Tesla App Now Lets You Set a 'PIN to Drive' With the New 2023.20 Update

By Kevin Armstrong
With Tesla update 2023.20 you'll be able to set PIN to Drive from the Tesla app
With Tesla update 2023.20 you'll be able to set PIN to Drive from the Tesla app
Carter

Tesla has enabled another feature in its app, but it's only available with the latest vehicle update. Thanks to the 2023.20 update, the 'PIN to Drive' feature can now be set right from the Tesla app.

This is a great addition that helps keep your vehicle safer. By having the ability to set the PIN to Drive feature remotely, you can now choose to enable it only if you lose your key fob, key card, or phone. This gives you an additional level of security, knowing no one can start your vehicle, even if they have the key.

Tesla recently also added the ability to turn off 'Passive Authentication,' which disables the auto-locking/unlocking of your vehicle when your phone is nearby.

How to Turn on 'PIN to Drive' on Your App and Car

Before this update, you could only set up 'PIN to Drive' in your Tesla car. Now, you can do it from your phone too. When you turn on this feature, you must punch in a secure four-digit PIN before you can drive.

To set it up in your car, tap 'Controls,' then 'Safety & Security,' then 'PIN to Drive.' You'll then be asked to pick your four-digit PIN. To set it up from the Tesla app, tap on 'Security & Drivers' and scroll down to 'PIN to Drive.'

Why is 'PIN to Drive' So Important?

We live in a world where tech-savvy thieves are always trying to find a way to outsmart car security systems. This is where 'PIN to Drive' comes into play. By requiring a code to start the vehicle, it adds an extra layer of protection that is difficult to circumvent. PIN to Drive has always made your vehicle safer, but it came with the inconvenience of requiring you to enter the PIN every time you went for a drive. However, by being able to set PIN to Drive directly from the Tesla app, you can now use it in those rare cases when you lose your cell phone or keys.

How to Change Your PIN

Decided to change your 'PIN to Drive'? It's super easy. Just go back to where you set it up. You'll simply want to toggle PIN to Drive off, and when you toggle it back on, it'll ask you for a new PIN code.

Forgot PIN Code

So you've forgotten your 'PIN to Drive'? No worries! You can start the vehicle directly from the Tesla app. Simply navigate to Controls and tap on 'Start' at the bottom of the screen.

You can also reset PIN to Drive by tapping the link on the vehicle's PIN entry screen and entering your Tesla account credentials.

Creating a Secure PIN

When picking your PIN, make sure it's not something easily guessable like '1234' or your birthday. You want a secure PIN but also one that you can remember. If you have a hard time remembering numbers, try a memory trick. For example, link each digit to a particular date or event in your life. Just don't make it too obvious!

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The Original Design and Inspiration of the Tesla Cybertruck

By Not a Tesla App Staff
Not a Tesla App

The Cybertruck is something that’s completely out of this world—so much so that when people are unfamiliar with it, their first reaction is often, “What is that?”

And stepping inside only reinforces that impression. With its hidden-button doors and sleek, futuristic interior, the Cybertruck truly feels like something from another world. Recently, Tesla’s Chief Vehicle Designer, Franz von Holzhausen, revealed that an image shared by the official Cybertruck account on X is actually the original sketch that inspired its radical design.

Many Iterations

The Cybertruck has undergone numerous design iterations, and we’ve had the chance to explore some of Tesla’s earliest concepts for a truck that would define the future in many ways. These insights come from Walter Isaacson, who detailed them in his biography of Elon Musk.

Originally shared in 2023, the images revealed a dramatically different vision—one without the now-iconic angular rear sail. The design drew inspiration from various art forms, including video games, books, and movies—essentially, anywhere sci-fi had imagined a sleek, futuristic, or rugged truck.

The Nighthawk

The infamous F-117 Nighthawk.
The infamous F-117 Nighthawk.
Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon II | http://www.defenselink.mil/

The design that ultimately made it to production wasn’t one of those early concepts. Instead, it was inspired by none other than the infamous American F-117 Nighthawk—a now-retired, single-seat stealth bomber developed by the secretive Skunk Works for the U.S. military. As the world’s first stealth aircraft, the F-117 revolutionized aviation with its groundbreaking design.

Much like the Cybertruck’s deluge of new technologies, the F-117 brought innovations that reshaped modern aircraft design. Its angular, faceted surfaces were engineered to deflect radar waves and reduce its infrared signature—features that directly influenced the Cybertruck’s distinctive geometry. When wrapped in black, the resemblance to the Nighthawk is undeniable.

Now, while we can’t say for sure if the Cybertruck is truly “stealthy”—since it turns heads wherever it goes—it does reflect radar waves. That said, don’t expect it to help you evade speed cameras or slip past the police unnoticed.

Super Stealthy
Super Stealthy
Not a Tesla App

The Nighthawk’s angular design also required advanced computerization—because, at first, no one believed it could even fly. Without its onboard computers to fine-tune the pilot’s inputs, it simply wouldn’t have. Similarly, the Cybertruck’s steer-by-wire system and rear-wheel steering give it an unexpected level of agility—especially for a massive stainless-steel vehicle that’s this fast.

The Cybertruck is truly one of a kind—there’s nothing else like it on the road today. Franz von Holzhausen delivered on Elon Musk’s vision of a truck from the future, and Tesla’s engineering team brought that vision to life in a way that few thought possible.

Tesla Starts Rolling Out HW3 Support for FSD to Chinese Employees

By Not a Tesla App Staff
Tesla Newswire

Tesla is getting ready to start rolling out FSD support for hardware 3 vehicles in China. Tesla is internally testing what appears to be a build of FSD V12.6 on HW3 vehicles with its employees.

A post on Chinese social media platform Rednote initially shared the software update details and was then shared by Tesla Newswire. We’ve verified that the vehicle in question is a 2023 Model Y, confirming it falls within the HW3 hardware generation.

Tesla initially introduced FSD for HW4/AI4 vehicles in China in late February, making this a surprisingly fast follow-up to extend support to HW3 vehicles. The Chinese rollout of FSD also came just a couple weeks after Tesla introduced FSD in Mexico.

FSD V12.6 Primer

We reviewed FSD V12.6 in depth here, and provided a comparison to FSD V13 here, but here’s the key points you’ll need to know.

FSD V12.6 is Tesla’s latest revision of FSD for HW3 vehicles and it’s is very comparable to FSD V13 in terms of features. It includes 3 speed profiles, Chill, Standard, and Hurry, which control how aggressive FSD is in making lane changes and ensuring it stays at, near, or above the speed limit.

This version of FSD also comes with an improved controller, as well as earlier and more natural lane change decisions, making it far more capable than V12.5 or V12.3 builds.

For Chinese customers getting their first taste of FSD after using Autopilot for years, it’s mindblowing. It can handle city level streets, hanlde turns and traffic control signs and get you to your destination with minimal interventions.

When Does It Release?

Given’s China’s more crowded streets and more complex road layouts, we weren’t sure whether Tesla would introduce support for HW3 vehicles in the market. This news is a positive and encouraging sign, not only for FSD in China, but for all HW3 vehicle owners out there.

Tesla usually releases updates to employees in advance of releasing them to its general customers - providing them with a second chance to find and fix bugs. Usually, once updates make their way to employee vehicles, and barring any major issues, they begin rolling out to customers within one to two weeks.

China currently requires owners to buy FSD, as FSD subscriptions aren’t available in the country yet. If you’re in China and bought FSD on a HW3 vehicle, it may not be long before you have access to FSD.

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