Using anything with NFC as a Tesla Key?

[tm1v2]

Wait. NFC requires the phone to be powered on and functional? Doesn't that entirely eliminate all possible usefulness of the NFC option? If your phone was working, the car would have unlocked before you reached it. Why scrape your phone all over it? Wouldn't it just re-lock and frustrate you?

@Gauss Guzzler Does any phone NFC app function while the phone is off? I guess I never really tried, and I know nothing about a phone's NFC hardware, but I always assumed any phone app using NFC would require the phone to be on!

Phone as NFC key isn't substitute for carrying a separate backup key (NFC or fob). Phone as NFC is still handy for:

1) Backup if Bluetooth is acting up for whatever reason - more convenient than pulling the backup card from my wallet.

2) If I'm getting out of the car, or next to it anyways, then using my phone to tap the driver's B pillar is quicker for me than locking/unlocking via app UI, and also quicker than pulling out the NFC card from my wallet.

No the car doesn't immediately re-lock or re-unlock on you. The car reacts to phone as NFC key exactly the same as NFC keycard. No behavior difference that I've seen.

I use NFC lock via phone all the time now because the Bluetooth connection from my new phone is way too strong, the car stays unlocked until I'm halfway down the block at least. It's actually rather annoying that the car isn't able to better judge my phone's distance.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Wait. NFC requires the phone to be powered on and functional? Doesn't that entirely eliminate all possible usefulness of the NFC option? If your phone was working, the car would have unlocked before you reached it. Why scrape your phone all over it? Wouldn't it just re-lock and frustrate you?

I was beat to it, but it just serves as a useful backup to Bluetooth when it is acting up and also seems to work faster (NFC connection seems to be more direct). It won't scrape your phone (even assuming you don't have a phone case in the first place). By "tapping" you don't literally have to tap, only have to hold it close enough (same deal with the actual key card). It does not relock given it works exactly like the keycard.

I use NFC regularly for public transit so it's a common thing for me. Used to use a card like the Tesla keycard, now I just use my phone. I still carry cards around for backup in case my phone runs out of power or breaks, but that doesn't mean the phone is useless in regular use.

I didn't realize the NFC for Tesla also works without needing to open the app into the foreground. If this is the case it is actually more convenient than what I use for public transit, and I can see using the NFC function more regularly to lock the car.

 

[thatdude902]

Huh. I've had my Model 3 for over 4 months and just found out from this thread that I can use the NFC on my android phone. That's cool feature to have sometimes for quickly locking without waiting to hear the autolock.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Wait. NFC requires the phone to be powered on and functional?

While NFC is a passive tech, powered by the reader, I'd assume in a phone, where it's storing multiple IDs, and using some code to control the logic, the latter implementation would require power (and possibly a functioning OS).

 

[B_E_V]

Wait. NFC requires the phone to be powered on and functional? Doesn't that entirely eliminate all possible usefulness of the NFC option? If your phone was working, the car would have unlocked before you reached it. Why scrape your phone all over it? Wouldn't it just re-lock and frustrate you?

Given that using Bluetooth as a key is not 100% reliable, I imagine that being able to simply tap the B-Pillar with your phone when Bluetooth doesn't work would occasionally be useful as a backup.

I am considering only setting up the NFC option, not the Bluetooth option, so that I could just leave the phone in the car with the doors locked without having to deal with turning off Bluetooth. Yet I would still be able to get into the car with just my phone but no cell service if needed.

 

[Randy-12]

... so that I could just leave the phone in the car with the doors locked without having to deal with turning off Bluetooth. Yet I would still be able to get into the car with just my phone but no cell service if needed.

Well if you leave your phone in the car and lock the door how are you going to get into the car with your phone?

 

[EtherMN]

I ordered a Model Y LR.
Did you get all three rings from the same place? TeslaRing.com aka CNICK? What did you do with the 3 different rings?
P.S.
I need a size 11 ring.

Yes, purchased them directly from the company. I still have them as backup wedding bands + ability to unlock my car 50% of the time LOL

 

[B_E_V]

Well if you leave your phone in the car and lock the door how are you going to get into the car with your phone?

I was thinking I might just RING it!

 

[KlokkProjects]

The DRIVE Electric for Tesla Wear OS watch app now uses NFC to act as a Tesla key card.

 

[TomT]

I’m a bit upset that we cannot use our iPhones as NFC keys to unlock and start the car. I choose not to use Bluetooth and it’s an absolute nightmare to enter and start the car. Why does Android work and iPhone doesn’t?

Because Apple knows what you want and should have better than you do!

 

[Ecoli]

Well if you leave your phone in the car and lock the door how are you going to get into the car with your phone?

Schrodinger's cell phone

 

[B_E_V]

Yes, purchased them directly from the company. I still have them as backup wedding bands + ability to unlock my car 50% of the time LOL

I ended up returning the size 11 ring I thought I needed for a size 11.5. Today I drove around with my phone's Bluetooth turned off and the ring worked well. I wear it on my right hand's ring finger. For use I tend to slide it up near the joint, put the joint on the target, and tilt my fingers to about 45 degrees from the surface.

Might be superstition, but to unlock the car, first trying and failing to open the driver's door seems to make it work better for me, both with the ring and the Tesla card. I don't think I have figured out exactly where to put the card or the ring on the pillar yet. However, I also wonder if the car wakes up a bit when the door handle is pulled. No real data, just a tiny sample set.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I ended up returning the size 11 ring I thought I needed for a size 11.5. Today I drove around with my phone's Bluetooth turned off and the ring worked well. I wear it on my right hand's ring finger. For use I tend to slide it up near the joint, put the joint on the target, and tilt my fingers to about 45 degrees from the surface.

Might be superstition, but to unlock the car, first trying and failing to open the driver's door seems to make it work better for me, both with the ring and the Tesla card. I don't think I have figured out exactly where to put the card or the ring on the pillar yet. However, I also wonder if the car wakes up a bit when the door handle is pulled. No real data, just a tiny sample set.

Even without any key, when you pull the handle it does wake the car (if your car is asleep you can hear the sound of the contactor connecting). So pulling the handle first before trying the keycard may help in this regard.

 

[3sr+buyer]

Do any of you routinely leave your phone in your car? I currently do when I go kayaking, but I haven't taken delivery of my Tesla yet.

Once I receive my Tesla, I'm debating if I should setup passive unlocking or walk-away door locking with my phone. I've read the fine manual, but I still don't understand what would happen if I left my phone in the car and tried to manually lock the doors with a key card. Could anyone enlighten me?

If you leave the phone in the car, just turn it off before doing so. (Presuming that you will bring a key card or fob with you.)

Or put the phone in a dry bag and bring it with you. It may be useful if you have to take out at an unintended location (e.g. due to equipment failure) and call someone for assistance.

 

[RichardRichard]

That’s great and all, but Tesla being a dominant car producer and Apple being the best tech producer… wtf am I missing?

Apple like their garden walled. And they have their own version so have little interest in supporting a third party implementation.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Apple like their garden walled. And they have their own version so have little interest in supporting a third party implementation.

It's really the other way around, Tesla should implement the Car Key protocol, so far Apple has BMW, Kia, Hyundai/Genesis onboard, and apparently Lucid has it on their roadmap.

 

[gearchruncher]

It's really the other way around, Tesla should implement the Car Key protocol, so far Apple has BMW, Kia, Hyundai/Genesis onboard, and apparently Lucid has it on their roadmap.

Maybe Tesla doesn't like the fact that it puts a ton of control on the Apple side, instead of in the Tesla app and car? It's very prescriptive on how things must work:

Car key security in iOS

Developers can support secure keyless ways to access a vehicle in a supported iPhone and paired Apple Watch.

support.apple.com

Maybe Apple should both do it their way, and also allow apps to access NFC, and leave it open to the market to decide? The apple key thing has some neat features like working for some time after the battery in the phone is dead (at least until the key rotates).

 

[FastLaneJB]

It's not Apple's standard, it's an industry standard. Version 2 is NFC based and version 3 is Bluetooth with UWB so cannot be effected by relay attacks. It's more secure than how Tesla does it now but would need extra hardware added to the car.

Samsung also supports this on some of their newer high end phones. Would be good if Tesla also supported this at some point.

 

[EnterpriseT]

Does anyone know if a generic NFC card will work or does Tesla pre-format their cards?

 

[Candleflame]

Does anyone know if a generic NFC card will work or does Tesla pre-format their cards?

generic nfc wont work