You'll soon be able to use Emissions Testing Mode from your Tesla app
Tesla
Ho Ho Ho, hold everything. If you want to spoil your Christmas surprise from Tesla, keep reading. I know you are still reading, so you are on the naughty list! Here we go; the 2022 Holiday Update is a doozy so let's tear off the wrapping paper and reveal some of the new features that will be coming to the Tesla app.
Light Show Control
No longer will you have to get in the vehicle and scroll through the screen to find the Light Show. Now Tesla owners can activate the fan favorite from the app. A New Years' song is also rumored to be included, in addition to Carol of Bells. Activating the light show from the app will be far more convenient and fun for someone who uses the Light Show as part of their exterior Christmas decorations. Yes, my neighbors and I may be a little tired of Carol of Bells.
Tesla Emission Increase
That's right, Tesla is increasing emissions! Just like the Light Show, you will now be able to activate emissions, also known as farting, from your app. The whoopie cushion can be activated while outside of the car. For the pranksters in the crowd, this should bring your game up a level.
According to an article posted on Naver, you'll be able to activate Emissions Mode by adding it to your Quick Controls near the top of the app. You'll then be able to pick your fart sound and have the car play it.
It appears that the sounds will come out of the pedestrian warning system (PWS) speaker, so it may be limited to vehicles that have the external speaker installed.
Dog Mode Supervision
Tesla recently improved Dog Mode to work with Sentry Mode. Previously users had to pick one or the other. Now, the company is enabling fur baby parents to view the interior camera to keep an eye on the four-legged buddies.
Recent release notes hinted at cabin camera viewing; now we know why. This is a big one if you have a more naughty than nice dog or puppy-in-training who has used the Tesla as a chew toy.
It's like the vehicle version of Furbo but without the treat dispenser. Of course, that could be in the new hardware update, but that is unlikely! For those wondering about privacy, this camera will not record, and it's believed there will be some kind of notification on the screen if the camera is being viewed remotely.
The interior camera will only be viewable while Dog Mode is active. This feature will not add the cabin camera view as an additional camera to Sentry Mode.
MyQ App Support?
Elon Musk will now open your garage door for you! Well, not personally, but MyQ will be included in Tesla's car Holiday Update. This system uses WiFi to open, close and monitor users' garage doors. We hope that Tesla will offer more than just garage door support and include support for lights and gates as well.
While it's not a feature we've seen confirmed, we think it a lot of sense for Tesla to integrate MyQ support into their app as well, similarly to how HomeLink is integrated. We'll have to wait and see if that's the case.
As great as MyQ integration looks, unfortunately, it looks like MyQ is ready to charge a fee for using their integration — check out the in-depth details here.
There you have it. That's just some of the new features coming to the Tesla app. If you'd like to see what else is included, be sure to check out our coverage of some of the features coming in the vehicle's Holiday Update.
So, you've spoiled some Christmas presents from Santa Musk. We won't tell.
Tesla has released software update 2025.2.6, and while minor updates typically focus on bug fixes, this one introduces a major new feature. With this update, Tesla has activated the in-cabin radar, a sensor that has been included in some vehicles for more than three years but remained unused until now.
Why Not Vision?
Unlike vision-based systems, radar can precisely measure object dimensions and even detect movement behind obstacles by bouncing radio waves off surrounding surfaces. This allows for more accurate and reliable measurements of objects that vision may not even be able to see, such as behind the front seats.
What Tesla Announced
Tesla recently highlighted the 4D radar in the new Model Y, explaining how it will improve passenger safety. Tesla executives stated that the radar would be used to properly classify passengers and improve the way airbags deploy.
Tesla went on to say that in a future update, Tesla will use the in-cabin radar to detect any potential passengers left in the vehicles. Since radar can even pick up on heartbeat and breathing patterns, it can provide a much more accurate method of detecting children left in a vehicle. Tesla talked about how the vehicle will send owners a notification via the Tesla app and enable the HVAC system if it detects a passenger in the vehicle. It’ll even call emergency services if needed.
New Feature in Update 2025.2.6
Tesla has officially named this feature in update 2025.2.6, “First-Row Cabin Sensing Update,” which appears to align with the first portion of what Tesla discussed in the new Model Y video.
In the release notes, Tesla describes the update as:
“The first-row cabin sensing system has been updated to use cabin radar, which is now standard in all new 2025 Model Ys. Your Model Y was built pre-equipped with the necessary hardware, allowing Tesla to also bring this technology to your vehicle.”
For now, it appears that Tesla is using the radar to detect and classify passengers in the front seats. This could eventually replace traditional seat sensors, reducing the number of hardware components and lowering production costs.
Tesla plans to expand the feature later this year, bringing rear-seat passenger detection in Q3 2025. While Tesla talked about the feature for the new Model Y, we expect it to be available for all vehicles with the in-cabin radar.
Supported Models
Although Tesla is vague in their release notes, this feature is being added to all Model Ys that include a cabin radar. Tesla started including the cabin radar in 2022, but its availability may vary by region and model. The Model 3 didn’t receive the cabin radar until it was redesigned in 2024, while all Cybertrucks already include it.
The owner’s manual for the redesigned Model S and Model X doesn’t specifically mention the interior radar, although Greentheonly believes the vehicles also include one, so we’ll have to wait to determine whether those vehicles also receive this new feature.
At this time, the feature appears to be only going out to Model Y vehicles, but we expect it to become available on other supported models soon.
We love to see these kinds of updates. Tesla is increasing the safety of existing and new vehicles through a software update while also making them more affordable to own.
Tesla has updated the Tesla app to version 4.42.0, and this time, it’s more than just bug fixes. The app includes a new service interface, introduces support for the new Model Y, and, for the first time, includes some code for the Robotaxi coming later this year.
This update was released for iOS and should be available on Android within a few days.
Refreshed Model Y 3D Model
First up in the update is the introduction of the 3D model for the refreshed Model Y. Interestingly, while we all know it as Juniper, the file code name inside the update lists the vehicle as “Bayberry.” The Bayberry name was introduced in Tesla app update 4.41.5. Tesla’s internal code names sometimes change as the vehicle evolves - and we’ll continue to refer to it as the refreshed or new Model Y for ease of understanding.
A rear-angle shot of the Refreshed Model Y from the Tesla App
@olympusdev_ on X
As usual with Tesla’s 3D models in the app, there’s a lot of detail, although it’s not easy to see since you can pinch and zoom the model in the app. The 3D models used in the app are actually the same models that Tesla uses in the vehicle, although sometimes they include different lighting effects, but they’re all highly detailed.
Robotaxi API
Tesla has added a new endpoint in their app for Robotaxi - and it’s the very first Robotaxi or Cybercab-related item we’ve seen in the app. With the Robotaxi fleet launching in June, according to Tesla, it looks like they’re now adding support to the Tesla app.
What the Robotaxi interface is supposed to look like in the future.
Not a Tesla App
The new app API is called “rides_feedback_upload,” which seems pretty explanatory. Tesla will need to gather a lot of information on ride quality and all the little things in between. What better way than to get feedback directly from users?
While Tesla previously released prototype images of what the Robotaxi app will look like, the introduction of this API into the Tesla app leads us to believe that Tesla will utilize the current app for Robotaxi use.
Updated Service Interface
The Updated Service Panel in the Tesla App
Not a Tesla App
Tesla has released an updated UI for the Tesla Service panel, and we have a ton of details on these changes. This new pane displays appointment details more prominently. If you have a service appointment scheduled, you’ll now see a lot more details on the main service screen. The app will now display:
Your current service status
Appointment date and time, which you can now tap on to add the event to your calendar
Address and hours of the service center. You can now also tap on the address to open up the location in your maps app
There’s also a new appointment details screen (the right portion of the image). This screen displays additional details that were previously unavailable, such as your transport type. The app will display whether you’ll get a loaner vehicle, demo vehicle, or something else.
There are a ton of user experience (UX) improvements in this update regarding service, including clearer language, improved UI fixes to images, and more.
Tesla has been making a lot of positive updates to the Service-related sections of the app lately, and we’re happy to see these coming rapid-fire. Tesla Service is now easier to use and understand. In the previous app update, Tesla also added the ability to pull down to update the service screens.
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