Phone key question...

[domodan]

So, just got my 23 MX LR and was disappointed to find it didn't come with key fobs. I'm trying to make the most of the phone key but curious for those of you that have been living with it how you handle situations where your guest beats you to the car.

I'm sure it won't happen every day, but I suspect it will often. Yesterday was a perfect example. I took my 4 kids to the arcade and bowling. As we were leaving, the kids ran out the door and I paused to put on my jacket and make sure we'd grabbed all of our stuff. I head out the door behind them and they're all pushing the buttons on the handles trying to get the doors to open. With my fob on my S, I'd just reach in my pocket and hit the unlock button. With the phone key, it means pulling out my phone, unlocking it, opening the app, waiting for it to connect, then hitting unlock. This situation has me considering ordering fobs so I don't have to explain to people that they need to wait for me (and even then, on occasion, wait for me to get out my phone) so they can get in the car.

How are you all doing it? Am I alone in this struggle of wanting to unlock the car from 40-100 feet away as I walk towards it?

 

[jmaddr]

Fob is definitely your friend for your use case.

 

[DCGOO]

So, just got my 23 MX LR and was disappointed to find it didn't come with key fobs. I'm trying to make the most of the phone key but curious for those of you that have been living with it how you handle situations where your guest beats you to the car.

I'm sure it won't happen every day, but I suspect it will often. Yesterday was a perfect example. I took my 4 kids to the arcade and bowling. As we were leaving, the kids ran out the door and I paused to put on my jacket and make sure we'd grabbed all of our stuff. I head out the door behind them and they're all pushing the buttons on the handles trying to get the doors to open. With my fob on my S, I'd just reach in my pocket and hit the unlock button. With the phone key, it means pulling out my phone, unlocking it, opening the app, waiting for it to connect, then hitting unlock. This situation has me considering ordering fobs so I don't have to explain to people that they need to wait for me (and even then, on occasion, wait for me to get out my phone) so they can get in the car.

How are you all doing it? Am I alone in this struggle of wanting to unlock the car from 40-100 feet away as I walk towards it?

Your only option is to open the doors from the app. A little clumsy, but short of buying a fob, that is your only option. If you normally use Sentry Mode, the car will not be asleep, so it should be relatively quick. Personally, I almost always leave the fobs at home. Not worth (to me) carrying something else around, just to let the kids in to the car.

 

[hmsun]

If you have an iPhone you can add the Tesla app as an widget so you can quickly unlock without going into the app

 

[zeleznikja]

I ordered a FOB. The phone key for me hasn't worked consistently and the card thing is just dumb. Especially coming from another X.... There is just no beating the ability to stick my hand in my pocket and open the doors. When the delivery guy told me no FOBs and then started talking about apps and cards I was like "you don't have little kids do you?"

 

[domodan]

I ordered a FOB. The phone key for me hasn't worked consistently and the card thing is just dumb. Especially coming from another X.... There is just no beating the ability to stick my hand in my pocket and open the doors. When the delivery guy told me no FOBs and then started talking about apps and cards I was like "you don't have little kids do you?"

Yeah, I’m about to order one as well.

 

[ArchHamster]

Fob is love, fob is life. Order two.

 

[hmsun]

Be cool if they can sync with the Apple Watch. Siri open door pls lol

 

[MEAllard]

Be cool if they can sync with the Apple Watch. Siri open door pls lol

This works with the app "Watch for tesla". Siri to unlock, or lock, or even start the car.

 

[brkaus]

I don’t have your use case.

If I did, I’d order a fob.

 

[AW9nineteen]

Trying to get this back to the top. I have a couple of questions if someone can help on short notice. I have a demo X and considering buying. The key card I like, but some of the features require clicks and pushes that you can’t make on the card. I’ve walked away from the car multiple time with the key and it hasn’t locked. I was hoping that with all the doors open, they would close as I walked away as well. Any thoughts on this being possible?

 

[brkaus]

Trying to get this back to the top. I have a couple of questions if someone can help on short notice. I have a demo X and considering buying. The key card I like, but some of the features require clicks and pushes that you can’t make on the card. I’ve walked away from the car multiple time with the key and it hasn’t locked. I was hoping that with all the doors open, they would close as I walked away as well. Any thoughts on this being possible?

There is no walk away lock with only the key card. It doesn’t know when you left.

You touch the card to unlock (which arms starting the car fir 2 min). You again touch the card to lock.

If you want walk away lock, you would need to Bluetooth connect a phone as a key or buy the fob.

 

[wwu123]

One nice thing about the key card, though this is a rare use case, is that you can pair the same key card to multiple vehicles - that's one thing I don't thiink you can ever do with a fob. When I visit a family member out-of-state, I have the key card for my car already paired with their Tesla, so don't need to borrow one of their key cards, nor carry anything extra in my pocket...

 

[DCGOO]

One nice thing about the key card, though this is a rare use case, is that you can pair the same key card to multiple vehicles - that's one thing I don't thiink you can ever do with a fob. When I visit a family member out-of-state, I have the key card for my car already paired with their Tesla, so don't need to borrow one of their key cards, nor carry anything extra in my pocket...

I do not think this is true. the only device that can be paired with multiple vehicles simultaneously, is a smartphone. As soon as you pair the card with a different vehicle, it no longer works with the former. I was very much looking forward to not having to carry two key cards. But alas, no dice.

 

[preilly44]

I do not think this is true. the only device that can be paired with multiple vehicles simultaneously, is a smartphone. As soon as you pair the card with a different vehicle, it no longer works with the former. I was very much looking forward to not having to carry two key cards. But alas, no dice.

We have mutlitple cars paired to key cards so it works....

 

[RoBoRaT]

Trying to get this back to the top. I have a couple of questions if someone can help on short notice. I have a demo X and considering buying. The key card I like, but some of the features require clicks and pushes that you can’t make on the card. I’ve walked away from the car multiple time with the key and it hasn’t locked. I was hoping that with all the doors open, they would close as I walked away as well. Any thoughts on this being possible?

Yeah, the walk away auto door lock works only with phone key and fob (upon walking away out of range)

BUT it's possible that it locks, only it takes a little longer if when using a card key.

You can try this just to test but not recommended for obvious security reasons.

The theory is that the Model X (or any Tesla S3XY) will lock when it shuts down (we call sleep too), 10 minutes after exiting the car.

1. You must exit from the driver side.
2. No other key (fob or phone) is connected.
3. Put the car in park and walk away.

I think the car will go to sleep and lock down it's doors after 10 minutes if left undisturbed.

I'll try this today.

 

[uscbucsfan]

We have mutlitple cars paired to key cards so it works....

Same. 1 key card for all 3 cars...

But the phone, IMO, is the best quality of life improvement over ICE vehicles. I received 2 FOBs with my 2022 MS, but only use them for valet. The phone is pretty flawless at unlocking doors when I make approach, seat position/profile. It actually does a great job even if my wife gets in the car first with her phone in the passenger seat. I sit in the drivers seat and it loads my profile (she's even the primary in the MS).

With the widgets you can have quick access to unlock the doors, truck, frunk, etc. I'd never go back to keys.

 

[brkaus]

BUT it's possible that it locks, only it takes a little longer if when using a card key.

It doesn't.

 

[RoBoRaT]

It doesn't.

Yup, I tested it didn't work.

 

[DCGOO]

I do not think this is true. the only device that can be paired with multiple vehicles simultaneously, is a smartphone. As soon as you pair the card with a different vehicle, it no longer works with the former. I was very much looking forward to not having to carry two key cards. But alas, no dice.

Turns out I was wrong on this one. I was able to add my X to the card I use for my Model 3 (or vice versa). Now one card for both vehicles. I swear I tried this multiple times back in June 2022, when I got my new X and I could not get it to work. Easy peasy now. One less card I have to carry. Yay!