Skip to main content

New Tesla feature opens the trunk automatically when your hands are full

Tesla's hands-free trunk.
Tesla

Tesla owners with a massive teddy bear that needs to be given a ride can now open the trunk of their vehicle hands-free to get it in. A Tesla video highlighting the new feature shows a woman carrying an enormous teddy bear to her car, whereupon the trunk detects her presence and automatically opens. And no, it doesn’t only work for huge cuddly toys. The hands-free mechanism functions equally well if you’re carrying other objects like shopping bags, a large box, or a couple of suitcases.

Hands-Free Trunk automatically opens the trunk when you stand behind it briefly with Phone Key enabled

Works on new Model S/X (2021+) & upgraded Model 3 pic.twitter.com/S7ozrDk4kp

— Tesla (@Tesla) May 9, 2024

The hands-free system has arrived as part of Tesla’s recent over-the-air software update (version 2024.14), which brings with it a slew of other features, too. It works on the new Model S/X (2021 or later), as well as upgraded Model 3 vehicles, though it’s not clear if it will also be coming to Tesla’s Model Y (though some owners of the electric crossover have been using third-party apps to perform the same task). It requires an iPhone 11 or later and Tesla app 4.31.0 or later. Android users can expect the same feature in a future update.

Recommended Videos

To enable the hands-free trunk feature, open the Tesla app and go to Vehicle settings > Locks, and then turn on Hands-Free Trunk. Also make sure your phone settings allow Nearby Interactions for the Tesla app.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The feature only works when the vehicle key is close to the car, which prevents accidental or unauthorized opening. And don’t worry, it won’t open every time you pass your car. You first need to stand for a moment at the rear and listen for three beeps signaling that the trunk is about to open. If you move away while the beeps are sounding, the procedure is canceled and the trunk will remain closed.

Many automakers have long had vehicles with a trunk that can be opened hands-free, though some require you to briefly wave your foot underneath the car to activate a sensor that causes the trunk to open. Tesla’s hands-free system requires no such balancing act and instead uses UWB (ultra-wideband) sensors to detect the location of the vehicle owner.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Sony and Honda’s Afeela 1 EV makes more sense at CES than in the real world
Afeela 1 front quarter view.

The Sony car is almost here. After its creation via a joint venture with Honda in 2022 and two years’ worth of prototypes, the electronics giant’s Afeela brand is finally taking reservations for its first electric vehicle, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2026.

But will it be worth the wait? Coinciding with the opening of reservations, Sony Honda Mobility brought updated prototypes of the Afeela 1 (as it’s now officially known) to CES 2025, representing what California customers (Afeela is only taking reservations in that state) who put down a $200 refundable deposit can expect when they take delivery.

Read more
Bose wants to dominate car audio, and I heard its next-gen 3D automotive speakers
Bose logo on a speaker grille

Bose’s automotive audio business is huge, and it’s set to get even bigger. The company has been making big plays in car audio for some time now. The audio company works with premium brands like Porsche, building high-end speakers that allow drivers to experience high-quality audio on the road, whether they’re carting the family around in an Escalade or weaving around the highway (don’t do that) in a Porsche Macan.

But while it has a solid selection of audio brands under its belt, the world of personal audio is also evolving. Mercedes-Benz showed off its Dolby Atmos system at CES last year, and now, a year later, plenty of other brands are joining the trend. At CES 2025, Bose walked me through its current lineup of automotive audio products, as well as a sneak peek of what’s to come.
Immersive audio
The big trend in all areas of personal audio right now essentially boils down to supporting 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos. Consumer home theater products are increasingly offering up-firing and side-firing speakers that can bounce audio around the room to simulate height and surround effects, while headphone brands are increasingly developing spatialized audio tech that can convert stereo audio into simulated spatial audio.

Read more
You Asked: What’s the most impressive thing you saw at CES?
You Asked CES Editors Cut

On today’s special edition of You Asked, we tracked down each of our editors and put them on the spot to find out what they thought was the most impressive thing they saw at CES 2025 in Early January. Let’s find out what they had to say.
Panasonic Z95B

There’s been some really cool TV tech at CES, but the thing I’m most excited about is the new Panasonic Z95B. Instead of the regular OLED display structure we’ve seen in recent years with MLA technology, this uses a four-layer panel structure. It features individual red, green, and blue layers (two of the latter) for the emissive light.

Read more