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Tesla will soon allow Apple Watch users to unlock and control their vehicle using a dedicated watchOS app for the first time.

tesla-app.jpeg

Tesla today announced that, starting later this month, owners will gain the ability to use their Apple Watch as a digital key for their car, providing functions previously limited to the smartphone app. The upcoming watchOS app will enable users to unlock or lock their vehicle, open the trunk and frunk, check the battery status, and adjust climate control settings.

Currently, Tesla owners using smartwatches have to rely on third-party applications like Watch for Tesla to perform many of these functions. Tesla will automatically install the Apple Watch version for users who update the companion app on their iPhones later this month as the new version rolls out. Users of Wear OS devices currently have no timeline for receiving a similar app. The watchOS app is part of Tesla's broader annual holiday update, which includes features like remote access to Sentry Mode recordings and improvements to navigation.

Update: As of December 3, the Tesla app for Apple Watch is available for download.

Article Link: Tesla App for Apple Watch Coming This Month [Update: Now Available]
 
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Will it start the car or you have to still use that keycard? It's been awhile since I've driven one of those cars.
 
I already use Tessie to do everything mentioned in this article, but I'm glad that Tesla is coming out with its own Apple Watch app. If Tesla had logging features for drives, charges, battery monitoring, etc, I'd drop my yearly Tessie subscription like a bad habit.

Will it start the car or you have to still use that keycard? It's been awhile since I've driven one of those cars.

It works as a digital key, so you don't have to use the physical keycard. I only use my keycard to hand it to the folks at Discount Tire when I get new tires or at the local service shop when I go in for my yearly vehicle inspection for NC vehicle registration renewal.
 
Will it start the car or you have to still use that keycard? It's been awhile since I've driven one of those cars.

Sounds like it'll function as 'Phone Key' like the iPhone app. Passively unlocks/locks vehicle, allows you to drive, etc. Looking forward to trying this.
 
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I already use Tessie to do everything mentioned in this article, but I'm glad that Tesla is coming out with its own Apple Watch app. If Tesla had logging features for drives, charges, battery monitoring, etc, I'd drop my yearly Tessie subscription like a bad habit.



It works as a digital key, so you don't have to use the physical keycard. I only use my keycard to hand it to the folks at Discount Tire when I get new tires or at the local service shop when I go in for my yearly vehicle inspection for NC vehicle registration renewal.

Tessie is excellent but I agree, would love to see some logging features or history of charging, etc built in.
 
What is the status of Tesla app reliability on iPhone:
  • How often (if ever) has it failed to open the doors?
  • Does it use UWB to reliably open the doors when you approach and close when you leave? Or do you sometimes need to take the phone out of your pocket to unlock?
  • Does it always choose the right driver profile if you have two drivers with their cell phones in the car? How does it work? UWB detects which phone entered through driver door?
  • Does it work with your phone if the phone if you are out of battery? (like Apple Car Key does)
Should we expect all the same with Watch App (when leaving your phone at home)?

Are there still some benefits for Apple Car Key over Tesla's implementation?
 
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Will it start the car or you have to still use that keycard? It's been awhile since I've driven one of those cars.
There is no "start" in a Tesla. The concept of "starting" does not apply to electric cars. The better term is "unlock". It moves when you are present in the car and locks itself when you walk away. Currently, it knows if you are there using Bluetooth on your phone. So now they do the same with a watch.
 
If my Tesla catches on fire with me in it will I be able to open the doors with the app?
Have you ever seen a Lithium battery fire? It is not as exciting as you think. They burn slowly. You would have time to grab your bag and look around to see what else you need and then leave. Then you would walk away and call 911 and watch

But on the other hand, have you ever seen a gasoline fire? They look kind of like a mushroom cloud. You don't have time to blink. and no one would slowly walk away from a gas fire.

Then there are the statistics. In the US there are about 25 fires for every 100,000 EVs sold, compared to about 1,530 fires for every 100,000 gas-powered vehicles sold. High-speed crashes are the cause of most EV fires. But simpler things can set off gasoline

When you think about it, it should not surprise anyone that gasoline is an 80 times greater fire hazard than a battery. What common substance is more flammable than gasoline?

Finally, you do not need a phone to open a Tesla door from the inside. The door handle is one of the very few physical controls in the car.
 
What is the status of Tesla app reliability on iPhone:
  • How often (if ever) has it failed to open the doors?
  • Does it use UWB to reliably open the doors when you approach and close when you leave? Or do you sometimes need to take the phone out of your pocket to unlock?
  • Does it always choose the right driver profile if you have two drivers with their cell phones in the car? How does it work? UWB detects which phone entered through driver door?
  • Does it work with your phone if the phone if you are out of battery? (like Apple Car Key does)
Should we expect all the same with Watch App (when leaving your phone at home)?

Are there still some benefits for Apple Car Key over Tesla's implementation?

Tesla confirmed the Apple Watch app will act as a digital key, so I think it's safe to assume it will act the same as the iPhone app. Assuming that's the case, I can answer some of your questions based on my own experience:


  • How often (if ever) has it failed to open the doors?
My car doesn't have UWB and relies only on Bluetooth, which isn't perfect. At least once a week it doesn't unlock the door immediately when I pull on the handle. Usually the delay is < 1 sec, where I yank the handle and it does nothing for a second and then unlocks. Not a huge deal, but not great either. I'm assuming this is why they added UWB support on newer vehicles.

  • Does it use UWB to reliably open the doors when you approach and close when you leave? Or do you sometimes need to take the phone out of your pocket to unlock?
I haven't experienced UWB myself, but from what I've read it seems to be pretty reliable. I haven't come across any reports of UWB failing to unlock. Worth noting too...even with Bluetooth I never have to take the phone out to unlock when it fails. Just need to wait an extra second.

  • Does it always choose the right driver profile if you have two drivers with their cell phones in the car? How does it work? UWB detects which phone entered through driver door?
This is a great question, I've never considered how it works when 2 phones are present. I did a quick search and it seems that for cars with Bluetooth, the chosen profile seems to correspond to the first phone the car connected to. This article mentions that the addition of UWB was expected to improve the driver profile selection by detecting which phone is closer to the driver's side...but I haven't come across any feedback that confirms if this is actually the case. If anyone reading has experience with this, please share!

  • Does it work with your phone if the phone if you are out of battery? (like Apple Car Key does)
I don't think so. AFAIK, this functionality is only available for apps utilizing Apple's CarKey framework, as you mentioned. The Nearby Interaction framework that leverages UWB doesn't provide any functionality that works when the phone's battery is dead.

  • Should we expect all the same with Watch App (when leaving your phone at home)?
Yes I think so. Based on Tesla's announcement, I think it's safe to assume the Watch app will function more or less identically to the phone app. If you leave your phone at home, the watch will be able to communicate with the car over Bluetooth/UWB when you're in proximity to the vehicle. If you're not in proximity to the vehicle and your watch has a cellular plan or is connected to wifi, the watch app will be able to send commands through the cloud like the phone app does today.

  • Are there still some benefits for Apple Car Key over Tesla's implementation?
In my opinion, absolutely. I think the main benefit is being able to use the key when the phone is dead, I've had a few cases where my phone died and I needed to start the car. Luckily I had the key card on me in all those cases, but had I not it would've been extremely frustrating. CarKey has some other nice to have features like the ability to share the key, or automatic deactivation of the key if you use Find My to put the phone in lost mode.


As much as I'd love to see Tesla implement CarKey, I'm definitely not holding my breath for it. Similar to CarPlay, as much as I'd like to have these features, I do understand why they refuse to implement them. Hopefully this changes in the future.

Just my 2¢! I'm a huge Apple+Tesla geek, and seeing my worlds collide in this article made me feel compelled to share... but I'm just a guy on the internet so take it all with a grain of salt.
 
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