The holiday season is set to become even merrier for Tesla car owners, as the company has announced that its dedicated watchOS app is coming this month. Until now, users had to rely on third-party apps such as Watch for Tesla, to control some functions of their Tesla cars. Not anymore, as the official Tesla watchOS app will soon become their digital car key.
The big change is a part of the Tesla Holiday update, announced in a post on Musk-owned social media platform X (formerly Twitter). With the new Tesla watchOS app, users will be able to use their Apple Watch as a key to lock/unlock their Tesla vehicles. Additionally, the app will also provide features such as opening the frunk (front trunk), viewing the battery charge status, and activating climate control.
Users have been able to control most of the functions using Tesla"s iOS app. However, having a dedicated watchOS app could come in handy in situations when the iPhone is left behind in the car. As per the shared screenshot, the app features a black background and has the car image in the center.
On the top left there is the menu button, and on the top right sits the car lock/unlock button. The button to open the frunk is located on the bottom-left while the option to turn on climate control is available on the bottom-right. You can see the remaining miles or distance in the bottom center. The Tesla watchOS app also displays the car"s status, such as it being parked. While not confirmed, it may also change the status to "charging" when the vehicle is plugged into charging.
The Tesla watchOS app will automatically get installed on the Apple Watch for those who update the companion app on their iPhones later this month. Currently, there is no information on when the update will start rolling out.
Tesla also announced some new features for its mobile app. Here are the new features coming with the update:
- Users will now be able to view Dashcam and Sentry Mode clips, with the option to save and edit them directly on their phones.
- Model X and S"s auto-shift feature is now coming to stalk-less Model 3 vehicles that will guess when would you want to shift between drive and reverse.
- Users will be able to set a preferred battery charge level for when they arrive at the destination.
- There is a "Cybertruck Santa Mode" that changes the 3D Cybertruck on the screen into a cyber sleigh.
- Users will also get the option to apply different wraps and custom plates to the 3D Cybertruck.
- Camera feed on the Cybertruck is now larger and offers pinch-to-zoom in or out option.
Complete information about the changes packed with the upcoming Holiday Update can be found here.