Discover Software Version 9.0

Software Version 9.0 introduces updates to the touchscreen and Tesla mobile app designed for a faster, more intuitive user experience.

Every single Model S, Model X and Model 3 on the road will receive new features and improvements from Software Version 9.0.

It’s now easier to find what you’re looking for: the new application launcher lets you access all your apps from one place, Controls and Settings have been combined, and Auto Lane Change is always enabled when using Autosteer (Beta). In addition, Navigation provides more insight into upcoming turns—including highway exit information—and the instrument cluster now displays a 360-degree view of surrounding cars.

Enhanced Navigation

For Model S and Model X, navigation now provides more information about upcoming turns, including highway exit information.

  • Tap or pull down to see additional details in the full Trip Overview.
  • Navigation settings are now more accessible on the touchscreen.
  • Voice guidance can be quickly muted or unmuted.

For Model 3, directions have been moved to the left side of the touchscreen, and simplified to display relevant upcoming information – including highway exits, when applicable.

  • Tap or pull down to see additional details in the full Trip Overview.
  • Navigation settings including voice guidance volume can easily be adjusted by tapping the settings icon on the touchscreen map.

For all Tesla cars, the traffic view has been restyled to further highlight problematic areas. Roads experiencing slower speeds or delays will be emphasized with red and yellow outlines.

You can now select whether or not your car is eligible for high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, improving Navigation’s ability to provide relevant instructions:

  • When enabled, Navigation will route you through HOV lanes. When disabled, Navigation avoids routing you through HOV lanes.
  • Tap the settings icon on the bottom corner of the map then enable or disable Use HOV Lanes.
  • Note: Before this feature can be enabled, the latest version of Navigation maps must be downloaded via WiFi. A message will display on the touchscreen when new maps have been installed.
Application Launcher & Applications

For Model S and Model X, the new application launcher is located at the bottom of your touchscreen and brings all your apps together into one place, including your Calendar, Energy, Web Browser, Rear View Camera, Phone and Charging apps. Access your last-used app by swiping up on the application launcher icon.

For Model 3, the new application launcher is located at the bottom of your touchscreen and brings all your apps together in one place. Swipe up on the application launcher icon to access your last-used app. This update also introduces three new apps:

  • The Web browser app allows you to access the internet. Search for or navigate to any website by entering the URL in the address bar. Easily return to a website by adding it to your Favorites using the heart icon.
  • The Calendar app lets you view your phone’s calendar for the current and next day on your touchscreen. The Calendar is conveniently integrated with Phone and Navigation so you can dial into a meeting or route to your next destination with a single tap. For events to appear, just connect your phone to your car via Bluetooth and allow access by enabling Calendar Sync in the Tesla mobile app settings.
  • The Energy app allows you to view energy consumption in real time for your Model 3. When there is an active navigation route, touch the Trip tab to view the projected energy consumption for the trip.
Media Player

Media Player can now be accessed with a single touch and has been redesigned for all models to include three new views: Miniplayer with simple controls and more space for viewing your map; Recent & Favorites with your favorites and listening history; and Browse, for discovering something new. Drag the Media Player up or down to switch between the views.

  • In Models S and Model X, you can easily show or hide the Media Player by dragging the window up or down. To switch sources, tap on the desired icon at the bottom of the Media Player.

On the radio, you can now tune directly to a station using Direct Tune. For example, enter '88.5' while you've selected FM and the station will start playing immediately.

In Media Settings, the Options tab now has two settings for Streaming:

  • You can now turn off explicit lyrics with the Explicit Content setting by going to Media Settings > Options > Explicit Content.
  • The DJ commentary button for hearing music news on Streaming stations has also moved to Media > Settings.
Controls and Settings

For Model S and Model X, the Controls and Settings panel has been reorganized to make things easier to find. Tap the Controls button in the lower left side of the screen to find Controls and Settings on a single, combined screen. We have also added Quick Controls that give you direct access to the most commonly used controls.

For Model 3, the Controls and Settings menu is updated to remove additional settings, combining all controls and settings onto a single page.

For Model 3, you can now toggle the Rear Seatbelt alerts to mark them as child seats. By adjusting the alert, the Seatbelt Card will only display once per drive cycle when triggered, removing the need to dismiss the alert multiple times.

Climate Controls

For Models S and Model X, climate has been redesigned to be more compact and easier to use.

  • All your controls for cold weather have been moved to one place as part of Climate. Touch the seat icon to access controls for all seat heaters, steering wheel heater and wiper heater.
  • When dual climate is active, two independent temperatures will be displayed on the bottom of the touchscreen.
  • As always, use the right scroll wheel for a quick way to adjust temperature up or down.

For Model 3, a new visualization makes it easier to direct airflow where you want it. To exit the Climate panel, simply swipe down. The temperature settings on the bottom bar can now be controlled with one swipe: to the left to lower, or right to raise. Tapping or pressing and holding the control will continue to work as before. And two separate temperature settings are still possible — just unsync to adjust.

Obstacle-Aware Acceleration

For Models S, Model X and Model 3, acceleration will now be automatically reduced if an obstacle is detected in front of your car while driving at low speeds. This feature can be enabled or disabled in Controls > Autopilot.

Navigate on Autopilot (Beta)

Navigate on Autopilot is our newest Autopilot convenience feature, designed to get you to your destination more efficiently by actively guiding your car from on-ramp to off-ramp including lane changes and highway exits. This feature is only available for cars with an Autopilot upgrade.

Navigate on Autopilot (Beta) builds on existing Autopilot features, which can still be engaged independently. This feature is only available on most with defined on-ramps and off-ramps, and still requires drivers to remain engaged and ready to take control at any moment. Drivers will be prompted with visible and audible cues to engage the steering wheel. If these cues are ignored three times, Autopilot will be disabled.

How to Enable Navigate on Autopilot (Beta)

For this feature to be available to engage, you must first enable Autosteer (Beta) by going to Controls > Autopilot > Autosteer and then enable the Navigate on Autopilot (Beta) feature.

Before this feature can be enabled, camera calibration will be required, and the latest version of Navigation maps must be downloaded via WiFi.

How to Engage Navigate on Autopilot (Beta)

For each route where Navigate on Autopilot (Beta) is available, you will have the option to activate it by pressing the NAVIGATE ON AUTOPILOT button located in your Navigation Turn List.

On Model 3, Navigate on Autopilot (Beta) can be engaged on most highways by moving the gear lever fully down twice in quick succession.

On Model S and Model X, Navigate on Autopilot (Beta) can be engaged on most highways by pulling the cruise stalk toward you twice in quick succession.

When Navigate on Autopilot (Beta) is engaged for your route:

  • A single blue line indicates the path ahead, keeping your car in the lane. Note, Autosteer (Beta) will still be represented on the display by two blue lines when engaged.
  • Gray lines highlight lane changes based on your route or suggestions to move to a faster lane. When a lane change is suggested,you will hear a chime notifying youto confirm by pushing the turn signal in the appropriate direction.
  • Navigate on Autopilot (Beta) will also guide your car toward highway interchanges and exits based on your destination. When guided to an off-ramp or exit, a countdown message will appear warning you of the distance remaining before Navigate on Autopilot reverts to Autosteer.

Navigate on Autopilot (Beta) is only available when the car has a sufficient view and understanding of its surroundings. Drivers are prompted to take over immediately should anything interfere with the cars cameras or sensors, so be sure to keep them clear of any possible obstructions like dirt or ice.

Customizing Navigate on Autopilot (Beta)

Adjust how aggressive Navigate on Autopilot (Beta) makes lane changes to keep your car at the set speed by changing the SPEED BASED LANE CHANGES setting which can be found in Controls > Autopilot > CUSTOMIZE NAVIGATE ON AUTOPILOT.

Autopilot Controls

Autosteer (Beta) and Auto Lane Change settings are now combined under Controls > Autopilot. When Autosteer (Beta) is enabled, engaging the turn signal will activate Auto Lane Change to move your car into an adjacent driving lane.

Blindspot Monitoring

To improve safety and increase confidence when changing lanes, cars with Full Self-Driving hardware will now display a red lane line when your turn signal is engaged and a car or obstacle is detected in your target lane. There is no change to the display for cars without Full Self-Driving hardware.

Tesla cars with Full-Self-Driving hardware will now use all eight cameras, providing a 360-degree view of surrounding cars. This includes improved blind spot monitoring on the instrument panel which reflects the type of car in your blind spot, supplementing an already attentive driver.

Track Mode

Our software update 2018.42.8 introduces Track Mode for Model 3 Performance cars, providing the driver with more vehicle authority and endurance. Track Mode enables high-performance track driving and makes cornering feel as exciting as forward acceleration.

When engaged, increased motor torque and an extended cooling system enhance powertrain operation. Improved braking allows you to maximize performance into and out of turns.

To enable Track Mode in your Model 3 Performance, shift into Park and use the touchscreen to select Controls > Driving > TRACK MODE. When engaged, some other functions, like Driver Assistance features, are disabled.

Track Mode benefits include:

  • Enhanced cornering power – applies brake torque dynamically to inside wheels on turns, allowing you to accelerate faster out of a corner
  • Increased regenerative braking – preserves the endurance of the braking system and sends more energy back to the battery
  • Dynamic motor torque – sends torque to front or rear motor to achieve the rotation required to corner as quickly as possible
  • Aggressive powertrain cooling – preconditions the car between driving sessions, allowing the car to operate at peak performance without overheating

For more information, see your Owner’s Manual.

Dashcam

You can now record and store video footage captured by your car’s forward-facing camera onto a USB flash drive. To record:

  • Configure your USB flash drive by formatting in the 'FAT32' (Windows) / 'MS-DOS (FAT)' (Mac) file architecture and add a base-level folder in the flash drive called 'TeslaCam'.
  • Insert configured USB flash drive into either of the USB ports in the front row.
  • When properly configured, the Dashcam icon will be displayed in the status bar with a red dot indicating that it is recording.
  • Note, the USB must be plugged in while driving to record.

Tap the icon to save a 10-minute video clip or press and hold to pause recording. Recordings not downloaded after an hour will be deleted. Be sure you have sufficient space on your flash drive to allow for saving (each minute of video recorded uses approximately 30 MB; the 1-hour circular buffer requires ~1.8 GB of free space). Dashcam is only available for Model S and Model X cars manufactured after August 2017, and all Model 3 cars.

Tesla App

You can now start navigation in your car by using the share button in your favorite phone apps. iOS users will need to enable sharing to your car: Open the app you want to share from, open the share feature, scroll to the right, tap the More button, then enable Tesla for sharing.

You can also allow your passengers to quickly control the media – play/pause, previous/skip, and cycle through your media favorites.

  • You can disable this feature by going to Media Settings > Allow Mobile Control.

Whenever there's a software update available for your car, you can conveniently start the update from your phone.

  • A notification will be sent to other drivers of your car, and they’ll have a few minutes to cancel the update from their app.
  • Note: these features require mobile Software Version 3.6.0 or above.