Cybertruck: Keys, Doors & Storage

1) We install the Tesla app and stay logged in. 2) On the phone, we turn on Bluetooth and allow the Tesla app Bluetooth access and location access in the background. 3) In Cybertruck, we turn on Controls > Safety > Allow Mobile Access. 4) Near or inside the truck, we touch Set Up Phone Key in the app and follow the prompts, with a key card ready. Tesla warns not to leave a paired phone inside.

We tap the key card on the driver's side door pillar, about one-third of the way up, holding it a few seconds if needed; the lights flash and the doors lock or unlock. To drive, we press the brake pedal within two minutes of the scan. After that, scanning it on the reader in the center console wireless phone charger restarts the window. A key card never locks by itself, and Tesla says to carry one as a backup.

To add a key card, we touch Controls > Locks > Keys > Add Key, scan the new card on the center console reader, then scan an already paired card to confirm. The Tesla app can also do it under Security & Drivers > Add Key Card. Cybertruck holds up to 19 keys, with up to three phone keys connected at once. To remove a key, we touch its trash icon in Controls > Locks and scan a paired card.

When we turn on Controls > Locks > Phone Left Behind Detection, Cybertruck chimes and shows a graphic on the touchscreen if a phone key stays inside after everyone exits and the doors close. It needs a phone with background Ultra-Wideband (UWB) support and Nearby Interactions allowed for the Tesla app. It is designed for phones on or near the center console, so Tesla warns not to rely on it for phones in the rear seats, bed or frunk.

With Controls > Locks > Walk-Away Door Lock on, the doors, tailgate and powered frunk lock when we walk away carrying our phone key, and the lights flash once. It does not work with a key card. It will not lock if a key is detected inside, a door or the frunk is open, the driver leaves by another door, or Exclude Home is set and we park at Home. Tesla says we must confirm the truck is locked.

We turn on Controls > Locks > Unlock on Park. Then, when we stop and shift into Park, all doors unlock. Cybertruck also locks all doors, the tailgate and the powered frunk by itself once we drive above 5 mph (8 km/h). To lock or unlock everything from inside, we touch the lock icon on the touchscreen. Opening a door from inside lets it open from outside again while the phone key is detected.

We touch Controls > Locks > Child Lock and choose Both, Left or Right. Child Lock works on the rear doors only: it disables their interior door open buttons, so those doors cannot be opened from the rear seats. Tesla recommends turning on child locks whenever a child sits in a rear seat. Tesla also warns to hold the door at the top when opening it, keep fingers clear of its edges and supervise children.

With Controls > Locks > Driver Door Unlock Mode on, the first unlock opens only the driver's door. We unlock the rest by long-pressing the interior door open button, or with the touchscreen or the Tesla app. With it off, the first unlock opens all doors, the powered frunk and the tailgate. Related settings in the same Locks menu include Unlock on Park, Walk-Away Door Lock and Lock Confirmation Sound.

We turn on Controls > Locks > Car Left Open Notifications. The Tesla app then sends a notification if a door, the powered frunk or a window is left open, or if Cybertruck is unexpectedly left unlocked. Tesla notes it may not alert us when the tonneau cover is left open, so we check the cover ourselves before walking away. We can also check the lock status in the Tesla app at any time.

If a window does not open or close properly, or lowers too far when the door opens: 1) Close the door with that window. 2) Sit in the driver's seat and close the driver door. 3) With that window's switch on the driver door, fully raise it until it stops. 4) Fully lower it until it stops. 5) Fully raise it again. If it still misbehaves after a few tries, we schedule service in the Tesla app.

We touch Controls > Locks > Window Lock. The rear windows can then only be opened and closed from the driver's switches. Touching Window Lock again turns the rear switches back on. Tesla warns to lock the rear window switches whenever children ride in the rear seats, and to check that nobody has a hand, arm or head out of a window before closing it. Tesla also warns never to leave children alone in the truck.

Cybertruck has a center console compartment with a pivoting cover, a glovebox we open with Controls > Glovebox, pockets on the back of each front seat and storage in each door. The rear seat cushions fold up for cargo: we pull the tab inside the rear door and lift the cushion until it clicks. Some trucks also have a rear fold-down armrest with two cup holders. Tesla says to keep the glovebox closed while driving.

In Park, we touch Open on the touchscreen, press Frunk in the Tesla app, press the center button under the hood closure, or use Hands-Free Frunk where equipped. To set the height, we pause the frunk while it moves, or move it by hand, then save with the touchscreen prompt or hold the button under the frunk until it chimes. Tesla warns not to close it by hand and to keep the area clear.

Tesla gives a maximum load of 440 lb (200 kg) for the powered frunk and says going over it can cause damage. We also keep the total load within the truck's GVWR and GAWR ratings. Tesla warns never to leave an authenticated phone in the frunk, since it may open by itself, and says aftermarket accessories that add weight can make it close unexpectedly, with damage not covered by warranty.

In Park, we press an exterior tonneau switch fully to open or close it, or use Controls > Tonneau or the Tesla app. It will not move if the truck is locked, not in Park or has no low-voltage power. If it stops working: 1) Unlock and shift into Park. 2) Wait several minutes and retry. 3) Clear debris from the tracks. 4) Calibrate it, then schedule service if needed. Tesla notes the cover is not waterproof.

On trucks that have it, the emergency release is on the inside of the tailgate. With the truck parked, we flip its cover up to reach the pull strap and pull it firmly toward us. Normally we open the tailgate with its open button, and built-in struts stop it from dropping hard. To close, we clear the hinge area, lift from the bottom with both hands and press until it latches. Tesla warns never to close it with someone inside.

On trucks that have it, the sealed under-bed compartment opens from the open tailgate: we grab the handle and flip the cover up, and struts hold it. It takes up to 220 lb (100 kg) and has a drain plug. For cargo, the bed has four tie-down anchors, one in each bottom corner, rated up to 707 lb (320 kg) between any two anchors, plus L-tracks on some trucks. Tesla warns not to use them for towing.

With our phone key nearby, the doors unlock by themselves, and we press the exterior door release button on the pillar to the right of each door. The Tesla app can also open a door, while a key card needs a manual unlock first. To close, we push the door shut by hand after checking that nothing is in the way. Tesla warns to hold the door at the top, keep fingers clear of its edges and never slam it.