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Tesla is adding a new alert to stop you from leaving your phone behind

Tesla's 2025 Holiday Update is bringing a new Phone Left Behind Chime.

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Person driving a Tesla with navigation on screen.
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What’s happened? Tesla has announced a major 2025 Holiday Update heading to its vehicles, which includes a nifty feature that drivers have been requesting for ages.

  • In a recent post on X, the electric vehicle maker revealed that the update will bring a new feature that will alert drivers if they accidentally leave their phone in the car.
  • Once enabled, the car will play a chime whenever the driver leaves their phone behind.
  • The Phone Left Behind Chime will play if the car detects a phone key inside the cabin or a phone on the wireless charger.

Why is this important? This feature will be handy for Tesla owners who use their phone as a key, as it will ensure their car doesn’t stay unlocked if they accidentally leave their phone behind.

  • For those who don’t use the phone key feature, the chime will serve as a reminder to pick up their phone if it’s left on the wireless charger after the last person exits the cabin.
  • It offers Tesla drivers additional peace of mind by making sure their phone and everything on it stays safe in their pocket.
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Why should I care? If you often leave your phone behind in your Tesla, the Phone Left Behind Chime should help save you an extra trip back to the car to grab your phone.

  • It will ensure your car doesn’t stay unlocked if you accidentally leave the phone in the cabin.
  • The feature can also protect your phone from overheating in case you leave it in the cabin when it’s hot outside.

What’s next? Tesla hasn’t shared a rollout timeline for its 2025 Holiday Update, but you can expect to receive it in the coming days. The company has, however, stated that feature availability is “subject to vehicle hardware and region,” so there’s a chance the Phone Left Behind Chime may not reach your car. Once the update rolls out, Tesla drivers can enable the feature by navigating to Controls > Locks > Phone Left Behind Chime.

Pranob Mehrotra
Pranob is a seasoned tech journalist with over eight years of experience covering consumer technology. His work has been…
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