gate. I suspect Homelink/Tesla doesn't add an option to clone an entry because the use case is relatively rare (they assume you have an existing fob), and it would create confusion for the case where the new remote DOES need to be registered with the opener.

 

[phxazcraig]

click on the icon or name DO NOT click on settings. You can tell you got it right because you will see the radiating green animation.

Here is a clip that shows it:

New video by Arnold de Leon

photos.app.goo.gl

This should work if the cloning the remote was sufficient to make things work (i.e. you didn't have add your car to the gate). Your original description indicates that was the case. This also makes sense for something like a community gate, they (the managers of the gate) wouldn't want to be bothered to have to add every fob/car that is programmed.

This still won't solve the problem of creating a new entry but you should be able to at least activate the gate. I suspect Homelink/Tesla doesn't add an option to clone an entry because the use case is relatively rare (they assume you have an existing fob), and it would create confusion for the case where the new remote DOES need to be registered with the opener.

OK, got it. That video showed me the rather obscure Homelink menu. I had been there before somehow in Settings, but there I couldn't do anything to open the gate. Backing up a level worked. Still can't do what I want though.

And then I thought, Why do I have to have a separate entry for every Homelink device anyway? Why can't I have one entry called 'Community Gates' have multiple GPS locations? And let me just drive up to one and be able to add it to any entry - new or old, using what's already programmed.

 

[ucmndd]

You have a fundamental misunderstanding of how homelink works. You can’t just “clone” the signal from one device/fob to another.

Just because one device has been paired to two gates doesn’t mean that it’s sending the exact same signal to each device.

More importantly, both gates need to be explicitly programmed to accept and respond to signals from the unique device you wish to use to open them (in this case, the homelink transponder in your car).

Surely you can imagine the security chalenges that would be present if you could simply “clone” signals from one device to another as you’re describing.

 

[arnolddeleon]

You have a fundamental misunderstanding of how homelink works. You can’t just “clone” the signal from one device/fob to another.

Just because one device has been paired to two gates doesn’t mean that it’s sending the exact same signal to each device.

More importantly, both gates need to be explicitly programmed to accept and respond to signals from the unique device you wish to use to open them (in this case, the homelink transponder in your car).

Surely you can imagine the security chalenges that would be present if you could simply “clone” signals from one device to another as you’re describing.

There are still plenty of non-rolling code devices out there. In those situations, the remote is just sending a fixed ID/Code/whatever you want to call it. Based on the OPs initial description, the gates they are using are likely examples of those.

As I understand it, Homelink tries to figure out what kind RF remote (within its capabilities). Some are rolling codes, some are not. If it's not a rolling code it basically just replays it (although I think they may actually decode it and play the equivalent code versus doing an analog copy of the RF signal)

If it was me, I would buy a learning fob (posted an example up thread) and try to make a clone of the working one programmed into Homelink in the car. If the cloned fob works, I will then use that fob to teach the car to create a new entry. If the OP was nearby, it would give me an excuse to buy a Flipper Zero (Flipper Zero — Portable Multi-tool Device for Geeks). The main difference is that with the Flipper Zero vs the simple remote (outside of cost) is it would be possible to "see" what was being transmitted and verify for sure whether it was a rolling code or not.

 

[arnolddeleon]

And then I thought, Why do I have to have a separate entry for every Homelink device anyway? Why can't I have one entry called 'Community Gates' have multiple GPS locations? And let me just drive up to one and be able to add it to any entry - new or old, using what's already programmed.

Yeah, unfortunately that's the way it is right now. The only small consolation is it's just software so in theory someone could add the feature in the future.

Have you verified that you could open the back gate with the same entry at least via the control's menu?

 

[phxazcraig]

Yeah, unfortunately that's the way it is right now. The only small consolation is it's just software so in theory someone could add the feature in the future.

Have you verified that you could open the back gate with the same entry at least via the control's menu?

All I did was sit in the garage and use the Back Gate entry to observe if it gave me the transmitting signal. It did, so I assume it actually sent out a signal.

It strikes me that this might be a good learning exercise for me to use my Flipper Zero to capture the signal and clone a fob. I have reason to believe that won't work, but what the hey.

Of I could give in, grab a fob out of my fiance's car and go through the exercise while sitting at the gate.

 

[arnolddeleon]

All I did was sit in the garage and use the Back Gate entry to observe if it gave me the transmitting signal. It did, so I assume it actually sent out a signal.

It strikes me that this might be a good learning exercise for me to use my Flipper Zero to capture the signal and clone a fob. I have reason to believe that won't work, but what the hey.

Of I could give in, grab a fob out of my fiance's car and go through the exercise while sitting at the gate.

I think you can do the programming at any convenient location and then later edit the settings to change the location for the new entry so you don't have to be at the backgate to do programming.