Support
Written and answered by Bogdan Angheluță, who builds ConTess.
Email: support@contess.app
Include your macOS version and, if it's a setup problem, whatever the wizard showed under “Technical details”. That block exists precisely so you can paste it to me.
Requirements
- macOS 14 or later, on Apple silicon.
- A Tesla that supports the Fleet API, Model S, 3, X or Y.
- A free Tesla developer account, created during setup.
- A web address of your own where one small verification file can live. Free hosting is fine; the wizard hands you the file ready to upload.
First-time setup
ConTess runs on your own Tesla developer application rather than a shared one. That is what keeps your credentials on your Mac and gives you the vehicle-location permission the map needs. It also means there is a one-time setup, and the app's wizard walks you through all of it.
Why does Tesla need a file at my web address?
It is a domain check, the same idea as verifying a domain with Google. Tesla reads a verification file from a web address you control to confirm that commands really come from you.
The file contains only the shareable half of your signing key. That half cannot command anything, it only lets Tesla check a signature. The half that can control the car is created on your Mac and never leaves it, so putting the other half online costs you nothing in privacy. It is the same reason an SSH public key is safe to hand out.
The wizard says it can't find my key
Almost always the folder was uploaded without its hidden .well-known directory. Upload the whole unzipped folder rather than picking files out of it, there is a backup copy inside for hosts that drop dot-directories.
The wizard is stuck on “Waiting for the file to appear”
Open your key address in a browser: https://your-domain/.well-known/appspecific/com.tesla.3p.public-key.pem. If it asks you to sign in or for a password, your host has access protection turned on, and neither ConTess nor Tesla can read the file through it. On Netlify that switch is under Site configuration → Access & security → Visitor access → Password protection; turn it off. The file is meant to be public, it is only the shareable half of your key, so there is nothing there to protect. When the address shows text beginning with -----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY----- and no login prompt, the check passes.
Tesla rejects my Client ID or Secret
Re-copy both from developer.tesla.com. The secret is shown only once; if it's lost, generate a new one. Check the account region matches too.
Commands fail after setup
The vehicle key needs approving once, on your phone, in the Tesla app. The wizard shows a link and a QR code at the end, until that's approved, Tesla refuses commands.
Tesla says I haven't granted the domain access to my account
That message means Tesla could not read the key from your web address, so it does not yet recognise the domain, and it appears if you open the pairing link before finishing the wizard. Two things clear it. First, the key address must be public: open it in a browser and confirm it shows the key with no login prompt, turning off your host's password protection if there is one. Then finish the wizard through to the end, which is what registers the domain and grants access. Open the pairing link only after that, and approve the key.
Trips and history
Why is a drive missing, or showing an odd time?
ConTess builds history by sampling your car, so it can only record while your Mac is awake: either with the app open, or through the background logger it installs. If the Mac was off or asleep, the app tells you: the drive appears with the exact distance from the odometer, marked as an approximate time, and the day shows how long there was no data. It never invents a time it doesn't know.
Can I get my data out?
Yes, export to CSV at any time. It's your data, in a local file.
Buying and updates
Lifetime licence
A ConTess licence is a one-time purchase and is yours for life, so there is no voluntary refund window. If the software is faulty or not as described, your statutory rights still apply — email me and I'll put it right. Payments run through Paddle, our merchant of record.
Lost your licence key?
Get it back here. You need two things from the receipt Paddle emailed you: the order reference, which starts with txn_, and the email address you bought with. Both, because the receipt is what shows the purchase is yours.
If that does not find it, email me with the address you bought with and I will re-send the licence and the download.
Updates
Free, forever. Download the current version and drag it over the old one: that's the whole process. Your settings, trip and charging history live in their own file, separate from the app itself, so replacing it never touches them.