Using Tesla Phone Key

What Is Tesla Phone Key Detection?

Tesla vehicles with Phone Key support continuously broadcast a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signal. This is the same signal that lets you unlock and start your Tesla by simply walking up to it with your iPhone.

GeoHook can pick up this signal and use it for vehicle detection — allowing you to create webhook conditions like “only trigger when I’m near my Tesla.” The best part: no extra hardware needed. Your Tesla already broadcasts the signal; GeoHook just listens for it.

Supported Tesla Models

Model	Phone Key Support	Notes
Model 3	✓ All years	Supported since launch
Model Y	✓ All years	Supported since launch
Model S	✓ 2021+	Refreshed Model S only
Model X	✓ 2021+	Refreshed Model X only
Model S (pre-2021)	✗	No Phone Key hardware
Model X (pre-2021)	✗	No Phone Key hardware
Cybertruck	✓	Supported

If you can unlock your Tesla by walking up to it with your iPhone, your vehicle supports Phone Key and will work with GeoHook.

What’s Required

For GeoHook to detect your Tesla via Phone Key, one condition must be met:

• At least one Phone Key must be set up on the vehicle. This is what causes the Tesla to broadcast the BLE signal that GeoHook listens for.

If no Phone Key is configured on the vehicle, the Tesla will not broadcast the BLE signal, and GeoHook will not be able to detect it.

Setting Up a Phone Key on Your Tesla

If you haven’t set up a Phone Key yet, there are several ways to do it:

1. Tesla App: Open the Tesla app on your iPhone, select your vehicle, and follow the prompts to set up Phone Key. The app will walk you through the pairing process.
2. Vehicle touchscreen: On your Tesla’s center display, go to Controls → Locks → Keys and tap “Add Key.” Then hold your iPhone near the center console to pair.
3. Owner’s Manual: The built-in manual on your Tesla’s touchscreen (tap the car icon → Owner’s Manual → search for “Phone Key”) has detailed, model-specific instructions. You can also find it at tesla.com/ownersmanual.

Setting Up in GeoHook

1. Open GeoHook and go to Settings (gear icon)
2. Under the Devices section, tap “Tesla Vehicles”
3. Tap the + button (or “Add Tesla”)
4. The wizard asks how you want to detect the vehicle — choose “Tesla”, then confirm that your model has Phone Key support
5. Sit in your Tesla (or stand right next to it) and tap “Start Scan”
6. GeoHook scans for signal candidates. Select your Tesla from the list — it should be the entry with the strongest signal (highest RSSI value)
7. Give the vehicle a name (e.g. “My Model 3”) and tap “Save”

After saving, use the Test button on the vehicle’s detail page to verify detection. Walk away from the car and back again to confirm that the “Nearby” status changes correctly.

Subscription Required

Tesla Phone Key detection requires an active Tesla & iBeacon subscription in GeoHook.

Understanding the Signal Behavior

The Tesla Phone Key signal has characteristics that are important to understand for reliable automations:

The Signal Is Always On

A Tesla with Phone Key broadcasts its BLE signal continuously — 24/7, regardless of the vehicle’s state. This means:

• The signal is broadcast when the car is locked and asleep
• The signal is broadcast when the car is parked in the garage
• The signal is broadcast when the car is not being driven
• The signal never turns off (unlike a USB iBeacon that only has power when the car is running)

This is by design — the car needs to continuously broadcast so it can detect your phone approaching and unlock the doors. But for GeoHook, it means the “vehicle nearby” condition can be satisfied even when you’re not driving.

The Signal Has a Long Range

Bluetooth Low Energy signals from a Tesla can travel a surprisingly long distance, especially outdoors:

• Outdoors: The signal is often detectable from 30–50 meters or more, depending on obstacles and conditions
• Through walls: The signal passes through walls (wood, drywall) with some attenuation. If your Tesla is in the driveway and you’re inside the house, your iPhone will likely still see the signal
• In a garage: If the garage is attached to the house, the signal will often reach into adjacent rooms

Dealing with Unwanted “Nearby” Triggers

Because the Tesla always broadcasts and has a long signal range, you may encounter situations where the “vehicle nearby” condition is met when you don’t expect it. Here are strategies to handle this:

Strategy 1: Increase the Geofence Radius

This is the most effective approach. The idea is simple: make the geofence large enough that you trigger it before the Tesla signal reaches you.

1. Edit your location in GeoHook
2. Increase the geofence radius to 200–400 meters (or more, depending on your surroundings)
3. When you arrive by car, you’ll enter the geofence while you’re still driving — the Tesla is obviously “nearby”
4. When you arrive on foot, you’ll enter the geofence far away from the parked Tesla — the signal hasn’t reached you yet, so the “nearby” condition is not met

Strategy 2: Use a Lead-In Area

GeoHook supports lead-in areas — additional geofences placed around your main area that trigger earlier. When combined with a vehicle condition, this helps the app distinguish driving from walking:

1. Edit the location and add a lead-in area
2. Place it so that you enter it before reaching Tesla signal range when approaching on foot
3. Optionally enable the directional check so it only triggers when you’re actually heading toward home

The lead-in area wakes up GeoHook’s precision monitoring as you approach, giving the app time to evaluate whether the Tesla is truly nearby (because you’re driving it) or just parked at home.

Strategy 3: Combine with iBeacon

For maximum reliability, you can use a USB-powered iBeacon in the car instead of or in addition to Phone Key. A USB iBeacon only broadcasts when the car has power (ignition on), which eliminates the “always on” problem entirely. See the Using iBeacons guide for details.

Quick Setup Checklist

1. Confirm your Tesla model is supported (Model 3/Y all years, S/X from 2021)
2. Ensure at least one Phone Key is configured on the vehicle
3. In GeoHook: Settings → Tesla Vehicles → +
4. Sit in your Tesla and start the scan
5. Select the strongest signal candidate and save
6. Test detection by walking away and returning
7. Consider increasing your geofence radius to avoid false “nearby” triggers when approaching on foot