Tesla Trip Planner Tips: How to Access Tesla Maps on iPhone

Planning a Tesla road trip is so much fun! But do you have to sit in the car to do it? Or can you access Tesla Maps on an iPhone? While you can't access Tesla Maps on your phone, you can easily send directions from your favorite maps app directly to your Tesla. You can also sync your car with your calendar so that your car can navigate to your appointments automatically.

Jump To:

• How to Send a Destination to Tesla from iPhone
• How to Sync Tesla with iPhone Calendar for Automatic Navigation
• How to Use Tesla Waze Navigation Instead of Tesla Maps

How to Send a Destination to Tesla from iPhone

While Tesla has its own infotainment system and there are third-party Tesla road trip planner apps such as A Better Route Planner (free), my favorite way to navigate on a Tesla is to send a destination directly from my iPhone. I love this option because I can use my favorite maps app, even if it doesn't have EV trip planning features, such as built-in Supercharger stops. Once the destination has been sent, I can pick the best Tesla map route (including nearby Superchargers) on my Tesla's display. Here's how to send a location to your Tesla from your iPhone:

1. To send a destination to Tesla from your iPhone, you must first open the app of your choice; for this example, I will go with Apple's Maps app.
   
   
2. Tap a location directly on the map or type it in the search bar and select it, then tap the share icon.
   
   
3. Swipe left over the apps until you see Tesla. Tap it.
   
   
4. It will say sending.
   
   
5. Then, it will confirm that the location was sent. You should now see it on your Tesla display!
   
   

How to Sync Tesla with iPhone Calendar for Automatic Navigation

If you've scheduled an appointment on your iPhone and synced your calendar to your Tesla, you won't have to enter your destination twice! Your Tesla will know where you're going next, and it will automatically navigate there. To enable this:

1. To sync your Tesla with your iPhone calendar for automatic navigation, open the Tesla app on your iPhone.
   
   
2. Tap the profile icon in the top right icon.
   
   
3. Tap Settings.
   
   
4. Toggle Calendar Sync on.
   
   
5. Tap OK to allow access.
   
   
6. Now, on your Tesla screen, tap All Apps (the icon with three dots) in the Launcher.
   
   
7. Tap Calendar.
   
   
8. You will see your calendar and upcoming events.
   
   

You can test it out by scheduling an upcoming event on your phone and inputting the address. If you do this while you are sitting in your Tesla, it may take a moment to sync and begin navigating there automatically. If it doesn't, just get out of the car, close the door, open it again, and the directions will show up without you having to enter them. Any event you create or accept that includes a location will now show up in your Tesla calendar, and your car will suggest navigating to it automatically. For more tips like this, sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter. 

How to Use Tesla Waze Navigation Instead of Tesla Maps

Tesla Maps uses the Google Maps interface but takes traffic and route data from MapBox, but you can also use Tesla Waze. Waze is a popular navigation app that uses information from users to get accurate information on traffic, road closures, and more. Using Tesla Waze on your Tesla may be difficult because you have to use your Tesla browser, which is prone to crashing. Many users report Tesla Waze not working at the time of writing, but we're all hoping Tesla improves their browser soon to make this smoother.

1. To use Tesla Waze, tap All Apps in the Launcher.
   
   
2. Tap Browser.
   
   
3. Type Tesla Waze in the search bar, then tap Enter.
   
   
4. Tap the teslawaze.azurewebsites.net link.
   
   
5. In the search bar, tap Use your location? on the left.
   
   
6. Select either On every visit or Only this time. If you select Only this time, you will have to do this every time you use Tesla Waze.
   
   
7. At this point, my Tesla Browser crashes, which is unfortunately common. But if it loads, you'll be able to use Tesla Waze! Because it works on any browser, you can test it out on your Mac or iPad, it also works on a phone, but the display is easier to navigate on a larger screen.
   
   

Now you know three new Tesla road trip optimizer tips that can help you integrate your iPhone with your smart car even without Tesla-CarPlay integration. Sometimes, the easiest thing to do is just sit in your Tesla and plan your trip using Tesla Maps. Or, if you are planning multiple stops, you can search for Superchargers on Google Maps on your laptop or phone and take notes so you can navigate a stop at a time once you are in your car. Next, read our best Tesla app article, including a great third-party Tesla route planner app!