Guides · iPhone Action Button
Open your Tesla door with the iPhone Action Button
Set up the iPhone Action Button to unlatch your Tesla door. Step-by-step setup, which iPhones have the button and what to check when nothing happens.
Last verified 23 September 2026 · Handlefree 0.11
Short answer
On an iPhone with an Action Button, open Settings → Action Button, choose Shortcut and pick a door action such as Handlefree’s “Unlatch Driver Door”. Press and hold the button beside your parked car. Your iPhone has to be unlocked, and you test each door in the app first.
Which iPhones have an Action Button
The Action Button replaced the ring/silent switch starting with iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and it is on newer iPhones that list an Action Button in Settings. If you do not see Settings → Action Button, your iPhone does not have one. A Home Screen shortcut or Control Center works instead.
Set it up with Handlefree
- Pair Handlefree with your car using your existing key card.
- Beside the parked car, tap Unlatch Driver Door in the app and confirm the door actually released. Each door or cargo action is enabled for Shortcuts only after you confirm it once.
- Open Settings → Action Button, swipe to Shortcut and tap Choose a Shortcut.
- Under Handlefree, pick the action you want: the driver door, a passenger door, the frunk or the trunk.
- Press and hold the Action Button. Handlefree sends one request over Bluetooth and shows the result.
Using the Tesla app instead
Tesla’s own app has offered Siri Shortcuts since August 2023, and those shortcuts can be assigned to the Action Button the same way. Which commands are available depends on Tesla’s app version. Handlefree differs in two ways: it adds separate actions for each passenger door, and it talks to the car directly over Bluetooth without a Tesla login.
If nothing happens
- Unlock your iPhone first. Handlefree’s shortcuts only run on an unlocked iPhone; raising the phone for Face ID is usually enough.
- Check that Bluetooth is on and that you are near the car.
- Make sure Holiday Mode is off in Handlefree.
- Run the same action inside the app. If it works there, re-select the shortcut in Settings → Action Button.
- A result of “accepted” means the car received the command. Look at the door before pressing again.
Questions
Does the Action Button work while my iPhone is locked?
The button itself works, but Handlefree’s vehicle shortcuts require an unlocked iPhone. iOS will ask you to unlock before the command is sent.
Can I put a passenger door on the Action Button?
Yes. Handlefree has separate actions for the front passenger door and each rear door. Test and confirm that door in the app first, then choose its action in Settings → Action Button.
Sources
Tesla features change with software updates; check the linked source for your car. Handlefree is independent and not affiliated with Tesla, Inc. Use vehicle controls only beside your parked car with the area clear.