How To Use the Toyota Remote Start App
With a subscription to Remote Connect, you can turn your Toyota on with a touch. Here’s how.
Written by R.E. Fulton
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
To start your car remotely using Toyota’s remote start app, hold down the “Start Engine” button until you see a 10-minute timer pop up. To turn it back off, simply press and hold “Stop.”
So you just bought a new
Toyota RAV4
and you want to test out all the cool tech—or maybe winter’s coming and you want to be ready to get your Highlander warming up before the drive to work. The Toyota Remote Connect app lets you turn on your Toyota remotely (and do a whole lot more), and it’s really easy to use. Trusted
car insurance
broker app Jerry
is here to walk you through the steps to using Toyota’s remote start app—and we’ll throw in some tips to help you save on Toyota insurance costs
! Compare insurance quotes from 50+ insurance companies with Jerry in under 45 seconds
Compare insurance quotes from 50+ insurance companies with Jerry in under 45 seconds
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversHow to start your Toyota remotely through the Remote Connect app
Using Remote Start in the Toyota Remote Connect is simple. To start, download the app and sign in using your Toyota Connected Services login information. The app is available for iPhone users through the App Store and for Android users through Google Play.
Once you’re in the Toyota app, just click and hold Start Engine. A simple tap won’t do it—after all, you wouldn’t want to be able to turn your car on and off with just a stray tap! Hold down the button for about a second, and you’ll see the text “Contacting vehicle” pop up, followed by “Connecting.” This text indicates that the app is searching for your Toyota and initiating a digital connection.
Pretty soon, you’ll see “Connecting” replaced with a 10-minute timer, counting down the time until your vehicle turns off again. Congratulations! You’ve successfully started your car remotely through the Toyota remote start app.
How to turn your Toyota off remotely
Once you’ve used Remote Connect to turn your Toyota’s engine on, the vehicle will run for 10 minutes before turning itself off (unless you show up and start to drive). But if you turn it on by accident—or if you change your mind—you can turn it off remotely by simply pressing “Stop” in the middle of the 10-minute timer. Hold that down for about a second, and the car will turn off again.
Other Remote Connect features
You can do more than turn your Toyota on and off using the Remote Connect app. Other standout features of the app include:
- Lock/unlock doors and trunk: Use the app to lock or unlock all four doors or your trunk/hatch.
- Vehicle status: The app will track your fuel level and odometer as well as whether your doors and windows are closed.
- Guest driver: Set curfews, speed limits, and mileage caps in the app and get alerts if a guest driver (or, say, your teen) speeds past them.
- Amazon Alexa connectivity: Link up Alexa to your Toyota to use voice commands.
- Finding your car: Honk the horn remotely or look up your last parked location if you’ve lost your Toyota in a busy parking lot.
- Electric cars: Battery charge monitoring and charging locators can help you keep the juice flowing in yourPrius Primeor RAV4 Prime.
You can use Toyota’s remote services via your smartphone or smartwatch. Toyota Connected Services also includes other smartphone capabilities, such as Safety Connect ®, which connects you to roadside assistance, and Drive Connect, which gives you real-time traffic information.
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Is Toyota’s remote start app free?
No. Remote Connect isn’t a built-in feature included in the cost of your new car. Instead, it’s a subscription service that you’ll pay a monthly or annual fee to use.
Google this question, and the first result will be a Toyota webpage promising you that your free trial is available at no additional cost—but that free trial is, well, a free trial. Once that trial period ends, Remote Connect costs $8 per month or $80 per year if you choose to pay in a lump sum.
What’s more, Toyota has indicated that no new vehicles will use a physical key fob for remote start, meaning that you’ll need to “pay to play” from here on out. If you own a 2018-2020 Toyota with a key fob remote start, the functionality will be available for three years, but after that, you’ll need to switch to the app—or start getting into your vehicle to turn it on.
A lot of Toyota owners are (understandably) a bit peeved about this development, which falls in line with a trend among automakers toward a subscription model for vehicle accessories.
Which Toyota vehicles have remote start?
The Remote Connect app will only work for vehicles that already have keyless entry enabled through the Toyota Smart Key system. That system is available as an option on most 2011 and newer Toyota models, but it’s not standard for all vehicles or all trim levels. Here’s a guide to which Toyotas have remote start capabilities.
Model | Available on (model years) | 2022 trim levels with standard remote start |
|---|---|---|
2010 and newer | XLE, XSE, TRD | |
2012 and newer | XLE, SE, SE Nightshade, XSE, Apex Edition | |
2011 and newer | All trim levels | |
2012 and newer | All trim levels | |
Toyota RAV4 | 2011 and newer | LE, XLE Premium, TRD Off-Road, Limited |
Toyota Sequoia | 2011 and newer | All trim levels |
2011 and newer | All trim levels | |
2016 and newer | TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited | |
2011 and newer | All trim levels | |
2010 and newer | All trim levels |
Key Takeaway If your Toyota is from model year 2011 or newer, there’s a good chance it has Remote Connect capability, but check at the dealership if it’s important to you.
How to save on Toyota insurance costs
If you’ve got the Toyota Remote Connect app, you should be able to turn your vehicle on and off remotely. But you might not realize you can also save on Toyota insurance expenses in an app.
No, not the Toyota app—the
Jerry
app. Powered by AI and backed by a team of expert insurance agents, Jerry is the trusted insurance comparison app
that saves users an average of $800+ per year on car insurance! Here’s how it works: - Download the Jerry app to your iPhone or Android phone.
- Answer a few simple questions about yourself and your Toyota.
- Wait about 45 seconds. (You can use this time to look outside, take a stretch break, or sip the caffeinated beverage of your choice.)
- Review real-time, customized quotes pulled from a pool of over 55 top-rated insurance providers.
- Pick a quote and sit back again while Jerry’s agents do the heavy lifting to get you set up with your new rate!
Jerry never sells your personal information or wastes your time with fake quotes. For more information, check out reviews from real Jerry customers!
“Jerryblew my mind, honestly. From start to finish, using the app took me 10 minutes and I ended up with $100 of savings a month. Best of all, customer service answered all my questions about rental car reimbursement and roadside assistance.” —Savanna R.
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