Driving without a key card or phone

[mikeyg_ev]

Would be great if the car had a hidden external wireless charge pad. Then if your phone goes flat you can give it 5 minutes charge to allow you to open the car.

 

[Terri m3]

Got the Tesla ring. Problem is my finger has rejected it, it doesn’t fit on any other finger and my neck will not tolerate a necklace to wear the ring on. Needless to say I’m very careful about my purse and now I know other options thanks to many responses. I still think the option I suggested would be doable. Tesla has sent out so many new features, the alert sounds like a no brainer.

 

[RayK]

I really wish I could unlock and start the car with my Apple Watch.
I can use my watch to phone my wife and ask her to unlock the car with the app but it seems like a lot of unnecessary faffing about when the watch has all the necessary hardware to do it.

Correct me if I'm wrong (I don't own an Apple Watch or iPhone), if you intend to call your spouse with an Apple Watch, don't you need your cell phone to be within bluetooth distance?

Now, if you're saying that the watch's bluetooth can be somehow paired to your car just like your phone, then yes, that would work.

 

[MrSlippery]

This seems like it should be a very simple thing for Tesla to add to the software. My WRX with push start will start beeping at me if I leave the car running and walk away, it will also give me an alert inside the car if I drive away without the keyfob in my pocket.

 

[mikeyg_ev]

W

Correct me if I'm wrong (I don't own an Apple Watch or iPhone), if you intend to call your spouse with an Apple Watch, don't you need your cell phone to be within bluetooth distance?

Now, if you're saying that the watch's bluetooth can be somehow paired to your car just like your phone, then yes, that would work.

Watch has a cellular connection and can do most things the phone can do including making calls and Apple Pay. I leave my phone at home regularly.

 

[SMAlset]

Last time I upgraded my Apple Watch I decided to get one with the cellular connection. Does run extra though. My husband always has his phone with him but I don’t and it has come in handy. Now I have had to go get my purse a few times when I wanted to move my husband’s 2017 MS which doesn’t use a phone as key and I needed the fob for it.

 

[arnolddeleon]

I don't believe that's true -- at least, not by default. You can download the app, yes, and even link it to your account if you know the password. You could use this to unlock the car to get into it. There's a separate process to set up the phone as a key that requires a key card, though, so you couldn't drive the car from a freshly-configured phone without a key card. At least, that was the case when I last set up a phone as a key.

That said, it's possible that Tesla has policies and procedures to bypass these steps in special circumstances, so you might be able to do it with the help of a customer support call. I don't know if that's the case, though.

@GtiMart has it correct, there is a "remote start" function in the app. You don't need to set it up as phone as key to start the car.

 

[mikeyg_ev]

@GtiMart has it correct, there is a "remote start" function in the app. You don't need to set it up as phone as key to start the car.

But... both your car and the device need a working connection at the time. If you park in an underground car park with no reception it won't work whereas the bluetooth only phone-as-key would still work.

Also, just hypothetically, what would happen if Tesla's servers went down - all app remote functions would stop working globally

 

[Candleflame]

if your phone disconnects you get an alarm.
And if you use the card you have to sit inside when you put it in drive.
no problem here & time to move on.

 

[dduffey]

Other people have had similar experiences and have requested the same feature. The general idea is that if the phone key that was used to access the car goes out of Bluetooth range, the car should alert you. Makes sense.

Wait ... it doesn't do that already? Go to your car with phone key on, get in, turn off bluetooth on your phone ... Boom instant alert.

Are you saying that if you start driving and turn off (or loose bluetooth) you don't get an alert? If so that seems like a bug, because I am certain that happens when parked.

 

[techlogik]

I really wish I could unlock and start the car with my Apple Watch.
I can use my watch to phone my wife and ask her to unlock the car with the app but it seems like a lot of unnecessary faffing about when the watch has all the necessary hardware to do it.

"faffing about" such a British thing to say...ROFL...love it.

 

[arnolddeleon]

But... both your car and the device need a working connection at the time. If you park in an underground car park with no reception it won't work whereas the bluetooth only phone-as-key would still work.

Also, just hypothetically, what would happen if Tesla's servers went down - all app remote functions would stop working globally

That's correct, this depends on both devices having internet and the necessary intermediate servers to be operational. People who have driven in locations where there is no connectivity have discovered this the hard way. But this doesn't negate the case the claim that someone made earlier that you can "borrow" a smart device from someone, login and start your car. The post I was responding was claiming that this didn't work, it does. If we're being picky obviously this would also be difficult if your account has MFA enabled and you want to login without the second factor. If somehow I needed to get my car going without my phone/card I would phone someone that already had access to my car and tell them to remote unlock and start it for me. Safer and easier than installing an app on and then login into a foreign device.

Useful trick for cars have key cards, the cards can be registered to multiple cars. I only carry one key card with me as backup, it can operate our 3 and Y. By extension this works for the rings, bracelets, etc.

 

[ODWms]

Point being, with a Tesla, you are in a far better situation in a lost/misplaced key scenario than with other automaker’s products. At least you have a shot of driving your car in the near future. If I’m stuck somewhere, far from home with my Mercedes or Volvo, I’d be SOL.

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

I have had this same problem. A Galaxy S10+ sitting almost anywhere inside the house lets me drive off with no warning.

It really is a stupid flaw - it should notify you if the phone used to start the car has gone out of range - as the OP stated.

 

[Ren.OG]

Oh man, this morning I left my phone in my car (bluetooth on) and locked it with my key
when i got back i just went for the handle before i unlocked it with the key and the door opened right up.

i basically left my car unlocked with phone inside, anyone could have driven away.

 

[Candleflame]

Oh man, this morning I left my phone in my car (bluetooth on) and locked it with my key
when i got back i just went for the handle before i unlocked it with the key and the door opened right up.

i basically left my car unlocked with phone inside, anyone could have driven away.

then why do you use your key? that makes no sense, the key is for emergencies in your wallet or for mechanics.

 

[JohnnyEV]

Oh man, this morning I left my phone in my car (bluetooth on) and locked it with my key
when i got back i just went for the handle before i unlocked it with the key and the door opened right up.

i basically left my car unlocked with phone inside, anyone could have driven away.

Simple solution since you are using the card.......remove the phone as a key

 

[dduffey]

it should notify you if the phone used to start the car has gone out of range

It does.

 

[house9]

Oh man, this morning I left my phone in my car (bluetooth on) and locked it with my key
when i got back i just went for the handle before i unlocked it with the key and the door opened right up.

i basically left my car unlocked with phone inside, anyone could have driven away.

Recommend enabling “PIN to drive”

 

[tillithz]

So my wife got a new iphone 3 days ago. We completely forgot to pair it as a key to the Model Y.
Yesterday morning she got into the car, drove it about 13 miles, dropped it off for break squeeking.
Went today to pick it up and there was no way to drive since the key was missing.
Her old phone has been powered off 4 days, so that could not have allowed her to drive.
She did NOT place a card key in place to drive either.
Service advisor said "we were able to move it because you are in our geofence" - why cant I move it now picking it up?
How were we able to drive it to your "geofence"
This was a problem before and an update to bluetooth fixed it.

How do I know my model y will be where I leave it going forward? we dont know that this isnt working right. God, tesla is getting worse.