Tesla boss Elon Musk has said on a number of occasions that two-factor authentication is coming to the Tesla app, but car owners are still waiting.
Responding recently to a customer inquiry asking if it will ever land, Musk acknowledged that the absence of the security measure is somewhat surprising for a company of Tesla’s status.
The CEO apologized for the delay, saying the feature was “embarrassingly late,” adding, “Two-factor authentication via SMS or authentication app is going through final validation right now.”
Sorry, this is embarrassingly late. Two factor authentication via sms or authenticator app is going through final validation right now.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 14, 2020
For those not in the know, two-factor authentication, as the description suggests, is a security feature that requires someone to input two forms of identification to access a smartphone app or some other online service. In most cases, when logging in, you’ll first enter your password, after which the service you’re trying to access will send a one-time code to your phone to enter as the second part of the log-in process. Alternatively, you might be asked to use an authenticator app, which serves up a one-time code to enable you to complete the log-in process.
The Tesla app allows owners to lock or unlock their vehicle from a distance, control the air conditioning before climbing in, flash lights and honk the horn when parked (for locating it), and vent/close the panoramic roof, among other things.
With the app an integral part of the Tesla experience, it would certainly give customers peace of mind if they knew that it had another layer of security attached.
Musk’s personal acknowledgement of the absence of two-factor authentication, and revelation that it’s in the final stages of development, suggests that its arrival is imminent.
These days, most online services that involve a login process offer the customer a chance to set up two-factor authentication for improved security. If you haven’t already done so, it’ll be worth diving into the security settings for any service that you use and taking a few minutes to set it up.
