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.
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.
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, refunds and updates
Refunds
30 days, no questions asked. Payments run through Paddle, so refunds go through them, email me and I'll arrange it.
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 across the 2.x line. Download the current version and drag it over the old one; your settings and history are kept separately and survive the swap.