Remote S: Tesla app for Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

[bmah]

I would like to echo what so many others have said before...this is an extremely high quality app especially for a 1.0 release. Very nicely done.

What I haven't seen anybody mention before is that this app looks great on an iPad. It takes advantage of the larger screen space in both portrait and landscape mode, and it pulls the information panes to the sides and corners, leaving the remaining screen real estate for the map display.

 

[ojee99]

Would it be possible to have an option included to the app to remotely change the Amperage for charging?

 

[Rhym]

One other quick suggestion..."shortcuts" for AC and heat would be great. Something like Set AC to LO and set heat to High as an action, not having to manually change the temp all the way up or down.

 

[ojee99]

Would it be possible to have an option included to the app to remotely change the Amperage for charging?

I know a lot of Tesla drivers would appreciate this functionality, but I don't know of the API allows this?

 

[1ton]

I just got the app and looks great so far. I didn't get a chance to read thru every post but had a couple of questions (sorry if repeat).
1. The inside/outside temp isn't showing, just a dash. Is that normal?
2. Can you drive without the key so long as your watch/phone has battery life? I thought keyless was only good for a couple of miles or so? I could be wrong.

Also, I was at the Orlando service center and I was showing the guys your app and they told me you are local. Maybe I'll run into you one day. Great job with the app.

 

[Zythryn]

I just got the app and looks great so far. I didn't get a chance to read thru every post but had a couple of questions (sorry if repeat).
1. The inside/outside temp isn't showing, just a dash. Is that normal?
2. Can you drive without the key so long as your watch/phone has battery life? I thought keyless was only good for a couple of miles or so? I could be wrong.

Also, I was at the Orlando service center and I was showing the guys your app and they told me you are local. Maybe I'll run into you one day. Great job with the app.

My understanding is that the car won't just stop. It will run until you turn it off.
This would be the same as if you left the key at home. You can drive as far as you have charge. Once you stop, you need the key or app again.

 

[AllenWong]

One other quick suggestion..."shortcuts" for AC and heat would be great. Something like Set AC to LO and set heat to High as an action, not having to manually change the temp all the way up or down.

This is actually something that I can add to the Advanced section without an app update (tapping on the Remote S logo). I'm going to add that, plus the ability to set the temperatures for drivers and passengers temps separately, and have presets for charge limit set at 50, 60, 70, 80, 85, 90, and 100. I'll update my website later (possibly today), after I finish testing it out.

I know a lot of Tesla drivers would appreciate this functionality, but I don't know of the API allows this?

It doesn't, as far as I know. I already packed all the commands that are allowed by the API.

I just got the app and looks great so far. I didn't get a chance to read thru every post but had a couple of questions (sorry if repeat).
1. The inside/outside temp isn't showing, just a dash. Is that normal?
2. Can you drive without the key so long as your watch/phone has battery life? I thought keyless was only good for a couple of miles or so? I could be wrong.

Also, I was at the Orlando service center and I was showing the guys your app and they told me you are local. Maybe I'll run into you one day. Great job with the app.

1. The temperature sensors aren't always on, and this is normal. If you notice in the official app, it doesn't tell you the temp until you turn on the Climate Control. In Remote S, you can also force the temperature sensors to turn on by turning on the HVAC. You can always turn off the HVAC after you see the temps.

2. Once you enable keyless driving, you don't actually need your phone/watch. I don't think that there's a limit to the miles you can drive. However, once you exit the car and close your door, you'd have to turn do the keyless start again. Also the car will lock itself when you exit the car I believe as a safety precaution (it does it to me at least, but I have walkaway lock doors enabled).

 

[1ton]

I guess my real question is, I no longer need my key fob if I have my watch/phone with app? I don't want to leave my key fob at home and not start my car again. I suppose if the app can start the car I am good without a key fob.

My understanding is that the car won't just stop. It will run until you turn it off.
This would be the same as if you left the key at home. You can drive as far as you have charge. Once you stop, you need the key or app again.

 

[AllenWong]

I guess my real question is, I no longer need my key fob if I have my watch/phone with app? I don't want to leave my key fob at home and not start my car again. I suppose if the app can start the car I am good without a key fob.

It's possible. When I shot the video, you can see that I was doing a keyless start with the watch in my garage and at the hospital parking lot that was several miles away. Throughout the entire shooting of this video, I did not have my keyfob on me, because it would have ruined the watch app demo.

The only issue is that you have to make sure that your car ends up somewhere where there is internet connection. Your phone doesn't require internet connection where the car is, because you can easily just move your watch/phone to somewhere where there is internet connection. But you can't move the car. So just make sure you see bars on the 3G (or at least have a wifi connection to the car) when you park, or else you will not be able to communicate with the car via the app.

The other issue is if your phone/watch run out of batteries or get stolen or drop and break it. When this happens, you can borrow someone else's smart phone, install the app, unlock the car, and do keyless start again.

It would be also safer to have a backup plan. Perhaps if you're driving to/from your work place, you can leave a keyfob in a locked place at your work place and one at your home. This way, you always have a backup plan in case the app doesn't work.

 

[Rhym]

This is actually something that I can add to the Advanced section without an app update (tapping on the Remote S logo). I'm going to add that, plus the ability to set the temperatures for drivers and passengers temps separately, and have presets for charge limit set at 50, 60, 70, 80, 85, 90, and 100. I'll update my website later (possibly today), after I finish testing it out.

Great idea, that makes a lot of sense.

- - - Updated - - -

It's possible. When I shot the video, you can see that I was doing a keyless start with the watch in my garage and at the hospital parking lot that was several miles away. Throughout the entire shooting of this video, I did not have my keyfob on me, because it would have ruined the watch app demo.

The only issue is that you have to make sure that your car ends up somewhere where there is internet connection. Your phone doesn't require internet connection where the car is, because you can easily just move your watch/phone to somewhere where there is internet connection. But you can't move the car. So just make sure you see bars on the 3G (or at least have a wifi connection to the car) when you park, or else you will not be able to communicate with the car via the app.

The other issue is if your phone/watch run out of batteries or get stolen or drop and break it. When this happens, you can borrow someone else's smart phone, install the app, unlock the car, and do keyless start again.

It would be also safer to have a backup plan. Perhaps if you're driving to/from your work place, you can leave a keyfob in a locked place at your work place and one at your home. This way, you always have a backup plan in case the app doesn't work.

Ya and the key fob is small and efficient (since you don't even have to interact with it) enough to not risk any of that.

I'd love to never carry mine again, but just doesn't seem worth the potential of Tesla's API going down for any random reason and you are left stuck.

 

[Linus Van Pelt]

I don't own an Apple Watch, and my 70D is still ~6 weeks away from delivery, but I still bought it to support your efforts. Thanks!

Same here, downloaded the Remote S app to both my iPhone & Apple Watch in support of your great efforts, though my 70D will be delivered not until the coming Fall. :love::love:

All the best to you and quick recovery from the coming surgery. Keep going!!

 

[AllenWong]

One other quick suggestion..."shortcuts" for AC and heat would be great. Something like Set AC to LO and set heat to High as an action, not having to manually change the temp all the way up or down.

Temperature presets, ability to set temperatures individually and charge limit presets have been added to the "advanced" page. Tap the "Remote S" to access it. How's that for a quick turn around time?

I'm missing my neighbor's BBQ. Heading there now. Will be back later to fix any bugs with the new commands, but it should be good now.

- - - Updated - - -

Same here, downloaded the Remote S app to both my iPhone & Apple Watch in support of your great efforts, though my 70D will be delivered not until the coming Fall. :love::love:

All the best to you and quick recovery from the coming surgery. Keep going!!

Much appreciated!

 

[Rhym]

Temperature presets, ability to set temperatures individually and charge limit presets have been added to the "advanced" page. Tap the "Remote S" to access it. How's that for a quick turn around time?

I'm missing my neighbor's BBQ. Heading there now. Will be back later to fix any bugs with the new commands, but it should be good now.

- - - Updated - - -



Much appreciated!

Just used it, works perfectly!

 

[JPP]

Temperature presets, ability to set temperatures individually and charge limit presets have been added to the "advanced" page. Tap the "Remote S" to access it. How's that for a quick turn around time?

I'm missing my neighbor's BBQ. Heading there now. Will be back later to fix any bugs with the new commands, but it should be good now.

- - - Updated - - -



Much appreciated!

Fabulous! Fast work! BTW what is the difference between the Set Temperature Individually section, where I click and then choose each one and say Done, to the Temperature Setting Presets section below it?

Many thanks for the really great app--love the Watch integration. BTW, if there is any way to add the small spinning gear in the upper corner on each Watch app page, it would help to know that it is in fact updating. Sometimes it is not clear to me that the info is old and not refreshed.

 

[hbouw]

One word: wow!

 

[ecarfan]

That approach will only work if your phone and the car have a cell signal (true most of the time but not always) and if the Tesla servers are up and working correctly (highly likely but not 100% guaranteed of course). So I always make sure if have my fob with me when using the car.

I guess my real question is, I no longer need my key fob if I have my watch/phone with app? I don't want to leave my key fob at home and not start my car again. I suppose if the app can start the car I am good without a key fob.

 

[AllenWong]

Fabulous! Fast work! BTW what is the difference between the Set Temperature Individually section, where I click and then choose each one and say Done, to the Temperature Setting Presets section below it?

Many thanks for the really great app--love the Watch integration. BTW, if there is any way to add the small spinning gear in the upper corner on each Watch app page, it would help to know that it is in fact updating. Sometimes it is not clear to me that the info is old and not refreshed.

For your first question, the presets set both Driver and Passenger temps the same temperature and are just common preset temperatures. The section above it allows you set them individually and offers a higher precision to the temperature that you want. It's quicker to just use the presets (press one button and you're done). But if you want the precision, the section above it allows you to do so. Best of both worlds.

I've also just put the HVAC On/Off buttons below both sections so you don't have to switch back to the other screen to turn on the HVAC after you set the temperatures.

For your second question, it's going to be obsolete soon whether you know the data is updating or not, because I've changed the refresh rate to 5 seconds in version 1.1. Just wait 5 seconds and the data will most definitely be updated. The Glance, iphone app, and the watch app share the same cached data, by the way. So if it's updated on one device, the other device will be updated as well.

 

[faughtz]

This is a terrific app; been using it since release. Even getting used to km, even though I'm in the U.S. Just noticed that when I tried to turn on HVAC, it did not work, just did not turn on. Went back to Tesla app for the first time in a while and attempted to turn on HVAC. Got a msg of "insufficient charge".
I'm at 14%.
Just one more corner case to account for.

 

[AllenWong]

This is a terrific app; been using it since release. Even getting used to km, even though I'm in the U.S. Just noticed that when I tried to turn on HVAC, it did not work, just did not turn on. Went back to Tesla app for the first time in a while and attempted to turn on HVAC. Got a msg of "insufficient charge".
I'm at 14%.
Just one more corner case to account for.

There's a temporary fix for the km issue if you just switch your car to read out the miles left in the charge instead of charge % left. And I didn't know that that was possible with the HVAC. I'll make sure to add that error message to version 2.0.

 

[Rhym]

For your first question, the presets set both Driver and Passenger temps the same temperature and are just common preset temperatures. The section above it allows you set them individually and offers a higher precision to the temperature that you want. It's quicker to just use the presets (press one button and you're done). But if you want the precision, the section above it allows you to do so. Best of both worlds.

I've also just put the HVAC On/Off buttons below both sections so you don't have to switch back to the other screen to turn on the HVAC after you set the temperatures.

For your second question, it's going to be obsolete soon whether you know the data is updating or not, because I've changed the refresh rate to 5 seconds in version 1.1. Just wait 5 seconds and the data will most definitely be updated. The Glance, iphone app, and the watch app share the same cached data, by the way. So if it's updated on one device, the other device will be updated as well.

Can you just make it so selecting any of the temp options automagically turns the AC on too? Would be nice to not have 2 taps, if possible.