Security Question

[Jtecono85]

Hello All,

I'm a relatively new M3 owner. I currently use my phone as a key.

One question - I currently don't need to unlock my iphone before I use the phone to unlock my car. All I have to do walk up to my car w/ my phone in my pocket and the M3 unlocks.

Can I change that? I like the overall process, but my worry is if someone steals my phone and knows I have a M3, they won't need my phone password in order to steal my car. Was just curious, any insights would help.

 

[Tam]

...someone steals my phone and knows I have a M3, they won't need my phone password in order to steal my car...

That's the same with a physical key. No password needed.

But if you want additional security, you can set your car to require a PIN input prior to drive.

You can also set your car to Valet Mode if you want to lock your glove box, HomeLink...

The reason people want phone as a key because of its convenience with no password needed.

It's possible to make it more secure but at the expense of convenience.

 

[R1Fast]

TYou can also set your car to Vale Mode

Now that would be a cool easter egg. Legolas jumps out and shoots alleged car thief with an arrow right in the @$$.

Sorry Im bored at work. *yawn*

 

[ewoodrick]

You can change your password and invalidate the phone app.
You can also just track where both your phone and car are going.

But as Tam indicated, it works the same way as when someone steals your keys.

 

[StealthP3D]

You can change your password and invalidate the phone app.
You can also just track where both your phone and car are going.

But as Tam indicated, it works the same way as when someone steals your keys.

I haven't set a "PIN required to Drive" because I think it's pretty unlikely someone would be stupid enough to try to steal a car with the ability to easily track it.

 

[Petermcg]

I haven't set a "PIN required to Drive" because I think it's pretty unlikely someone would be stupid enough to try to steal a car with the ability to easily track it.

Never underestimate the stupidity of criminals.

 

[hugh_jassol]

Can I change that? I like the overall process, but my worry is if someone steals my phone and knows I have a M3, they won't need my phone password in order to steal my car. Was just curious, any insights would help.

I see this posted from time to time, but this is no different than any other key for any other car, house, hotel room, etc. I don't know why people get freaked out by it. I understand wanting more security, but I think worrying "more" about it just because it's a phone is manufactured fear.

The thing to do if you are really worried is the PIN-to-drive feature (as others in this thread have suggested).

 

[Thp3]

Turn off your Bluetooth on your phone. Your car won’t recognize your phone as you walk up to it. You likely would have to run the Tesla app and wait for the connection. Or have STATS app and use an Apple Watch..

It’s a level of inconvenience that most of us won’t go to, but you can.

 

[SweptWing]

I have a question.
If you lock your model 3 by using a key card or a cell phone, and leave the other phone(Bluetooth is not on) in the car, which used to be able to control the vehicle.
After that, if someone breaks the glass, takes the cell phone left in the car and turns on the Bluetooth, will they drive the car away?
This car could be stolen.If the phone left in the car still works

 

[jjrandorin]

I have a question.
If you lock your model 3 by using a key card or a cell phone, and leave the other phone(Bluetooth is not on) in the car, which used to be able to control the vehicle.
After that, if someone breaks the glass, takes the cell phone left in the car and turns on the Bluetooth, will they drive the car away?
This car could be stolen.If the phone left in the car still works

not if pin to drive is set. If one was going to leave a phone in the car for some reason on purpose they should set the pin to drive. With that being said, no idea why people are attempting to manufacture scenarios where using the phone as a key would be different than having a key.

If @SweptWing replaced the word "phone" with "key" in their post, you could see what I mean. "If I left my key in the car, and someone broke the window and got my key, could they drive away?"

In a tesla, you can prevent it with pin to drive, in other cars not so much. People seem to be trying to make the phone as key thing out as less secure or something. Its about the same as most modern cars that have passive entry, with the exception that tesla implemented pin to drive for those who are worried about passive entry allowing someone to drive off with their car.

 

[Thp3]

I have a question.
If you lock your model 3 by using a key card or a cell phone, and leave the other phone(Bluetooth is not on) in the car, which used to be able to control the vehicle.
After that, if someone breaks the glass, takes the cell phone left in the car and turns on the Bluetooth, will they drive the car away?
This car could be stolen.If the phone left in the car still works

I doubt you CAN turn on Bluetooth without activating the phone. You’d need a pin for the phone, and if you’re not using security on the phone, well, I just can’t...

So the phone in a car is a dead device without Bluetooth turned on. Like I said, you can do this, but very few people ever will. It’s just not the problem.

A pin to drive is basically two-factor authentication, a bluetooth authorized phone to get into the car and a pin to drive. Note that the GPS locator is permanently on and to inactivate it, eg steal the car and not be tracked, you need the Tesla account password.

The Tesla is a reasonably safe secure car.

 

[SVMike]

I have a question.
If you lock your model 3 by using a key card or a cell phone, and leave the other phone(Bluetooth is not on) in the car, which used to be able to control the vehicle.
After that, if someone breaks the glass, takes the cell phone left in the car and turns on the Bluetooth, will they drive the car away?
This car could be stolen.If the phone left in the car still works

As already said, if you left a metal key in your car and someone broke the window they could steal the car. But with a phone you can have it setup where you have to enter a pin (or fingerprint) to unlock phone, then turn on Bluetooth and then you could require a pin to drive.

And on TV, all they have to do is hank a couple of wires from under the steering wheel and touch them together and off they go. Maybe the Tesla's should have an anti-hotwire feature. Two wires below the steering wheel that do nothing except emit a spark every few times they are touched...and give prompts on the monitor that says the car is trying to start with some fake engine noises. While it keeps the thief occupied you get a hotwire text message so you can call 911.

 

[SweptWing]

not if pin to drive is set. If one was going to leave a phone in the car for some reason on purpose they should set the pin to drive. With that being said, no idea why people are attempting to manufacture scenarios where using the phone as a key would be different than having a key.

If @SweptWing replaced the word "phone" with "key" in their post, you could see what I mean. "If I left my key in the car, and someone broke the window and got my key, could they drive away?"

In a tesla, you can prevent it with pin to drive, in other cars not so much. People seem to be trying to make the phone as key thing out as less secure or something. Its about the same as most modern cars that have passive entry, with the exception that tesla implemented pin to drive for those who are worried about passive entry allowing someone to drive off with their car.

Thanks,
But I've learned that traditional key fobs can be deactivated if they are locked in the car, including the passive engine start function.
For example, put one key fob in the car, and then stand outside the car and press the lock button of the other key fob. The key in the car will be detected by the vehicle and deactivated. Even if you break the glass to get the key, it won't work.Unless unlocked with another key.
But if it's a phone, it may not be detected and disabled.

 

[jjrandorin]

Thanks,
But I've learned that traditional key fobs can be deactivated if they are locked in the car, including the passive engine start function.
For example, put one key fob in the car, and then stand outside the car and press the lock button of the other key fob. The key in the car will be detected by the vehicle and deactivated. Even if you break the glass to get the key, it won't work.Unless unlocked with another key.
But if it's a phone, it may not be detected and disabled.

I think you are trying to manufacture issues unlikely to happen, here. As I said earlier, if you turn on pin to drive, the tesla is not going anywhere. Second, in your above scenario with a key with passive entry, every passive entry key system for a car I am aware of has a "backup" mode for starting the car if the passive key isnt working properly.

BMW is the one I am most familiar with, and in BMWs if the passive entry isnt working, you hold the key up to the steering column and it will start the car.

A "phone as key" is no more, or no less secure than a passive entry keyfob, but on a tesla you can make it require a pin number to drive the car. The pin pad even moves around a bit I am fairly certain, so that people can not just look at the smudges on the screen to see where you are entering in the pin....

Maybe you could explain why the pin to drive feature wont work for you?

 

[darth_vad3r]

If someone steals the key to your car, they can usually steal your car. Period.

That’s kinda the definition of a “key”

Any car, any key.

With Tesla, you can enable PIN to drive to prevent this.
With Tesla, you can delete any key from inside the car in the settings, to prevent the stolen key from being used.
With Tesla, you can remotely change your Tesla account password, which should remotely disable any phone key, preventing it from being used to steal your car.

If you don’t manage to use one of the above to prevent your car being stolen after your key is stolen, you can use the app to track your car and report it to the police.

This seems like a better situation all around compared to another car with traditional metal keys, or keys + remote fob, or proximity fob keys, any of which if stolen mean your car is easily stealable. You probably don’t have PIN to drive option in that other car. You probably have to take your other car to a dealer to get rekeyed so the stolen key can’t be used later (vs Tesla you just delete the key yourself in the car). You probably can’t remotely disable a metal key or fob of any sort for that other car either (like you can do by changing your account password with Tesla).

 

[smatthew]

There is an easy fix to this. Go into the Tesla App, and click the gear icon. There's an option there for Face ID/Touch ID authentication. If you set that the Tesla App won't unlock the car without the authenticating with the app.

 

[darth_vad3r]

There is an easy fix to this. Go into the Tesla App, and click the gear icon. There's an option there for Face ID/Touch ID authentication. If you set that the Tesla App won't unlock the car without the authenticating with the app.

Umm, that’s for auth when you tap the “start” button in the app, nothing to do with proximity unlock or driving.