Tesla's v11 update was received with mixed feelings. It's split about 50/50 whether you love the update or hate it. There doesn't seem to be much in between.
The UI is cleaner and better organized, but it comes at the expense of quick access to many settings.
Tesla's v11 UI
Some things we'll all just need to get used to. For example, checking your tire pressure in a card-like view will likely not be something that Tesla adds back.
While in other areas we'll certainly see Tesla make some needed updates.
Until the next update, there are a few tips that could make v11 a little easier to use.
Climate
You don't need to tap the temperature to access the climate controls. You can access them at any time by swiping up anywhere from the app launcher.
Once you have the climate open, you can close it by waiting for it to timeout, or by swiping down anywhere in the screen except the vent area, which would aim the direction of the vent instead.
Minimizing Apps
Unfortunately in version 11, Tesla replaced a lot of buttons with sliders, which are less than ideal to use while driving.
Each app used to have a close button, but they have mostly been removed. Apps are now closed by swiping downward in the app.
However, if you prefer you can still close an app with a single tap. It's not as obvious as a close button, but you can tap the app's icon to close it. The music app which has multiple states may require multiple taps on the app icon as the app cycles through its various sizes.
Dismissing Alerts
Tesla now displays various alerts on the bottom left of the screen for the Model 3 and Model Y. This is used for HomeLink, blind spot camera, seat belt warnings, phone calls, and more.
If you receive multiple alerts at once, they can sometimes hide other information you'd like to interact with such as your phone or HomeLink.
Any of these alerts that show up on the bottom left corner can be dismissed by swiping downward. This lets you dismiss HomeLink or another alert if you're trying to interact with another alert that is underneath.
HomeLink
HomeLink is contextually aware and the controls will show up based on the location you have set for your garage door or gate. However, if you use Auto-Open, it's not very obvious how to cancel it if the garage door is already open.
Underneath the HomeLink buttons, you'll see a word named Activate or Cancel. That will be the action performed when you tap the garage door button.
So when pulling up to your garage, you'll initially see Cancel underneath the garage door button, with the number of feet before the garage door will auto-open. Tapping on the button will cancel the automatic opening of your garage.
This solution isn't very intuitive and we hope Tesla will revisit this.
Customizable Launcher
The customizable launcher in v11 is a welcome addition, although it shouldn't remove options that owners had access to before.
We believe Tesla will be adding more options to the app launcher, including seat heaters and window defrost in the future, however for now we have to deal with what we have.
The app launcher will always contain shortcuts to Controls, Volume, and cabin temperature.
Five additional apps will be shown before the driver and passenger temperatures. If you customize 2, then the other 3 will automatically show recently used apps.
You can customize up to 4, as one will always be reserved for a recently used app.
This also means that regardless of which app you're using, the icon for the app will always be the launcher. This lets you quickly close the app by tapping on the app's icon.
Quick Access to Wipers and Headlights
Some of the actionable alerts that can show up on the bottom left portion include windshield wipers and headlights.
In a Model 3 or Model Y, you can quickly adjust these without having to navigate into Controls.
You can tap the end of the left stalk to have the wipers' speed come up on the display.
Similarly, you can flick your high beams to get light controls to come up on the display, which will then let you adjust your fog lights, auto high beams, and regular headlights.
Music
The music app was one of the few apps that received a visual overhaul with the v11 update.
But did you know that it also includes a new Up Next feature that lets you view upcoming songs when you're playing a playlist?
If you tap the button to the left of the search icon, your player will take up about half the screen and it'll show some additional information. You can pick from Up Next, Recents and Favorites and Sources. Recents/Favorites and Sources are now only accessible in this view.
Save Dashcam
The Dashcam icon has been removed from the top of the screen, leaving us without a quick way of saving any Dashcam footage.
However, you can still easily save Dashcam footage by using the "Save Dashcam" voice command. There are many voice commands you can use to make it easier to access features you used before.
Keep the Seat Heater On
Since the seat heaters are now part of the climate view, it makes it more difficult to use them in certain scenarios.
You can still keep your seat heater on and the climate system off. This could be useful if you're running on an extremely low state of charge.
To do so, open the climate system and choose your seat heater temperature. Auto seat heaters will need to be turned off.
You can then power off the climate system and your seat heater will remain on. You can also use the app to turn on just your seat heater if you prefer.
Version 11 of Tesla's UI is a step forward in some cases and a step back in others. It's reassuring to know that Tesla is working on updates to overcome the shortcomings in v11.
You shouldn't expect the UI to go back to the way it was in v10, but you should expect to regain some lost functionality, such as the ability to keep seat heaters in the app launcher or quickly save Dashcam footage.
We’ve now uncovered more details on how Tesla achieved such drastic improvements in the vehicle’s power consumption, which Tesla estimated to be a 40% reduction.
Tesla made architectural changes to how it processes and analyzes video — optimizing which components handle which tasks. While the Cybertruck is the first to benefit from these advancements, Tesla plans to extend these upgrades to other vehicles in the future.
Sentry Mode Power Consumption
Tesla vehicles feature two main computers: the MCU (Media Control Unit) computer, which powers the vehicle’s infotainment center, and the FSD computer, which is responsible for Autopilot and FSD. Both of these computers remain on and powered any time the vehicle is awake, consuming about 250-300 watts.
Typically, the vehicle only uses this power while it’s awake or actively driving. It’s not a major concern since the car automatically goes to sleep and shuts down its computers after about 15 minutes of inactivity. However, the larger issue is that these computers also need to remain on when Sentry Mode is active, causing a 250-watt draw whenever Sentry Mode is on.
Interconnected System
Today, the vehicle’s cameras are connected to the FSD computer, which connects to the MCU, which is finally connected to the USB ports. Because of this interconnected setup, everything needs to remain powered. Footage needs to be streamed from the FSD computer into the MCU, where processes like motion detection occur. The data then needs to be compressed before finally being written to the USB drive. That’s a lengthy process, requiring multiple computers to remain on in order to be able to record and save live video.
Architectural Changes
Tesla is making some architectural changes to address Sentry Mode’s high power consumption by shifting the responsibilities of the vehicle’s computers. By shifting motion detection and possibly the compression activity to the FSD computer, Tesla will now be able to keep the MCU computer asleep. The MCU is still required to push the video to the USB drive, but Tesla can now wake up the system only when it’s needed.
For instance, the FSD computer will still handle the connection to the vehicle’s cameras, but it will now also detect motion. When that Sentry event occurs, it can wake up the MCU to write the data to the USB drive and then have it go back to sleep.
This approach ensures the MCU isn’t continuously powered to analyze and compress video, instead activating it only when data needs to be written.
Processor Isolation & Task Allocation
Tesla’s current architecture separates the Autopilot Unit (APU) from the MCU. This is done for several reasons - but first and foremost is safety. The MCU can be independently restarted even mid-drive without impacting the APU and key safety features.
Additionally, by isolating the APU from the MCU, tasks that are optimized for each unit—processing versus image transcoding—can be offloaded to the processing unit that’s better suited for it. This helps keep both the APU and MCU operating at their optimal power and performance parameters, helping to manage energy consumption more efficiently.
Kernel-Level Power Management
Tesla’s been working on more than just FSD or new vehicle visualization changes and has been putting in the effort to optimize the operating system’s underlying kernel. While not in heavy use, Tesla is underclocking the processors of both the MCU and APU, reducing power usage and heat generation.
Of course, other kernel optimizations and programming tricks, such as the ones Tesla uses to optimize its FSD models, also factor into the increased overall efficiency of the vehicles.
Additional Benefits
Since Tesla vehicles also include a Dashcam that processes video, it’s possible we may also see these additional power savings whenever the vehicle is awake. This could also affect other features, such as Tesla’s Summon Standby feature, which keeps the vehicle awake and processing video to give users almost instant access to the vehicle’s Summon feature.
Roll Out to Other Vehicles
While the Cybertruck was the only vehicle to receive these power improvements to Sentry Mode, we were told that they’re coming to other vehicles too. Tesla is introducing these changes with the Cybertruck first, leveraging its smaller user base for initial testing before expanding the rollout to other vehicles.
USB Port Power Management
To further conserve energy and reduce waste, Tesla now powers down USB ports, even if Sentry Mode is active. This change has impacted many users who rely on 12v sockets or USB ports to remain powered to keep accessories such as small vehicle refrigerators on.
It’s not immediately clear whether these changes to Sentry Mode impact this change or whether power to 12v outlets was removed strictly due to safety concerns.
Tesla has initiated another minor design revision, this time improving the rear camera on the Model 3 and Model Y. This minor revision adds a protective lip around the camera, providing better shielding against rain, dirt, snow, and general road grime.
The design revision began rolling out for Model Y vehicles from Shanghai first, with the initial vehicles spotted with the revision dated as early as late September 2024. Tesla regularly makes minor design revisions on its vehicles in between model years, in an iterative design process that gradually improves as more and more vehicles are built.
Design Revision
The design revision adds a small shield around the rear camera, including a small lip towards the bottom end. The little lip is likely going to make the biggest difference, as it will help prevent kickback and wash from the tires landing on the camera lens, which can obscure it.
For now, nothing indicates a potential revision including a camera washer—similar to the Cybertruck’s front camera washer. However, given we already know the Model Y Juniper is likely arriving with a front camera, it’ll probably also have a front camera washer.
This lip for the rear camera should be a nice addition, but we’ll have to see just how much of an improvement it provides in the upcoming winter season as the messy, slushy mix arrives in much of the United States and Canada.
3D Printed Accessory
If you’re feeling left out without the new rear camera shield, you’ll soon be able to 3D print and install a similar design. Some entrepreneurial 3D modelers have already started working on making a retrofittable shield for both the HW3 and HW4 rear cameras.
In the meantime, we recommend using ceramic coating on the rear camera to help keep that slush and grime moving when it does hit the camera. A good application of ceramic coating can help prevent buildup on the lens.
Model S and X
For now, we haven’t seen this design revision on more recent Model S and Model X vehicles yet. There were previously rumors of a light refresh for both of the more premium vehicles. However, we haven’t seen any indications of these changes actually seeing the light of day.
Once the refreshes for these two vehicles arrive, we could see more drastic changes. Tesla has also indicated it is waiting to use some of its upcoming new battery cell technology in 2026, so we could be waiting for a while before seeing further updates to the Model S and Model X.
We’ll be looking for both vehicles to receive this design revision. If you spot them, let us know on social media or on our forums.
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