Tesla app 4.61 adds passkeys: how to sign in with Face ID instead of a password

Tesla has quietly added one of the most useful security features of recent years to its app. Version 4.61.0, which started reaching iPhone owners on Friday evening, September 18, lets you sign in to your Tesla account with a passkey instead of a password. Tesla did not mention it in the release notes. An owner spotted it in the app and shared it on X.

What a passkey is

A passkey replaces the password you type with a cryptographic key that lives on your phone. You approve each sign-in the same way you unlock your device: with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.

Behind the scenes, there are two parts. A private key stays on your phone, and a matching public key is registered with Tesla's sign-in servers. Because the private key never leaves your device and only responds to Tesla's real servers, a fake login page cannot trick you into handing it over. That makes passkeys much harder to phish than passwords. There is also nothing to remember, and no password to reset.

How to set up a passkey in the Tesla app

• Update the Tesla app to version 4.61.0 or later.
• Open the menu and tap your profile name.
• Choose Security & Privacy, then Sign In Management.
• Tap Passkey. A secure Tesla sign-in window opens.
• Tap Add Passkey and follow the prompts.

When it is done, Sign In Management shows 'Passkey: Enabled', right below your multi-factor authentication status. The passkey is an extra option next to Tesla's existing two-step verification. It is not yet clear whether it can replace that, or whether it also works for signing in on Tesla's website.

The same app update is reaching Android phones, where passkeys are expected to work in a similar way with fingerprint unlock and Google's password manager. That has not been confirmed yet.

Also new: Supercharger site maps on your phone

Version 4.61.0 also brings Supercharger site maps to the iPhone app. Zoom in on a supported Supercharger and a Site Map view shows how the stalls are laid out, which ones are occupied and what kind of vehicles are charging. Tesla's charging team had already confirmed the feature. It is useful when you arrive at a large site and want to know where to go.

Hints in the code

As usual, people who dig through the app's code found references to features that are not live yet. Treat these as hints, not announcements:

• Share Camera: text in the app suggests you may be able to share your phone camera with a Tesla adviser, who could then guide you to features in the car.
• Optimus as an energy product: TeslaNorth found strings that list Optimus as a home energy site with its own charger IDs, suggesting Tesla is preparing to manage a home robot's charging in the app.
• Energy billing: other strings point to billing options for Tesla Electric and virtual power plants, including an in-app sign-up flow for Tesla Electric in Australia.

Such code often ships long before a feature launches, or never launches at all.

Why it matters

Your Tesla account is not just an online profile. It can unlock, start and locate your car, and control a Powerwall at home. Stolen passwords are one of the most common ways into an online account, so moving away from them is a meaningful security step. It also puts Tesla in line with Apple and Google, which have been promoting passkeys for some time.

What to watch next

• Confirmation of passkey support on Android, and on Tesla's website.
• Whether Tesla will make passkeys the default for new accounts.
• Whether Share Camera and the Optimus energy features go live in a later app update.