The Tesla iPad app finally has a layout built for bigger screens. The redesign also covers the iPhone Duo, which launches Friday.
Until now, iPad owners had to use a stretched-out version of Tesla’s iPhone app rather than a proper big-screen interface.
Tesla iPad app gets a two-column design
For Tesla owners, the iPhone app is more than a remote control — it’s a key part of the car ownership experience. Drivers use it to check battery levels, manage charging, lock and unlock the car’s doors, adjust or precondition the cabin temperature, and control essential vehicle functions.
The app also provides access to features such as remote start, vehicle security alerts and charging history. In short, the Tesla app proves almost as important as the electric vehicle’s dashboard itself.
To be clear, the Tesla app was already usable on the iPad, but it essentially ran the iPhone version scaled up to fit the larger screen. That made the interface look awkward and left plenty of wasted space. But no more.
Tesla designer Alex Guichet shared news of the update on X on Wednesday. He confirmed the app is rolling out on iPad and iPhone Duo, as well as Android tablets and foldables.
The new interface uses two columns. Navigation and controls sit on the left, with a larger visualization of the car or home on the right.
The vehicle view covers climate, charging and security. It also includes a large rendering of the car and shortcuts for commonly used controls.
For owners with Tesla home energy products, the app can monitor solar power generation, Powerwall battery storage and household energy use. In the updated app, home energy view shows power flowing between solar panels, a Powerwall, the home and the electrical grid.
The Tesla App is rolling out now for iPad, iPhone Duo, and Android Tablets and Foldables.
Finally on the big screens you bring around with you pic.twitter.com/xfsqvMvTDa
— Alex Guichet (@AlexGuichet) October 21, 2026
Slow rollout, with more tweaks to come
Ian Zelbo, a 3D graphics specialist who created gorgeous renders of unreleased Apple products for FrontPageTech before joining Tesla, also posted images of the redesigned app.
“Heres [sic] a peek at what I’ve been working on at @Tesla for iPhone Duo,” he wrote Wednesday.
Heres a peek at what I’ve been working on at @Tesla for iPhone Duo pic.twitter.com/zcdWD33Atq
— Ian Zelbo (@ianzelbo) October 21, 2026
Don’t expect to see the new look of the redesigned Tesla app right away. Guichet said the rollout is deliberately slow and might take an extra week or two to appear. As it turns out, Tesla wants to be confident every screen works properly first.
The design team rethought many screens to fill the bigger size, and Guichet says Tesla is still brainstorming and will polish the app for future releases.
Version 4.62.0 is the build tied to the update, and some users may still see an older version while the rollout continues.
Why redesigned Tesla app matters for iPhone Duo
Apple opened App Store submissions for iPhone Duo earlier this month. Existing iPhone apps run on the device, but they need the iOS 27.1 SDK or later to resize to the inner display.
Unoptimized apps appear centered on the device’s large inner screen with fat black borders and generally don’t display well on the folding phone. The fact that many developers have not yet put in the work is showing up as one of the main complaints in many early iPhone Duo reviews.
There’s not much Apple can do about unoptimized apps, but developers still have time to get things ready. Tesla’s update landed just before the iPhone Duo goes on sale Friday. If you own an iPad, check the App Store for the update now.
Anurag Chawake is a tech-focused writer specializing in smartphones, apps and consumer technology. His interest in computers began during the Windows 98 era, eventually leading him to explore everything from operating systems to mobile devices and PC hardware. Anurag previously contributed to The Indian Express, covering Apple, Android, gaming and the broader technology landscape.
