Remote S: Tesla app for Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

[AllenWong]

Allen, First of all, thanks for a great app. It is the best thing out there.
Two requests:
1. Any chance that at some point you can interface your software tot he amazon echo for voice commands (e.g., while eating breakfast, telling it to turn on heat in my tesla?)
2. I used to use the Tesla Model S desktop app by Trevor Stone, which had a timer/calendar grid in it that I could program for turning on HVAC in the car (i.e., pre-conditioning that worked). Unfortunately, due to something that Tesla did to its servers, that program doesn't work anymore, and it would be great if I could program YOUR app to turn on the heat in my car every morning, M-F at 8:30, for example. Any chance of getting that feature?
Thanks

1. I don't have an Amazon Echo, so I don't know how it works behind the scenes. But if it's anything like what I imagine it to be, it wouldn't be able to interface with my app. It'd have to interface with Tesla's API directly.
2. That's what background scheduling is, and was something I was working on back in June prior to my surgery. Only issue with it is that Apple requires strict conditions for apps to run in the background. If the app can't run in the background, then I can't tell your Tesla to do things at certain times. It also will take a lot of work to get it into my app, so it'll take me some time to finish coding it.

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While you're at updating the app can you add 3D touch quick access to remote start and A/C controls? would love to be able to access without opening the app.

I have plans for adding 3D touch functionality.

 

[tezzla]

I tested out the Summons and Autopark in Remote S in several conditions, and it appears that you must keep a keyfob near the car, have the car in Park, and have the car unplugged from the charger. I'm able to bypass the requirement that you stand next to the car, though. So you could theoretically leave the keyfob in the car and summon the car even if you're not close to the car.

i noticed that the HomeLink only requires that your car is near the HomeLink garage. But in the official app, it requires the Summons conditions as well (with keyfob, not plugged, etc.) to enable the HomeLink button. In Remote S, I can enable the HomeLink button as long as your car is near the garage. Seems like the official app should have done this, too, because when the car is plugged in, I'd like to be able to open/close my garage.


I'm fixing this in the upcoming version. Thanks for the bug report, though.

Next version of Remote S should be finished this week if nothing unexpected happens.

Allen, there is a trick with the Tesla app regarding the FOB, if you start the car using the APP, then you can summon the car without the FOB being near the car.

 

[brooklynrab]

Thanks Allen, I appreciate all that you do for us.
Meanwhile, I found this Vimeo video of someone who got their Amazon Echo to interface with Tesla's API!!!! Cool, just what I want!!! I wish I had the skills to do this! Tesla + Amazon Echo on Vimeo

1. I don't have an Amazon Echo, so I don't know how it works behind the scenes. But if it's anything like what I imagine it to be, it wouldn't be able to interface with my app. It'd have to interface with Tesla's API directly.
2. That's what background scheduling is, and was something I was working on back in June prior to my surgery. Only issue with it is that Apple requires strict conditions for apps to run in the background. If the app can't run in the background, then I can't tell your Tesla to do things at certain times. It also will take a lot of work to get it into my app, so it'll take me some time to finish coding it.

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I have plans for adding 3D touch functionality.

 

[gerti]

HVAC feedback is definitely messed up. For example when the AC is turned off manually (not in Auto mode) and one starts the climate control from the watch, both watch and phone app get pretty confused. They show the fan on, but still offer to turn HVAC on (which would actually turn it off). Very annoying in Minnesota in sub-zero temps! But I love having the watch app. It look fabulous, can't wait for the next update.

 

[MSR]

Allen,

From your posts about testing summon, it sounds like you're adding this feature to an update. Does that imply that it will work from the Apple Watch as well? That would be impressive, though I'm not sure how safe, since there's sometimes a greater lag time using the Remote S on the Apple Watch. Imagine you started a summon from the watch but could not cancel it as your MS backs out of your garage into the street....

 

[brec]

Allen,

From your posts about testing summon, it sounds like you're adding this feature to an update. Does that imply that it will work from the Apple Watch as well? That would be impressive, though I'm not sure how safe, since there's sometimes a greater lag time using the Remote S on the Apple Watch. Imagine you started a summon from the watch but could not cancel it as your MS backs out of your garage into the street....

Have your key fob handy.

 

[mikeash]

Trouble canceling is already a potential problem when using the official iPhone app. Your phone or the car could lose network connectivity, or the app could crash, or something could lag at just the wrong moment. I'm always prepared to jump for my key fob even when using the phone.

 

[slevit1md]

So, Allen, any interest in using test flight to beta test new features while your car is away?

 

[Noelis]

I actually hope the API change that seems to reflect status of defroster(s) is a precursor to them adding that ability remotely. Something many of us have been asking for as Winter approaches is the ability to turn on defrosters, heated seats, heated steering, etc besides just air heating. Makes the subzero package actually worth something finally if so.

While following threads in Benelux... it seems that's it has a high demand here also.
Many users from countries in the north of Europe seems to look for it. (Norway, Sweden)
Enabling subzero package options should be possible remote.
I hope Allen get's it fixed in the remote app... it would be super to get heated seats for my 3 sons.

 

[slevit1md]

While following threads in Benelux... it seems that's it has a high demand here also.
Many users from countries in the north of Europe seems to look for it. (Norway, Sweden)
Enabling subzero package options should be possible remote.
I hope Allen get's it fixed in the remote app... it would be super to get heated seats for my 3 sons.

As mentioned many times in this topic, cold weather package options don't have an API to access and Allen can't add those features to the app. While everyone agrees it should be possible, Tesla is going to have to change something for it to be possible.

 

[wayner]

While following threads in Benelux... it seems that's it has a high demand here also.
Many users from countries in the north of Europe seems to look for it. (Norway, Sweden)

Here in Canada too!

 

[Noelis]

As mentioned many times in this topic, cold weather package options don't have an API to access and Allen can't add those features to the app. While everyone agrees it should be possible, Tesla is going to have to change something for it to be possible.

Thanks...that's interesting. Allen has done great things with that app... so I was wondering why he didn't add it

 

[pedriscoll]

Yes I have noticed the same issue with HVAC that others have noted. It shows the fan on but still offers to turn HVAC on which actually then turns it off. I have had to go back to the Tesla app for that function.

 

[slevit1md]

The function still works through the Remote S app, the proper state just does not display in the app. This hasn't improved at all since I initially reported it and I'm now having trouble believing it's just from the servers being busy. I think everyone has now had a chance to download and play with the 7.1 update, determine that there's not a lot of functionality there. Particularly not much that requires use of the tesla app. Never had this issue prior to 7.1, now seems to occur much more often than not. I would use the Tesla app, but it's just so slow!

 

[AllenWong]

The function still works through the Remote S app, the proper state just does not display in the app. This hasn't improved at all since I initially reported it and I'm now having trouble believing it's just from the servers being busy. I think everyone has now had a chance to download and play with the 7.1 update, determine that there's not a lot of functionality there. Particularly not much that requires use of the tesla app. Never had this issue prior to 7.1, now seems to occur much more often than not. I would use the Tesla app, but it's just so slow!

You're right. Now that the servers have cleared up, I can read the server messages after turning on the climate, and it does appear that the servers are a bit slow to report if the AC is on or not. It appears to report that it's not on for more than 5 seconds after the HVAC is turned on. And after 10 seconds, the server will correctly report it as being on.

But oddly the servers are still quick to report the fan speed. So I'm changing my code to reflect the fan's status instead of the AC status. This should give a more accurate readout of whether the HVAC is on or not and should fix this bug.

 

[gelden]

Hi Allen, did you send in the new version to Apple already? Any idea when it will be available?

 

[slevit1md]

You're right. Now that the servers have cleared up, I can read the server messages after turning on the climate, and it does appear that the servers are a bit slow to report if the AC is on or not. It appears to report that it's not on for more than 5 seconds after the HVAC is turned on. And after 10 seconds, the server will correctly report it as being on.

But oddly the servers are still quick to report the fan speed. So I'm changing my code to reflect the fan's status instead of the AC status. This should give a more accurate readout of whether the HVAC is on or not and should fix this bug.

Hopefully that helps. However, I've let my app sit there for a while multiple times to see if it would eventually update. Sometimes it has, but usually it doesn't, even if I leave it for more than 10 seconds. I just tried it and let it go through 10-12 updates and while I could keep watching the temp slowly raise, the fan speed never displayed and it kept saying "start climate". When I hit start climate again to turn it off, it briefly showed the fan speed, and then once it updated, showed that it was off.

 

[MarkS22]

1. I don't have an Amazon Echo, so I don't know how it works behind the scenes. But if it's anything like what I imagine it to be, it wouldn't be able to interface with my app. It'd have to interface with Tesla's API directly.
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I have plans for adding 3D touch functionality.

Allen,

Echo works with IFTTT, using the word "trigger" followed by any phrase to trigger a recipe. So, you could say "Alexa, trigger Tesla heat" or "Alexa, trigger garage door" to specifically launch a dedicated web link. All you'd need to provide would be a link that triggers an event, allowing the user to append their custom car information. The Maker Channel (Connect Maker to hundreds of apps - IFTTT), for example, can make or receive webhooks.

The the beauty of an IFTTT solution is that it's not limited to Echo as the interface but any sensor or input, from time schedules, to locations, to weather conditions.

(Hope your recovery continues to be going well.)

 

[brooklynrab]

Allen,

Echo works with IFTTT, using the word "trigger" followed by any phrase to trigger a recipe. So, you could say "Alexa, trigger Tesla heat" or "Alexa, trigger garage door" to specifically launch a dedicated web link. All you'd need to provide would be a link that triggers an event, allowing the user to append their custom car information. The Maker Channel (Connect Maker to hundreds of apps - IFTTT), for example, can make or receive webhooks.

The the beauty of an IFTTT solution is that it's not limited to Echo as the interface but any sensor or input, from time schedules, to locations, to weather conditions.

(Hope your recovery continues to be going well.)

Allen, if you ever decided to start playing with IFTTT for Tesla as an extension or complement of your program, as MarkS22 suggests, I'd be happy to pay extra for that, and i think others would too. I use IFTTT for other things, and it works fine, and this solution would be a lot easier than finding someone who put code on Github and setting up a raspberrry pi server to work with the Echo, on one hand, and the tesla servers, on the other -- although I'd happily pay for that solution too (see this link rgraciano/echo-sonos · GitHub which describes how such an implementation was setup for Echo control of a Sonos).

 

[Andyw2100]

Allen, if you ever decided to start playing with IFTTT for Tesla as an extension or complement of your program, as MarkS22 suggests, I'd be happy to pay extra for that, and i think others would too. I use IFTTT for other things, and it works fine, and this solution would be a lot easier than finding someone who put code on Github and setting up a raspberrry pi server to work with the Echo, on one hand, and the tesla servers, on the other -- although I'd happily pay for that solution too (see this link rgraciano/echo-sonos · GitHub which describes how such an implementation was setup for Echo control of a Sonos).

IFTTT definitely seems to be something that is picking up steam. I haven't used it myself, but am going to look into it.

brooklynrab--there is already one Tesla tracking / control website / app that has IFTTT integration, and another talking about adding it. In that order, here are the threads:

Project Cartesia - Launch, Updates and Support

TeslaLog.com - Your hosted Tesla Data Logger - Announcement / Support threads