According to the code hidden in the latest version of the Tesla app, Tesla is working on expanded phone key support. This could include support for Apple’s first-party car key feature in Apple Wallet.
According to a report from Not A Tesla App, the initial implementation of the feature “appears to be targeting specifically the Chinese market, leveraging Huawei’s HarmonyOS ecosystem,” but native iPhone support could be next.
It’s common for Tesla to first launch new features in China before rolling them out to other markets. The report suggests “this could hint that Tesla plans to add native support for Apple and Android in the future.”
Currently, Tesla owners can use their iPhone and Apple Watch as keys for their cars using the Tesla app.
Adding support for Apple’s car key platform would enable new features like the ability to lock, start, and stop their cars from the Wallet app. Features like UWB, tap-to-unlock, and NFC access could also work without the Tesla app running in the background. The Wallet app also supports sharing your car key using things like Messages, Mail, and AirDrop.
Apple’s car key platform also works even after your iPhone dies. This means you can use your phone as a key to your car up to five hours after your iPhone dies.
Rivian recently rolled out Apple car key support for the second-generation R1T and R1S via a software update.
Meanwhile, we’re still waiting on Tesla to roll out CarPlay support. After years of resisting, Bloomberg reported in November that Tesla is actively working on CarPlay and could launch the feature as soon as the end of this year. Rivian and GM, meanwhile, continues to double down on their respective decisions to not support Apple’s in-car platform.
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