Never drive away without the key card!

[Glan gluaisne]

My view on always having access to the car is to treat it exactly as any other car I've owned in recent years, and always have two ways of gaining access. Every car I've owned over the past decade or two has had some form of keyless entry, but has also always had an emergency access key, usually slotted into the remote.

I treat the Tesla the same. As I often don't have my phone on me, or if I have the chances are it'll be turned off, I rely on the Tesla fob. Because there's no backup key in that, I always carry a key card in my wallet as an emergency backup. So far, in nearly a year of ownership, I've never had a problem with the fob not working, much the same as all the other cars I've owned that use a fob for keyless entry, it seems to be very reliable.

FWIW, we have a similar back up system for the house, with a hidden keysafe outside, that we can use to gain access to a spare key. That came about after I managed to lose a set of keys when out, years ago, and found that I couldn't get in to the house at all. I ended up calling a locksmith out, who drilled out a lock to gain access, but it was an expensive lesson to learn - modern secure locks cost a small fortune to replace.

 

[Raechris]

There is always a security risk with anything and get that. But how is my phone going to be accessed in a back alley in three minutes when it took the NSA months to get into a terrorist basic iPhone couple years ago? I think biometric passcode on phone is fine. I also suggest Pin to Drive feature if you are paranoid of NFC Bluetooth intercepts. The combination is more secure than any other car on the road and certainly better than an always transmitting fob

 

[Jeeves]

I quite like using the phone as a key. It stops me forgetting to embark on a journey without it and having to go back home to get it.

I don’t agree with those asserting that using the phone as a key represents significant security risk unless they are very lax about their phone and account security in general.

The OP is right about the key card though. I’ve had a few times where I’ve been thankful I remembered to take one with me.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

The only snag I've found with the phone being the key is that my wife is more diligent about turning her phone on if we're going out than I am, so nine times out of ten the car ends up being unlocked by her phone and her profile set rather than mine . . .

The fix would be for me to get into the habit of remembering to turn my phone on, but I use the thing so rarely, and really don't have a use for it except for emergencies, that it's never something that's at the forefront of things to do when I'm going out somewhere. I rarely use the app on my phone, either, really only when we're out and I want to precondition the car before we get back to it. I have an old Sony tablet that sits on the wall in my study, and use that to check the car when at home. It has the big advantage that I don't need to find my reading glasses in order to use it!

 

[rjinski]

Although off topic I think the security options are pretty interesting and have gone through the motions a few time for _what is best for me_.

I'm happy to use my phone as a key but do find some of the functionality of the key fob very appealing although the convenience of the phone is currently winning. I would prefer to use my phone like a key card and need to tap it on the pillar to open rather than by proximity a bit like apple pay so at least my phone would need to be unlocked to use. Or maybe just to start the car I'd need to tap my phone?

I struggle to consider the phone or the key fob as more or less secure and it boils down to convenience. Being able to unlock the charge port from the key fob rather than unlocking my phone and waiting for the application to load is very appealing but with the drawback of having to carry a key fob...

If someone grabs your key fob or phone and knows you own a Tesla and where it is parked - you are unlikely to have a good day. The key fob may be more of an indication of what you drive than your phone would be though.

 

[Cnixon]

I have started a new thread because the walk away door lock issue may affect others. Mine did not work today. I did not get a warning unlike the OP in this thread.

 

[fancealot]

TBH i'm loving the phone as a key option, not had any issues yet with it not responding, suffice to say I always have the keycard in my wallet as backup, I also have watchapp for tesla which also works as a key if I set it for remote start.
I was looking at the tesla rings before I got the car thinking the BT key would be a 50/50 work/not work but so far i've not needed to take the card out except for the first time setting up the app. Also Mrs F has the app on her phone so if i get stranded without my card and can't use the app or watch, Mrs F could unlock and enable remote start from wherever she is.

 

[Drew57]

....if i get stranded without my card and can't use the app or watch, Mrs F could unlock and enable remote start from wherever she is.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that although remote unlock is enabled for the Model 3, remote start isn't. Can anyone confirm if it works?

 

[Adopado]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that although remote unlock is enabled for the Model 3, remote start isn't. Can anyone confirm if it works?

I'm sure Bjorn Nyqvist has a video about him doing this ...

 

[Jason71]

TBH i'm loving the phone as a key option, not had any issues yet with it not responding, suffice to say I always have the keycard in my wallet as backup, I also have watchapp for tesla which also works as a key if I set it for remote start.
I was looking at the tesla rings before I got the car thinking the BT key would be a 50/50 work/not work but so far i've not needed to take the card out except for the first time setting up the app. Also Mrs F has the app on her phone so if i get stranded without my card and can't use the app or watch, Mrs F could unlock and enable remote start from wherever she is.

Lets also not forget that if you have an android the phone can be used like an NFC key card if the BT is playing up i.e. you can touch it to the B pillar to unlock the car and enable drive.
Not sure if this helps in any other situations. presumably if the app has logged you out or your account has vanished etc then this would not work. and I am not suggesting it as an alternative to keeping a key card on you.
but on the rare instances when BT plays up it is a lot more convenient than messing around with BT or even having to open the app. You do of course have to unlock the phone for this to work but mine is unlocked whenever it's on my person anyway.

 

[Neilio]

Just one big security risk.
Loose or have your phone stolen. A quick look at the tesla app shows the location of your car. Hurrah a free tesla!

They'd have to steal my face as well. I'd have more pressing concerns than my car in this instance.

 

[pdk42]

Lets also not forget that if you have an android the phone can be used like an NFC key card if the BT is playing up i.e. you can touch it to the B pillar to unlock the car and enable drive.
Not sure if this helps in any other situations. presumably if the app has logged you out or your account has vanished etc then this would not work. and I am not suggesting it as an alternative to keeping a key card on you.
but on the rare instances when BT plays up it is a lot more convenient than messing around with BT or even having to open the app. You do of course have to unlock the phone for this to work but mine is unlocked whenever it's on my person anyway.

Thanks for that. I hadn't realised you could do that.

 

[drtimhill]

I agree 100%. The fob has been 100% reliable for me, never even as much glitched once. I just keep it in my pocket with the house keys and it just always works. I often don't have my phone turned on, so the fob is far and away the easiest solution for me.

Not that expensive, either, at £140. I had to buy a replacement fob for my i3 and it cost about double that, believe it or not, and it was less capable.

I just got a keyring (that is, a wearable ring that doubles as a keycard). Always on my finger, always can get in the car (and great when I'm at the beach and want to lock everything in the car).

 

[Glan gluaisne]

I just got a keyring (that is, a wearable ring that doubles as a keycard). Always on my finger, always can get in the car (and great when I'm at the beach and want to lock everything in the car).

I've been tempted to get one of these, but I have just got used to keyless entry over the years, so like being able to just have my keys (with the fob as a key ring) in my pocket and not have to do anything other than open the door, get in and drive. It makes the car behave like every car I've owned in the past 15 years, with the added bonus of not having to press a "start" button.

 

[drtimhill]

I've been tempted to get one of these, but I have just got used to keyless entry over the years, so like being able to just have my keys (with the fob as a key ring) in my pocket and not have to do anything other than open the door, get in and drive. It makes the car behave like every car I've owned in the past 15 years, with the added bonus of not having to press a "start" button.

Oh I only use the key-ring as a backup. 99% of the time my phone will unlock the car, but phones are broken or stolen (with wallets containing card keys too), and I don't relish being robbed and discovering I'm locked out of my car as well.

 

[ElRey]

I just got a keyring (that is, a wearable ring that doubles as a keycard). Always on my finger, always can get in the car (and great when I'm at the beach and want to lock everything in the car).

I have one as well and it's the most convenient key/card I've ever used (If you already wear a ring). My phone is my primary key but has not worked a few times. I don't spend any time trying to figure it out.

Sometimes I just walk out to get something and my phone isn't on me.

I use it to keep my phone charging in the car when I need to. I leave the hvac on, cover the phone slot and lock with the ring.

 

[pdk42]

This is the fix:

 

[interbear]

I agree with the OP.

My phone is never off so it’s great using the phone as the “car key” for easy access and locking. It has never not worked in over a year of ownership. But I do carry the Tesla card in my wallet at all times as a back up. I like to have a contingency plan.

I’m not getting the security concern either. Anyone getting hold of my phone would need to get through the phone PIN code or Face ID and the Model 3 PIN to drive to get away with it. I’m sure they’d give up and try an easier target pretty quickly.

 

[LongRanger]

Another fan of the Fob + backup card in wallet combo here. Have never enabled Phone as Key since collecting.

 

[Yachtsman]

Another fan of the Fob + backup card in wallet combo here. Have never enabled Phone as Key since collecting.

Me too everytime.
I don't think understand the reliance on the mobile phone.
Someone posted a couple of days ago their bluetooth failed so they couldn't unlock the car. - another reason!
I've never had a keyfob fail even when the battery was low!