Set up a Tesla door shortcut
Pair your key in Handlefree beside the parked car. Open the action in the Shortcuts tab, run it once at your car and confirm what you saw, then add its ready-made shortcut. The driver door is ready straight away.
Setup and support
From first pairing.
To second nature.
Pair your key, test the door and make the control your own. Keep these steps nearby for your first session beside the car.
Start with your situation.
Follow owner-guide updates via RSSIn-depth guides
Practical owner questions, answered with sources.
iPhone Action ButtonTesla Action Button shortcut: open your door with one pressSet up the iPhone Action Button to unlatch your Tesla door, trunk or frunk. Step-by-step setup, a door menu on one button, Back Tap for older iPhones and fixes when nothing happens.Passenger and rear doorsOpen a passenger or rear Tesla door, not just the driver’sLet a passenger in by unlatching exactly their door. How per-door shortcuts work for the front passenger and rear doors, and how to set them up safely.Siri and Apple ShortcutsTesla Siri Shortcuts: open trunk, frunk and doors from your iPhoneOpen your Tesla trunk, frunk, doors and charge port with Siri and Apple Shortcuts: the exact Handlefree phrases, ready-made recipes and fixes when a shortcut fails.Apple WatchTesla on Apple Watch: Watch app, Watch key and Handlefree comparedTesla’s Apple Watch app and Watch key: requirements, what they do, the “iPhone not responding” message, using the Watch without your iPhone, and how Handlefree’s Watch control differs.Garages and dead zonesControl your Tesla without internet: garages and dead zonesWhat still works when there is no mobile signal in an underground garage: phone key, key card and local Bluetooth apps. Practical tips for dead zones.Control Center and Lock ScreenTesla controls in Control Center and on the Lock ScreenAdd Tesla door controls to iPhone Control Center and the Lock Screen on iOS 18 or later. 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Start hereWhat to sort out before you order a Tesla in Germany, Austria or Switzerland: test drive, inventory or custom order, fees, the 2026 German subsidy, referral credits, financing, trade-in, charging and delivery.THG quotaTHG quota 2026: getting paid for your electric car in GermanyHow the German greenhouse-gas quota pays owners of fully electric cars, what brokers advertise for 2026, the deadlines, how to choose a provider, and the rules in Austria and Switzerland.Company carA Tesla as a company car in Germany, Austria and SwitzerlandHow private use of an electric company car is taxed in 2026: Germany’s 0.25 % rule and €100,000 cap, home charging from 2026, the 75 % write-off, Austria’s change in 2027, and Switzerland’s 0.9 %.Road taxRoad tax for a Tesla in Germany, Austria and SwitzerlandGermany exempts electric cars first registered by 2030 until 2035 at the latest, Austria has taxed them since April 2025, and in Switzerland every canton sets its own rules. What a Tesla pays, with examples.Owner helpTesla access help: find your next stepStart with what is failing: the phone key, the frozen handle, passenger access or connectivity. Choose below for a focused next step. All answers remain available without JavaScript.Owner helpHandlefree compatibility: what is documented?Separate Tesla’s phone-key support from Handlefree’s tested actions. A vehicle picture, a successful pairing or another owner’s report is not a guarantee for your car.Frunk and trunkTesla frunk and trunk: open, close and fix them when they won’tEvery way to open and close a Tesla frunk and trunk, by model: closing the frunk without dents, the trunk height, hands-free trunk, a frunk with no 12 V power, interior releases and a trunk that opens by itself.Tesla SoftwareTesla software updates, explainedWhat 2026.38 and earlier updates bring, what is easy to miss, and how to check missing features and hardware.
Get set upYour first shortcut.
Your first shortcut.
Then your everyday habit.
A practical starting point for nearby Tesla door control. Pair once, test your vehicle and choose the control that feels natural.
Use the iPhone Action Button
On a compatible iPhone, open Settings → Action Button, choose Shortcut, and select your Handlefree shortcut. Press and hold to run it. Keep the door area clear.
Choose your Apple Watch access
Keep the paired iPhone nearby: it holds the vehicle key and sends the Bluetooth request. Review Handlefree’s Watch access setting to choose whether requests are allowed while the iPhone is locked. Watch access is part of Handlefree Pro.
When a request does not complete.
Start beside the car
Park safely, keep the door area clear and check Bluetooth is enabled. Test the action inside Handlefree before trying its shortcut.
Check access settings
iPhone shortcuts require an unlocked phone. Holiday Mode blocks controls, and the signal guard, when on, needs a strong signal. After the trial, Pro actions say they are part of Handlefree Pro and send nothing. Watch requests depend on the nearby paired iPhone and your Watch access setting.
Read the result
An accepted command does not prove movement. If the position is unavailable, check the door yourself before issuing another command.
Still need help?
Tell support which action failed, your app version and the message shown. Leave out your VIN and vehicle key material.
Door status, explainedKnow what happened.
Know what happened.
Not just what you pressed.
A Tesla door command and a door opening are different events. Explore how Handlefree keeps them apart.
A press starts a request.
The button tells you what is happening, from finding your Tesla to authenticating your key, and you can cancel. A request is not confirmation that the door moved.
Illustrative states using app captures. This website does not connect to a vehicle.
Before you pair
A few good questions.
Clear answers before you make Handlefree part of your routine.
Does Handlefree need my Tesla account?
No. Pair a vehicle key using your key card, then communicate directly over Bluetooth. You do not sign in to a Tesla or Handlefree account.
Does unlatch mean unlock?
Here, unlatch means releasing the door latch so you can open the door without operating the exterior handle. Unlocking alone does not release the latch. Handlefree does not turn a conventional door into a powered door.
Which Tesla models are supported?
Support depends on the vehicle, hardware and software, not the artwork selected in the app. Handlefree unlatches the doors on Model Y (the developer’s car: all doors, frunk and trunk, plus a beta tester’s Model Y Standard) and on Model 3, confirmed by owners. On Model S built from 2021, the door buttons present the handle instead of unlatching the door, so you still pull it open; frunk and trunk work (reported by an owner of a 2022 Model S). Door opening hasn’t been tested on Model X yet. Model S and Model X built before 2021 don’t support Bluetooth phone keys, so they can’t pair. Check each action on your own parked vehicle; the artwork you choose in the app is not a compatibility guarantee.
Can I open a passenger door?
Yes, with Handlefree Pro: the front passenger door and each rear door have their own control on supported vehicles. Test the selected door beside your parked car before relying on its shortcut.
Can I use Control Center or the Lock Screen?
Yes, on iOS 18 or later. Add a fixed control for the driver door or any passenger door. It opens Handlefree, needs your unlocked iPhone and sends that one door once. The driver-door control is free; passenger and rear doors are part of Pro. Test the door in the app first.
How close do I need to be?
Within a usable Bluetooth connection. Walls, your phone and the surroundings affect range. Signal strength is not an exact distance measurement; Handlefree does not promise a fixed 10-metre boundary.
Can Apple Watch work without my iPhone?
The current Handlefree experience requires the paired iPhone nearby. The phone holds the key and communicates with the car.
Do iPhone shortcuts work while locked?
iPhone shortcuts require an unlocked phone. Watch access has a separate setting that lets you decide whether Watch requests are allowed while the nearby iPhone is locked.
What does Handlefree cost?
The driver door, lock and unlock are free. Handlefree Pro is a one-time €19.99 In-App Purchase for every other door, the frunk, trunk, charge port and Apple Watch. No subscription, and it is shared through Family Sharing.
Can I try Pro first?
Yes. Every Pro feature is included for 7 days after you pair your Tesla. Afterwards the free features keep working; nothing free is switched off.
What do I need?
An iPhone with iOS 17 or later and a Tesla with phone-key support, paired once using its key card. Handlefree unlatches the doors on Model 3 and Model Y. On Model S built from 2021, the door buttons only present the handle, while frunk and trunk work; Model X hasn’t been tested yet. Model S and X built before 2021 can’t pair. Apple Watch needs watchOS 10 or later and your iPhone nearby; Control Center controls need iOS 18. Handlefree is currently not available in France.
Is Handlefree an official Tesla app?
No. Handlefree is an independent OneKapisch product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Tesla, Inc.
