Lock Tess

A monstrous upgrade for your Tesla's lock sound. Choose from our built-in library of over 70 sounds, import your own from anywhere, and organise your perfect collection.Lock Tess is the storage your custom Tesla lock sounds deserve. Import, trim, categorise, search, favourite, and share your sounds. The perfect lock sound is always just a tap away ready to save to your Tesla's USB drive in seconds - all from your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Features

No subscription

Fed up with subscriptions? So are we!That's why with Lock Tess, you only pay once to unlock all features across your iPhone, iPad and Mac forever. No monthly fees, no surprises, ever.

Built in sounds

Not sure where to start?72 hand-picked sounds spanning everything from Horror and Halloween to Sci-Fi, Retro, and Nature. Browse and preview every single one, whether you've unlocked Premium or not before deciding the perfect one to fit your car.

Import Any Sound

Found a sound?From Retro classics to custom made, drop any sounds you want straight into the app and let Lock Tess do the rest for you!We accept MP3, WAV, M4A, AIFF and FLAC files. Lock Tess handles all the converting, compressing and renaming automatically.Got a longer sound? The built-in trimmer lets you pick exactly which part to use.

Organise your collection

Like to swap your sounds?Lock Tess is the home for your Tesla lock sounds.Search, rename, categorise and favourite your sounds so the perfect one is always just a tap away. Create your own categories, build your own system, and store as many sounds as you like - all privately on your device.All your uploads are stored in the app, so you can swap between them whenever you like.We like our privacy as much as you. We don't see or collect any data on the sounds you upload. Upload anything you like knowing it'll stay as unique as you!

Sync to all your devices

Want to import on your Mac, apply from your phone?With iCloud sync, sounds you import, rename, favourite, or categorise on one device show up on all your others automatically. Delete one by mistake? Recently Deleted keeps it safe for 30 days, so you can bring it back.Lock Tess is smart about sync too: delete a sound and it disappears everywhere, and if the same sound ever ends up on two devices, Lock Tess spots it and helps you tidy up.

Share with Friends

Love a sound?Share it with friends directly from the app via AirDrop, Messages, WhatsApp and more. They can add it straight to their own Lock Tess app just like any other import.

Easy as 1,2,3,4

1. Pick a sound
Try one of 10 free sound to see how it works, or unlock Premium for the full library and custom imports2. Connect your USB
Plug your Tesla's USB drive into your iPhone, iPad or Mac (Using a USB C or Lightning to USB A adapter)3. Let Lock Tess do the work
Tap Use and the app handles everything - just pick your USB drive and hit Save4. Enable in your Tesla
On your Tesla's screen just go to Toybox - Boombox - Lock Sound, then select USB to set your new sound

Questions?

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Getting Started
Lock Tess is an app for iPhone, iPad and Mac that lets you customise the lock sound on your Tesla. Pick from a library of over 70 built-in sounds or import your own, then export directly to your Tesla's USB drive.
Any Tesla that supports the Boombox feature and has the PWS (pedestrian warning system) - this is most Teslas from 2019 onwards and includes Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X. The feature must be enabled via Toybox - Boombox - Lock Sound - USB on your Tesla's touchscreen.
An iPhone or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 17 and above, or a Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or above. You'll also need the USB drive from your Tesla's glovebox (or a USB drive formatted as FAT32), and a USB adapter to connect the drive to your device. Your Tesla must also support the Boombox feature.
There are 10 free sounds available for you to test the process with, but to unlock the full power you can purchase a one-off lifetime unlock in the app which gives you a library of over 70 sounds and lets you import any sounds you want from your files.
The USB / Export Process
Use the Tesla-supplied USB drive that is used for Dashcam/Sentry Mode (installed in the glovebox USB A port). If your Tesla didn't include a USB drive in the glovebox port, follow Tesla's guidance here to add one: https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/model3/en_us/GUID-F311BBCA-2532-4D04-B88C-DBA784ADEE21.html
Plug your USB drive into your iPhone, iPad or Mac using an adapter if needed. In Lock Tess, select your chosen sound and tap Use. The app will handle the process and show the files menu with the correctly named file ready. Just find your Tesla USB drive and press save. (Don't place it in any folders - it should be saved directly to the root of your USB drive).
No. Lock Tess only writes one file - LockChime.wav - to the root of your drive. If a LockChime.wav file already exists it will be replaced (always choose replace as the Tesla can only see one file named exactly that for the lock sound). Any other files including Dashcam and Sentry Mode footage are left completely untouched.
The file should always be placed at the root of the drive (not inside any folder) which is the only place the Tesla can read it from.
Yes, and for most Tesla owners this is the only option as there is only one USB port in the glovebox.
Tesla Setup
Once the USB is plugged into your glovebox USB port, on your Tesla's touchscreen go to Toybox - Boombox, then select Lock Sound and choose USB from the drop down. Your custom sound will play every time you lock the car.
Not usually, but Tesla updates can occasionally reset your Boombox settings back to default. If your custom sound stops playing after an update, simply go back to Toybox - Boombox - Lock Sound and re-enable it. You won't need to re-export the file unless the USB was wiped.
Sounds & Importing
Lock Tess accepts MP3, WAV, M4A, AIFF and FLAC files. Everything is automatically converted to the correct format for Tesla on export.
Tesla has a 1MB limit for the lock sound file. At the audio quality your car needs, 4.5 seconds keeps every sound safely within that limit - anything larger simply won't work. Lock Tess handles this automatically so you never have to think about it. If you're importing a longer sound, the built-in trimmer lets you choose exactly which part to use.
You can use any audio file already on your device, or track one down online - Freesound.org is a great place to browse, with loads of user-generated sounds free to use. We can't point you toward anything that might infringe copyright (even a couple of seconds counts). Whatever sound means something to you though - a favourite movie line, a game sound effect, whatever - Lock Tess doesn't stop you from adding it, as long as you have the rights to use it.
Lock Tess converts all imported audio to WAV format to meet Tesla's requirements, which can occasionally affect how some files sound at the start or end. You can preview the sound in the Imported tab by pressing the play button before you use it. If you want to use a specific section of a longer sound, use the built-in trimmer when importing.
Sounds from games, movies, TV shows and other commercial media are protected by copyright so can't be included in the app (All 72 built-in sounds are either CC0 public domain or genuine NASA mission audio). However if you want a sound from your favourite game or film, you can import any of your own audio files using the Premium custom import feature - just make sure you have the right to use it.
No - We know everything else seems to collect data nowadays but we don't. Lock Tess respects your privacy and is built just to bring a little more fun to your day with a custom lock sound. We don't collect any data, so upload anything, make it as monstrous as you like, we won't judge you.
The Trimmer
When you import a sound longer than 4.5 seconds, the trimmer appears automatically. Drag the green window along the timeline to choose which section to use, tap Preview to hear it, then tap Use This Section to save it. If you want to change it later, re-import the original file and choose a different section.
Not directly - once imported, the sound is saved as your chosen section. The good news is you can re-import the same file as many times as you like, choosing a different section each time. Just rename each version after importing so you can tell them apart - then pick whichever one you want to use on your car.
Short sounds you can import straight away with no trimmer needed - just tap import and they'll appear in your Imported tab ready to use, or you can trim them shorter if you prefer.
Organising Your Sounds
Long press any imported sound and tap Rename. Type your new name and tap Save. The new name will appear throughout the app including in search results.
In the Imported tab, long press any sound and tap Set Category. At the bottom of the category list tap Add category... and type your own. It'll be saved and available for all your sounds going forward.
Long press any sound, tap Set Category, then swipe left on any of your custom categories to delete it. Note that system categories like Fun, Retro and Animals can't be deleted, but you don't have to use them. Only categories you've created yourself can be removed.
Yes! Just tick as many categories as you like in the Set Category screen. Your sound will appear when filtering by any of its assigned categories.
Swipe right on any sound in the Imported or Library tab and tap the heart icon. You can also long press a sound and tap Add to Favourites from the menu.
Tap the filter icon in the top left of the Library or Imported tab and select Favourites. This shows only your hearted sounds for quick access.
In the Imported tab, tap the filter icon in the top left and choose either A-Z or Date Added at the top of the menu.
Yes! All your existing imported sounds are fully compatible with the new features. You can rename them, add categories, mark them as favourites, sort and search them straight away - no re-importing needed. The only exception is the trimmer - since your existing sounds were already trimmed on import, you'd need to re-import the original file if you want to choose a different section.
Sharing
Long press any imported sound and tap Share Sound. Choose how you want to share - AirDrop, Messages, WhatsApp and more. Your friend will receive the sound as a WAV file they can import directly into Lock Tess.
Make sure your friend has Lock Tess installed - you can share a link directly from the menu in Lock Tess. If they receive it via AirDrop, they can import it into Lock Tess just like any other sound. Press import and they can find it in their files (usually in Downloads). For other methods like Messages or WhatsApp, they can tap and hold the file then choose Share, and select Lock Tess from the share options.
Premium
Premium gives you access to all 72 built-in sounds, unlimited custom imports from your own files, and iCloud syncing. It's a one-off lifetime purchase - no subscription, ever.
No. We're as fed up as you with everything nowadays being a subscription, so we are proud to say Premium is a single one-off purchase that unlocks everything permanently, including future updates.
Try tapping Restore Purchases in the app settings. If you purchased on one device and are using another, restoring will sync your purchase across. If you're still having trouble, contact us at [email protected].
Yes. A single Premium purchase covers all your devices signed into the same Apple ID, including iPhone, iPad and Mac. And with iCloud sync all your sounds stay organsied wherever you want to use it. We even support Apple Family Sharing.
Troubleshooting
Make sure your USB drive is properly connected via your adapter and that the adapter is securely plugged in. Try disconnecting and reconnecting. If you're on Mac, check the drive appears in Finder. If problems persist, make sure the drive is formatted as FAT32 (you can format your drive in the Tesla to ensure it is in the right format).
Check the file exported successfully in Lock Tess and that the USB is plugged into the glovebox USB port specifically. Make sure Boombox is enabled in Toybox - Boombox - Lock Sound and set to USB. Try removing and reinserting the USB drive with the car unlocked.
Check your Boombox setting hasn't been reset - this can sometimes happen after a Tesla software update. If the setting is correct, the USB drive may be losing connection intermittently. Try reinserting the drive or performing a format of the USB drive from your Tesla's settings, then re-export your sound from Lock Tess.
This means Tesla has lost its connection to the USB drive and is falling back to its internal sound pool. Try removing and reinserting the USB drive. If it happens regularly, your USB drive may be reaching the end of its life (dashcam/sentry constantly cycle the USB drive so they wear out faster than a regular storage device) - try a different drive if possible and if this fixes the issue it may be time to replace your USB drive. A failing USB drive will also affect your Tesla's ability to record Dashcam/Sentry reliably so this is a good early warning sign.
Of course! Reach out any time at [email protected] or find us on social media.
No. Deleted sounds sit in Recently Deleted for 30 days before they're gone for good, so you've got time to bring them back if you change your mind.

How to use

Below is a full step by step of how to use Lock Tess. The video is narrated by me (no AI tiktok voices, just real human me), and all the steps shown in the video are shown below (save you having to pause).If you still have questions, feel free to drop us a mail using the button in the section below, or reach out us on one of the Lock Tess social medias.

How To Use Lock Tess



Tap or click any picture to enlarge

Why

Lock Tess fills a gap that I was genuinely surprised existed!My son loves to change the lock sound in the car, it brightens his day as the car randomly screams like a goat or shouts "Please don't leave me". The biggest pain point for me was changing the sounds to something custom not built in. We'd find a sound to download, or he'd record something new, then I'd have to take the USB stick out of the car and into the house, move the new sound from wherever we first downloaded/recorded it to my laptop, trim it, convert it, rename it, probably redo that after I mess it up, get a file ready, then plug the USB stick into my laptop, transfer the file then go back out to the car to put it back and set the sound.It was a right pain, and sometimes he'd ask for a sound on the way into school and I would say yes (because the smile...) knowing my lunch breaks disappearing.I searched for an easier way to do it, "there must be an app, everything has an app..." but to my surprise there wasn't. So, helped along with lots of cups of tea brought to me by my better half, I learned to build one. That famous "how hard can it be"... well when you have no experience...! But with a lot of testing, retesting, tweaking, retesting, it was finally ready, an app just for me to fix my own little bugbear...I then discovered building an app just for you comes with its own set of headaches - so I figured if I'm going to go through all of this, I might as well do it properly and share it to help someone else!And so Lock Tess was created! Not a business idea, not a task on the apprentice, just a fix to a problem I had that stood in the way of making my son happy, and now hopefully it can bring you joy as well! I understand everything is data data data nowadays, data has become big business, but not on Lock Tess. I just want something people will find useful. Offering a lifetime unlock and none of the other bumf is my little way of keeping things right for us all.This isn't an ongoing service you need to pay forever for, the app is built! Premium that unlocks everything across all your devices if lifetime, no subscription just unlock once, while still helping me cover the overheads like the yearly Apple developer license and web domain etc. I also have a passion for it as I enjoy doing it, so your support helps me invest some of my free time to make it even better in the future (I'm working on trying to add things like being able to select the part of the sound you want if it's a longer sound like a song, or categories so you can organise your imported list if you want to build a vast library). Plus I'll keep an eye on any other Easter eggs Tesla add along the way.But whatever updates come in the future, you won't need to buy them again. My commitment to you is the premium unlock gets you everything that is in Lock Tess, both now, and in the future! No subscriptions, it doesn't have ads, it doesn't collect data, you don't need a login, you can just use it for what it's meant for.Thanks for reading my story and discovering the Lock Tess journey, hope you download and enjoy!Damian



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© 2026 Lock Tess. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 2026Overview
Lock Tess is developed by Damian McGreevy. This privacy policy explains how Lock Tess handles your information. We are committed to protecting your privacy — Lock Tess is designed to work entirely on your device without collecting or sharing your personal data.Information We Collect
Lock Tess does not collect, store, or transmit any personal information. Specifically:
- We do not collect your name, email address, or any identifying information
- We do not track your location
- We do not use analytics or tracking tools
- We do not share any data with third partiesData Stored on Your Device
Lock Tess stores the following data locally on your device only:
- Sound files you import into the app
- Your premium purchase status
- Your app preferences and settingsiCloud Sync (Premium only)
If you unlock Premium and turn on iCloud sync, your imported sounds and their details (name, category, favourites) are stored in your own private iCloud account so they can appear on your other devices. This uses Apple's iCloud infrastructure directly - Lock Tess never sees, stores, or has access to this data on any server we run. Sync is optional and can be turned off in Settings at any time. Everything else in this policy still applies: no analytics, no tracking, no data shared with anyone else.In-App Purchases
Lock Tess offers a premium upgrade processed entirely through Apple's App Store. We do not have access to your payment information. Apple's privacy policy governs all payment processing.Third Party Services
Lock Tess uses Apple's StoreKit framework solely to process the optional premium purchase. No other third party services, SDKs, or analytics tools are used.Children's Privacy
Lock Tess does not knowingly collect any information from children under the age of 13. The app contains no advertising and does not collect personal data from any user regardless of age.Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected with an updated date at the top of this page.Contact Us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy please contact us at:
[email protected]
LockTess.com