Gary Zhou 
Key Points
- 📱 Tesla’s App version 4.27.5 introduces improvements, including Waypoints Navigation Support, Supercharger Photos, and Phone Key enhancements.
- 📍 Waypoints allow multi-destination routing, enabling drivers to add up to four stops, with the App determining the route and necessary charging stops.
- 🚗 Supercharger Photos feature provides images of stalls or stations, offering drivers a preview of the destination and aiding navigation.
- 🔄 Improved Phone Key accuracy on iOS requests permission to use Apple’s Motion and Fitness Activity, preventing unexpected unlocks by checking phone movement.
- 🛣️ Waypoints were a long-requested feature and were introduced by Tesla in November 2021.
- 📷 Supercharger Photos are user-shared and crowd-sourced, enhancing the driver’s understanding of Supercharger locations.
- 📱 Phone Key improvements aim to enhance security and prevent unexpected unlocks, utilizing Apple’s Motion and Fitness Activity data.
- 🚀 Tesla consistently updates and improves its App features, showcasing a commitment to enhancing user experience over the years.
Tesla is launching the newest version of its App with a new software update, labeled version 4.27.5. A variety of new features are set to roll out, including Phone Key improvements, Waypoints Support, and Supercharger Photos, so drivers know what to expect from their next charging visit.
Tesla’s 4.27.5 App Update will be released on December 5 and features a few new features after 4.27.3 rolled out last week, which featured the first looks at Cybertruck Support after the delivery event last week.
The three features that will be introduced through 4.27.5 are Waypoints Navigation Support, Supercharger Photos, and Phone Key Improvements.
The changes were first reported by Not a Tesla App.
WAYPOINTS NAVIGATION SUPPORT
Using the Trip Planner feature in the app will now support Waypoints for multi-destination routing.
Drivers will be able to add additional stops to their trip by tapping the “Edit Trip” button. Up to four stops can now be added, and the App will automatically determine the route, and charging stops needed to make it to the destination.
Waypoints were a long-requested feature, and Tesla finally added them in November 2021.
SUPERCHARGER PHOTOS
When choosing a Supercharger, there will now be images of that stall or station, giving the driver a better idea of what to expect when they arrive. This could also help with navigation, as seeing the surrounding areas of a station could help drivers avoid driving past their stop, which could be incredibly time-saving.
The images are user-shared and crowd-sourced, which is a nice touch.
IMPROVED PHONE KEY
Several Tesla App users have noticed that in iOS, the app will now ask for permission to use Apple’s Motion and Fitness Activity, which is interesting.
People were confused as to why Tesla would need this information, but luckily, Alex Guichet, who works as a developer for Tesla’s Mobile App, shed some light on the reasoning for this:
“It improves phone key accuracy by checking if your phone was recently moving for walk-up unlock to work,” Guichet said on X. “This can prevent unexpected unlocks — like if your car is parked in close proximity to where your phone is charging.”
It is a simple, but clever solution to ensure the vehicle stays locked if you’re close by, but are not planning to enter the car.
Tesla has rolled out numerous improvements to the Phone Key over the years. It was first rolled out in 2017.
