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Tesla app remote controls you may not have tried

4 min read · Updated Nov 5, 2026 · By VoltCoach

Most owners use the Tesla app to lock the car and check charging. It can do quite a bit more, and a few of the extras are easy to miss. Tesla's manual says its list may not be complete, and features can differ by model, region and software.

Get it ready

• On the car, turn on Allow Mobile Access under Controls, Safety.
• Keep Bluetooth on for your phone and for the Tesla app.
• Remote commands need both your phone and the car to have cellular or Wi-Fi service. Tesla suggests carrying a physical key where signal is poor, such as an indoor garage.

Controls tab

• Flash lights or honk the horn to find your car in a busy lot.
• Open the front or rear trunk and open or close the charge port.
• Vent the windows from the app.
• Open a garage door if you have set up a HomeLink connection (where available).
• Lock or unlock from anywhere. The car does not lock itself again after you unlock it from the app, so lock it when you are done.

Climate tab

• Warm or cool the cabin before you leave, even while parked in a garage.
• Turn on seat and steering wheel heaters, if your car has them.
• Defrost Car: swipe up from the bottom of the screen to help clear snow, ice and frost from the windshield, windows and mirrors.
• Turn Pet Mode or Camp Mode on or off.
• Turn Cabin Overheat Protection on or off. It runs the A/C or fan when the cabin gets hotter than 105 F (40 C) or the temperature you choose.
• Precondition to a set temperature. The app tells you when the car is ready, and it also warms the battery if needed.

Other handy spots

• Schedule tab: set scheduled charging or departure, and scheduled preconditioning.
• Location and trips: find the car, send an address or trip to it, and set departure energy so the plan adds charging stops.
• Security tab: turn Sentry Mode, Valet Mode and Speed Limit Mode on or off, and use Add Driver to give someone else access to most app features (not buying upgrades).
• Software: see your current version and check progress on an update.
• Media: pause, play and change volume. This may need Allow Mobile Control turned on under Audio Settings, Options.

Good to know

• Newer features can need a recent version of the app. Watching Dashcam and Sentry clips in the app, for example, needs Premium Connectivity and is described as iPhone only.
• Apple Watch can lock and unlock the car and open the trunk or frunk on supported watches and software.
• If the car will not connect, wake it by opening a door or trunk, pressing the brake, or locking or unlocking from the app.
• A "Mobile Access Disabled" message means Allow Mobile Access is off or the car is in Service Mode.

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