Tesla's latest FSD Beta adds new features and visualizations
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Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, tweeted that the latest Full Self-Driving Beta is “a major step change improvement. Still needs another point release of polish before rolling out wide.” That said, most of those who have taken v11.3.1 for a ride are impressed.
There are a number of options that have been added and removed with this beta, as well as new visualizations.
New Visualizations
Let’s start with the bright shiny objects - new visualizations. Anyone who has watched the ride-along on YouTube has noticed that FSD v11.3.1 looks different.
Wider Path
Firstly, the path the vehicle is taking is a much thicker line, representing the entire space the car currently occupies and will occupy in the immediate future.
Chevrons
Chevrons will also appear in the path to show the car slowing down. The opacity and speed at which the chevrons are moving change depending on how quickly the car is slowing.
Stopping Line
A white or black line will now appear in front of the Tesla to tell the supervising driver exactly where the car will stop. There’s no more guessing where the car will stop moving. This line appears as soon as the car realizes that it will have to stop, like when approaching an intersection.
Traffic Lights
The traffic lights will now sometimes appear in blue. The blue light indicates that the vehicle is obeying that traffic light. Let’s say you are turning left at an intersection with three traffic lights present; the light in front of the left lane will be blue, while the other two for traffic going straight will remain gray.
Many have observed more detailed images of the surroundings as well. This includes a rolling tire that appeared while Chuck Cook was out for a ride. As documented in the release notes, the system identifies objects differently and seemingly much more accurately.
FSD Messages
FSD Beta 11.3.1 will now display messages letting you know what the vehicle is doing
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How many times have you enabled FSD, and you or your passengers asked, "what is it doing?" Well, now it tells you exactly what it is doing. For example, if it spots an intersection and a red light, it will say, "stopping for the red light." It will display various messages that make it clear what the vehicle is stopping or waiting for such as stop signs, crossing pedestrians, bicyclists and more. This addition gives us a better look into what the software is doing.
Voice Drive-Notes
This is a significant addition because the software now allows for instant driver feedback. If you must take control away from FSD, a prompt will ask you to explain what happened. You can leave an audio recording. For example, if the software says it is stopping for a red light, but you see the light is green, you can take over and tell Tesla what happened so their team can review it.
Glowing Speed Limit Sign
FSD Beta 11.3.1 will glow the speed limit sign when you exceed the detected speed limit by more than 50%
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The speed limit sign appears in the same location, but now it will glow when the vehicle's speed exceeds the posted limit by more than 50%, for example, going 75 mph in a 50 mph zone.
Speed Limit Offset
Speaking of speed, the option to set your Autopilot speed to an absolute value over the speed limit has been removed. You used to be able to set Autopilot to travel 10 mph over the posted speed limit, which would apply in all cases. However, you'll now have to use the 'relative' option, which lets you choose a percentage value to travel above the limit. So choosing a 15% offset will let the vehicle travel at about 35 mph in a 30 zone, while in a 65 mph zone, the vehicle will travel up to 75 mph.
New 'Minimal Lane Changes' Option
There have been a lot of comments about a smoother drive experience with better, less robotic lane changes. However, if you'd like to reduce the number of lane changes the vehicle makes, there is a new option called 'Minimal Lane Changes.' This new option in the Autopilot menu reduces lane changes by having the vehicle only make a lane change when it's required to follow the route. It prevents the vehicle from making lane changes due to slow-moving traffic in its lane.
New Shortcut for Autopilot Options
FSD Beta 11.3.1 includes a shortcut to the FSD Profiles
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With this beta, Tesla also introduced a new shortcut for some Autopilot options. When tilting the right scroll wheel left/right in previous betas, the vehicle would adjust its follow distance from 2 to 7. This option has now been removed since FSD Beta now handles the follow distance automatically on the highway.
When tilting the scroll wheel, you'll now be presented with a new set of options. They'll allow you to adjust the vehicle's FSD Profile, between Chill, Average and Assertive. This isn't new to this beta, but the ability to quickly change the FSD Profile is. In addition to being able to switch the FSD Profile, you'll also have the option to quickly enable 'Minimal Lane Changes' with this shortcut. The option will only stay enabled for the current drive. The informational box in the vehicle explains how Minimal Lane Changes works:
"When enabled, Full Self-Driving (Beta) will limit changes only to follow the navigation route or when required for safety. This option gets reset when the car is parked at the end of a drive."
Removal of 'Navigate on Autopilot'
With the introduction of FSD Beta to highway driving, Tesla has now removed the 'Navigate on Autopilot' (NoA) feature. NoA was Tesla's term for the vehicle performing lane changes to follow your route. However, with the introduction of FSD Beta v11, this option became redundant and it has now been removed with this update.
Correction: Navigate on Autopilot is still available if you switch to 'Autosteer' on the Autopilot menu. The Navigate on Autopilot options disappear when you're using FSD Beta.
New Autopilot Menu
Tesla has reorganized the Autopilot menu
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With this update, Tesla has redesigned the Autopilot menu to remove older options and make your options clearer.
At the very top Tesla now gives owners three options for Autopilot features, they are, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC), Autosteer, or FSD Beta.
Autosteer is essentially Basic Autopilot, which will keep the vehicle's speed, brake, keep a proper follow distance and steer within the vehicle's lane.
FSD Beta is the option you'll want if you want the vehicle to make lane changes to follow your route.
After that, you have more FSD options, such as FSD Profile, followed by 'Lane Change Notification,' which was previously a part of Navigate on Autopilot and Speed Offset.
Tesla also cleaned up some other options, removing the toggles for 'Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control' and 'Full Self-Driving Visualization Preview'.
Underneath the Autopilot preferences, you then have Summon and the other usual options.
View Cabin Camera
Plus, we previously reported this undocumented feature that appeared in the first update of 2023. Surprisingly, the preview cabin camera video is also available with this update. This function, found under service, allows owners to view their cabin camera inside the vehicle. That provides some peace of mind for users so they can have an idea of what the camera can and cannot see when activated. If you have any privacy concerns, check out our article on Tesla’s Privacy Policy.
Tesla's FSD Beta v11.3.1 is an impressive step forward, with new visualizations and features that enhance the driving experience. Tesla continues to push the boundaries of self-driving technology, and the positive feedback from early users is a testament to their progress. With the upcoming wide release of v11.3.2, we can only expect more exciting updates and improvements from Tesla. Stay tuned for more updates on the future of autonomous driving.
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Tesla has officially announced the next major software update, 2025.26. As expected, this update will introduce the Grok AI assistant to Tesla vehicles, although it’ll initially be limited to the U.S.
Tesla also announced several other features that will arrive in update 2025.26, such as Light Sync, the ability to create and save audio presets, and others.
We’ll break down each new feature and which models and regions we expect it to be available in.
As expected, Grok will only be available on AMD Ryzen-based vehicles. Tesla says that it will also be limited to the United States and require Premium Connectivity, but it looks like it won’t require a subscription to anything else, such as Super Grok.
Unfortunately, Tesla announced that Grok will not be able to control elements in your vehicle and that the old voice command system will still be used to do that.
In a post on X, Tesla showed off Grok in action for the first time, showing the interaction between the driver and Grok. The Grok interface displays sound waves in rainbow-like colors when it’s speaking, much like another popular device. Tesla’s video of Grok is below:
Supported vehicles: Based on Tesla’s post, this is expected to include all AMD vehicles, including the Model S, X, 3, Y, and Cybertruck.
Supported regions: U.S.
Light Sync
Not a Tesla App
Tesla continues to improve the ambient light feature in Teslas by integrating it into more things. Tesla recently started using the ambient lights during Santa Mode and Rainbow Road. They also turn the ambient lighting red when you’re in Service Mode. However, this time, they’re going one step further. The ambient lights can now react to the music you’re playing by presumably changing colors based on the beat.
You’ll also have the option to maximize the brightness of the ambient lights when this feature is enabled, but only when the vehicle is parked, which Tesla is calling Rave Cave.
In addition to reacting to the music, the lights can change color to match the album color of the music being played, which is kind of similar to the ambient lights on some TVs matching the content being displayed. A needless addition? Sure. But very cool as well.
Tesla shows a screenshot of this feature, which is included in the Toybox app, and shows that you can enable or disable each feature individually, including syncing the lights to music, max brightness, and matching the album artwork color.
Supported vehicles: All vehicles with the ambient lighting feature, including the Cybertruck.
Supported regions: Assumed to be available everywhere.
Audio Settings Update
Not a Tesla App
Another feature Tesla highlights is the ability to create presets for audio settings. These audio settings will be in a new Audio tab in the vehicle’s settings, and they’ll allow you to create and save presets for different types of music. For example, you can have a preset for spoken content and another one for pop music.
Each preset will let you adjust the equalizer and set the immersive sound level.
What’s nice here is that it seems that Tesla has redesigned the audio settings and moved them to the main vehicle controls instead of only having them accessible through a button in the music player. You can see the Balance tab at the top, although it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to save the balance as part of the preset.
Supported vehicles: This is expected to be available on all vehicles, although it could exclude the legacy Model S/X.
Dashcam Viewer Updates
Not a Tesla App
This Dashcam Viewer update is only for AMD-based vehicles. It includes the ability to change the playback speed of the video being played, a feature of the old Dashcam Viewer which was surprisingly not included in the new player.
The playback speed is shown on the screen, and you’ll be able to tap it to cycle between varying speeds. The older Dashcam Viewer lets you choose between 0.5x, 1x, 1.5x, and 2x playback speeds, and this is expected to be the same in this update.
With this update, the new Dashcam Viewer also arrives on the Cybertruck for the first time, which was the only Ryzen vehicle excluded when the update was originally released.
Supported vehicles: All AMD Ryzen-based vehicles.
Supported regions: Assumed to be available everywhere.
This isn’t as exciting a feature, but it surely prevents a lot of unnecessary frustration for users who arrive at a Supercharger location only to find out it requires you to pay for parking, is only available for valet service, or has other requirements.
If the Supercharger is in a garage, Tesla will now include the floor or level number that the Supercharger is on. While there are usually physical signs at these locations, knowing the floor number the charger is on ahead of time will definitely make it easier to find.
Supported vehicles: Expected to be available on all vehicles.
Supported regions: It’s not clear whether this will be available in all regions.
Onboarding Guide
Not a Tesla App
The last feature that Tesla is highlighting in update 2025.26 is a new onboarding guide that will help new owners become familiar with their vehicles.
According to Tesla, the new guide will run through several features, such as adjusting your seat and mirrors, as well as controlling certain vehicle functions, including the lights, wipers, and Autopilot. This will be a great addition for new owners, as accessing some of these features isn’t apparent, especially if they require use of the unlabeled scroll wheel, such as activating Autopilot on newer vehicles without a stalk.
Supported vehicles: This is expected to only be available on AMD Ryzen vehicles, but Tesla doesn’t specify which vehicles it’ll be available on. Once the update starts rolling out, we should have more information.
Supported regions: This will likely be available in all or most regions.
Release Date
There may be other features included in update 2025.26 that Tesla isn’t highlighting in their post. Tesla often doesn’t include smaller additions or features that were previously introduced but have now been added to more regions.
There’s no doubt that the biggest feature in this update is Grok, but the other updates are nice improvements as well. This feature is expected to roll out to employees this weekend, and it should start rolling out to customers in the next week or two.
Tesla is moving to aggressively expand its Robotaxi Network at a rapid pace, with new information revealing that an expansion into Arizona is imminent, pending, of course, regulatory approval. Tesla has already begun looking at building out the program to other cities, just weeks after the launch of its pilot program in Austin, Texas.
Phoenix, Arizona, is Next
In a letter received following a query submitted by Sawyer Merritt, the Arizona Department of Transportation (AZDOT) has confirmed that Tesla had officially applied for Robotaxi permits on June 26th, 2025. According to AZDOT, Tesla had applied for the permits for both autonomous vehicle testing and operation with and without a safety driver.
The department also confirmed that Tesla has expressed its interest specifically in operating within the Phoenix Metro area, with a decision on the permits expected by the end of July. This is the first official step to establish Robotaxi within a second state, which is exciting to see.
Tesla Hiring Vehicle Operators
The move into Arizona isn’t an isolated event. It’s the first step in a broader national expansion, as per Tesla’s recent job postings for Robotaxi Vehicle Operators and FSD testers on Tesla’s Careers page.
These positions, which are necessary for Tesla to launch and validate the service in new locations, show us where Tesla plans to deploy Robotaxi next. The areas include:
Tempe, Arizona
Palo Alto, California
Fremont, California
San Diego, California
Henderson, Nevada
Jacksonville, Florida
Tesla is simultaneously laying the groundwork for expansion in at least three other states besides Texas and Arizona, and that’s a good sign for the network’s quick expansion. Tesla’s executive cadre pointed to a timeline of late 2025 for Robotaxi to be deployed in multiple cities across the United States, and it appears that this timeline is on track.
The Scalability Advantage
This strategy of pursuing multiple markets in parallel highlights the advantage of Tesla’s generalized autonomy approach. Because FSD is designed to be a generalized solution that learns from a global fleet, Tesla does not need to spend years meticulously pre-mapping every street in a new city.
Instead, it can target new locations and use a smaller fleet of operators to validate the performance and safety of FSD within a new environment. After all, every city has its own unique traffic regulations and environmental considerations that need to be understood.
The key here is that Tesla can turn on a fleet in a whole new location in just a fraction of the time required by other methods, such as HD mapping - which can require hundreds of mapping vehicles, thousands of hours of real humans driving, and many hours of engineering to get all the data cleaned up and ready for use.
The Austin pilot is just the beginning of Robotaxi. Tesla is already planning to expand the geofence this weekend and plans to scale the network to other cities soon.
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