Compatible model: North America Model Y Premium & Standard
Phone key - You can set up your personal phone as a "phone key" that communicates with Model Y using Bluetooth. A phone key supports automatic locking and unlocking.
Using your phone as a key is a convenient way to access your Model Y. As you approach, your phone's Bluetooth signal is detected, exterior lights illuminate, and the doors unlock when you pull a door handle. Likewise, when you exit and walk away with the phone key, doors automatically lock (provided the Walk-Away Door Lock feature is turned on.
Once a phone has been authenticated, it no longer requires an internet connection to be used as a phone key for Model Y. However, to use the phone hands-free, access your phone's contacts, play media from it, etc., you must also pair it and connect it as a Bluetooth device. Model Y detects your phone when within Bluetooth range but cannot tell whether your phone is inside or outside of the vehicle, or if it is far away (such as in your front trunk or buried in a bag). Do not leave your smart phone in the front trunk.
Some smartphones with NFC capability can be used to lock/unlock your vehicle, just like using a key card. Ensure the Tesla mobile app is correctly paired to your vehicle and enable the NFC function on your phone. Once enabled, simply hold the phone to the driver's side door pillar to lock or unlock the door. Refer to your smartphone's instructions for specific information on how to do this.
Keep in mind that the phone key defaults as the “primary” key and the vehicle uses Bluetooth to detect your phone’s proximity to the vehicle. The vehicle cannot detect whether the phone is inside or just outside of Model Y. If you leave your paired phone inside the vehicle with Bluetooth enabled, it is essentially the same as leaving your keys in your vehicle with the doors unlocked – even if you press the lock icon on the mobile app while sitting inside the vehicle. Therefore, your vehicle may not be secure if you lock a paired phone key inside because Model Y will unlock the door when the exterior door handle is pulled since the phone key is already detected.
When you press the lock button in the mobile app while your phone key is connected to Model Y, a chime sounds and the touchscreen prompts you to touch the lock icon on the touchscreen. Touching the lock icon on the touchscreen temporarily overrides any phone lock settings, such as Walk-Away Door Lock. Otherwise, because your phone is enabled as a key, the doors will unlock when the exterior door handles are pulled even if you press the lock icon on your mobile app. If you open the door from the inside, that will once again allow the doors to be opened from the outside so long as the phone key is detected
