HomeLink should have option to open garage/gate without confirmation from driver

Alan Sherman · Jul 5, 2015

One of the most impressive surprises that we model S owners get when we program our HomeLink to our garage door/gate is that the button pops up when you arrive home. Very cool..it stores the GPS location where you programmed the garage door/gate, and when you approach it, like a concierge, it politely asks if you want to open the garage door/gate...

But that's where the I think the feature falls short. First of all, I think you should be able to program it to close the door automatically when you drive away from the house, and when you approach the house, the door should open without you having to confirm that you want to open it by pressing a button. Perhaps some people don't want this, so I'd like to see it offered as an option.

And if you are going to require the push of a button as confirmation that you want to open the door, give us a NICE BIG BUTTON. The current HomeLink button the drops down from the top menu is so small, that I have to take my eye off the road to find it and push it.

Actually, if the display is asking for confirmation, why not make a tap on ANY part of the screen the confirmation ? Or require two taps on any part of the screen if security is an issue, with one tap being the signal to NOT open the door. Anything to avoid requiring the driver to take his/her eyes off the road, which is dangerous. One other option if confirmation is truly needed here is to program one of the steering wheel buttons to be the confirmation. The GPS identification that the car is home would override whatever the steering wheel button is programmed for to make it the confirmation to open the garage door/gate.

Has anyone else noticed this potential improvement ? :smile:

kuttakamina · Jul 5, 2015

I wouldn't want the door to open automatically. The signal is a toggle signal, geofencing is not 100% reliable, as you drive away, you may leave an open door behind you. However, I totally agree that the button should be more prominent, and easier to hit.

Maybe Tesla should consider simple yes/no dialogboxes when user input is required, and the left/right steering wheel buttons could be yes/no?

caddieo · Jul 5, 2015

I would worry about somebody stealing my car with my home address programmed into the Nav app and the Homelink programmed for automatic door opening. I do appreciate some degree of automaticity in some functions but am concerned that too much of it makes us mindless automatons with increased security risks. I suppose making some stuff optional instead of standard, as you proposed, is one way of accommodating varied desires and inclinations. I have had enough Tesla-influenced incidents of walking away from an ICE with the engine running and/or the door unlocked (there's a thread on this) and worry about stuff that might augment or reinforce such behavior. For now, I know when I leave my house that I have indeed closed the garage door, even in situations where haste would tempt me to drive off rapidly without checking since the current set-up does not lay the groundwork for such behavior.

cantdecide · Jul 5, 2015

Generally auto anything with these will be tough for doors and gates that were not designed to safely do this. My garage door manual specifically says not to shut the door without it being in sight.
Once doors have such safety functionality then great.

However I do agree about button size... Silly to have such a small button for something you will need to hit with such high probability. I actually want one of the unused steering wheel buttons like the voice one that nobody users to map to the currently selected honeymooning when there is one to select.

I also want more than 3 available... We have 5 gates and garage doors were need to open.

DrumCoder · Jul 5, 2015

I'm also not a fan of the small button, but I wouldn't want it to open automatically. What I'd love to have is a fifth voice command "Open" that will allow me to open a door that is in range of HomeLink.

Andyw2100 · Jul 5, 2015

Alan Sherman said:
Has anyone else noticed this potential improvement ? :smile:

Well, since you asked, yes.

All of your suggestions have been made before--multiple times--in multiple threads.

pete8314 · Jul 5, 2015

For what it's worth, I use Garagio together with IFTTT to open my garage door as I'm approaching. Ocassionally I have to wait for a few seconds, but most of the time it's opening by the time I roll onto the driveway. Below is the UI I suggested waaaay back, before Tesla implemented the geofenced Homelink dropdown.

travwill · Jul 5, 2015

Alan Sherman said:
One of the most impressive surprises that we model S owners get when we program our HomeLink to our garage door/gate is that the button pops up when you arrive home. Very cool..it stores the GPS location where you programmed the garage door/gate, and when you approach it, like a concierge, it politely asks if you want to open the garage door/gate...

But that's where the I think the feature falls short. First of all, I think you should be able to program it to close the door automatically when you drive away from the house, and when you approach the house, the door should open without you having to confirm that you want to open it by pressing a button. Perhaps some people don't want this, so I'd like to see it offered as an option.

And if you are going to require the push of a button as confirmation that you want to open the door, give us a NICE BIG BUTTON. The current HomeLink button the drops down from the top menu is so small, that I have to take my eye off the road to find it and push it.

Actually, if the display is asking for confirmation, why not make a tap on ANY part of the screen the confirmation ? Or require two taps on any part of the screen if security is an issue, with one tap being the signal to NOT open the door. Anything to avoid requiring the driver to take his/her eyes off the road, which is dangerous. One other option if confirmation is truly needed here is to program one of the steering wheel buttons to be the confirmation. The GPS identification that the car is home would override whatever the steering wheel button is programmed for to make it the confirmation to open the garage door/gate.

Has anyone else noticed this potential improvement ? :smile:

I'm thinking they will (hopefully) improve this in the next UI design. Heck is that 7 coming soon perhaps? I would also like the option at least of having it open my home garage on approach - shutting it maybe can still do manually (for safety reasons). Odd thing is if it is open already and you drive up it will shut it too which is a liability so still iffy on if they will do that. But a nicer big button or ability to do with steering click when its up would be better.

-T

eye.surgeon · Jul 5, 2015

I vote for a bigger button. I've opened the wrong door more than once by hitting the wrong button because they're small.

Alan Sherman · Jul 5, 2015

It's great to see that you guys have thought about this, too. Drumcoder....I love your idea to have a 4th voice command, "Open". A voice command would eliminate the security concern that some of you have regarding automatically opening the garage door when the car comes close enough. And Kuttakamina, I love the idea of programming the steering wheel controls to deliver the command Yes/left and No/right. At least this wouldn't require taking your eyes off the road. Of course, you'd need to push the Yes/lft button when the steering wheel is centered, so that means before or after you turn into your driveway. Have you guys seen any evidence that Tesla monitors this forum ?

supratachophobia · Jul 6, 2015

DrumCoder said:
I'm also not a fan of the small button, but I wouldn't want it to open automatically. What I'd love to have is a fifth voice command "Open" that will allow me to open a door that is in range of HomeLink.

+1 for bigger buttonbutton, optional auto open
+1 for geofenced auto folding mirrors

kuttakamina · Jul 6, 2015

supratachophobia said:
+1 for bigger buttonbutton, optional auto open
+1 for geofenced auto folding mirrors

Why would geofenced autofolding mirrors be a good idea? Isn't fold on lock and unfold on unlock good enough?

Andyw2100 · Jul 6, 2015

kuttakamina said:
Why would geofenced autofolding mirrors be a good idea? Isn't fold on lock and unfold on unlock good enough?

There are threads on this too. I may have even started one at some point.

There are times, for example when pulling into a tight garage, when you may want to fold the mirrors before you lock the car, and not have them unfold when you unlock it.

My current situation is I like to leave autofold enabled, for parking generally. But to park in my garage I want to fold my mirrors before entering and exiting. I always remember to fold them as I enter. They unfold when I get in the car and if I fold them again they unfold either when I start the car or when I put it in reverse--I don't recall which, but the result is that I do have to fold the mirrors again, before pulling out of my garage. I then have a tight turn and also have to close the garage door, and the result of all that is that there are more times than I'd like to admit that I find myself driving a good distance before realizing that my mirrors are still folded.

If the geofencing for mirrors isn't going to happen, at least Tesla could give us an "unfold at X speed" or something.

kuttakamina · Jul 6, 2015

Gotcha! Thanks!

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HomeLink should have option to open garage/gate without confirmation from driver

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