Tesla owners who use larger screens to manage their cars and home energy systems are getting a welcome software upgrade this week. The electric vehicle company recently rolled out a new version of its mobile app that finally adds native support for the iPad as well as the newly released iPhone Duo. This update introduces a much cleaner layout that makes proper use of the extra screen space, rather than just stretching a standard phone interface to fit.
The new layout puts your car and controls side by side
Before this update, tablet users had to install the standard iPhone app on their larger screens. It functioned fine, but it left a lot of awkward empty space and did not feel very natural to navigate. The new version changes the interface to a two-column setup. You will now see your navigation menus and basic controls neatly organized on the left side, while a large visual render of your vehicle or home energy system sits on the right.
Tesla designer Alex Guichet shared the news online just before Apple officially launched its first foldable phone. The vehicle view gives you quick access to the climate controls, charging status, and security settings right next to the car rendering. If you have solar panels or a Powerwall, the home energy screen easily shows how much power is moving between your house and the local grid.
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These visual changes arrive just as developers are pushing fresh software to the App Store to support foldable screens. Apps need to be built with the latest development tools to dynamically resize and fill the large inner display without showing black borders. You can download version 4.62.0 of the Tesla app right now to try out the redesigned split layout on your larger devices.
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