Tesla will add the ability to customize Cabin Overheat Protection feature

By Lennon Cihak
Tesla will allow you to further customize its Cabin Overheat Protection feature
Tesla will allow you to further customize its Cabin Overheat Protection feature

Cabin Overheat Protection (COP) is an amazing feature that is available on all Teslas.

If the interior of the vehicle gets too hot, the car can automatically turn on the HVAC fan, allowing cool air to be brought in to help cool the cabin.

You can also choose to have the vehicle use the AC to more effectively cool down the interior of the car, although it comes at the expense of some battery drain.

Up until now the temperature at which Cabin Overheat Protection turns on has not been configurable and is set at 105° F.

However, last night Elon Musk announced that Tesla will be bringing some improvements to Cabin Overheat Protection. You’ll soon be able to adjust the temperature at which COP turns on.

Although Elon says that you'll be able to adjust the temperature at which COP kicks on, it may be limited to a certain range. Maybe somewhere along the lines of 90° to 120°.

After all, if you want to keep the car any cooler, you could always use Climate Keeper.

It'll be interesting to see if Tesla includes any additional improvements to Cabin Overheat Protection, such as only allowing it to cool at certain times or locations. It could also allow the vehicle to automatically vent the windows to help further cool the interior.

Elon recently said that Tesla would incorporate a feature that would allow the vehicle to automatically close its windows when it starts raining. It's certainly possible that these features could be tied together in a 'Summer Improvements' package.

Elon said that the enhancement will be included in the next software update. Elon is likely referring to the next major update and not any minor revisions to 2022.20.

The next major release is expected to be 2022.24, which is probably still 2-4 weeks away.

Cabin Overheat Protection currently has three options: Off, No A/C, and On. When the feature is set to off, which is the default, the vehicle will simply not do anything when the interior temperature reaches 105°.

When “No A/C” is selected, COP will simply utilize the fans to cool the cabin. This will help cool down the cabin slightly, but during hot days the interior of the cabin will still climb into 130° and beyond.

The best way to keep the cabin cool during hot days is to set Cabin Overheat Protection to "On," which will let the vehicle utilize the AC.

While this method is best for keeping the interior of the vehicle from exceeding 105° F, it still may not be enough in excessive heat. There is no gaurantee that the cabin will below 105°.

To enable Cabin Overheat Protection in your vehicle, head to Controls > Safety and scroll down until you see Cabin Overheat Protection and pick your preferred option.

You can also turn it on from your Tesla app by navigating to the Climate section and sliding up the bottom drawer for additional climate options, such as Dog Mode, Camp Mode.

In the app you can also choose to receive a push notification on your phone when COP is activated by going to Profile > Settings > Notifications.

COP is a nifty feature if you live in a warmer climate and dislike getting into a car that is excessively hot. It can also be life-saving if a small child or pet is ever forgotten in the car.

Cabin Overheat Protection will remain on up to a maximum of 12 hours after the car is parked, or until the battery reaches 20% of charge.

Look for this improvement and others in Tesla's upcoming update.

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Tesla Activates In-Cabin Radar in Software Update 2025.2.6

By Not a Tesla App Staff
Not a Tesla App

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 Updates App: Adds Robotaxi Code, New Model Y Models and New Tesla Service UI

By Karan Singh
@olympusdev_ on X

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
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.
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
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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