20 Tesla Secrets You Should Be Aware Of

If you weren’t aware, your Tesla has some pretty unique hidden features and secret settings that will make your driving experience much more enjoyable. Here are 20 Tesla Secret Features you have to see to believe! 

Real-Time Sentry Mode 

Eight cameras are installed in your Tesla. Four cameras capture activities when your vehicle is parked and in sentry mode, a well-known Tesla security function. However, many people are unaware that these four cameras are viewable in real time through the Tesla app for Android and iPhone. 

Using live sentry mode, you may remotely access your Tesla’s cameras, blast the horn, and flash the headlights. You may, however, converse through your Tesla’s outdoor speaker from anywhere on the planet! As long as the premium connection and live sentry mode are turned on. That is fantastic! 

Free Premium Connectivity 

Connectivity is crucial to the driving experience in all Tesla vehicles, giving access to data-driven features such as streaming music and video, live traffic visualization, and more. Every Tesla comes with a connection that enables you to utilize basic navigation features. 

If you want other features like Live Traffic Visualization, Sentry Mode – View Live Camera, Satellite-View Maps, Video Streaming, Karaoke, Music Streaming, and Internet Browsing, you’ll need to subscribe to the Premium Connectivity service for $9.99 per month or $99 annually. 

The majority of Tesla owners are unaware that the bulk of these services are accessible without a subscription. The goal is to connect your Tesla to your smartphone’s hotspot through WiFi. 

In addition to basic maps and navigation services like traffic-based routing, Trip Planner, and Supercharger stall availability, you will be able to enjoy Video Streaming, Karaoke, Music Streaming, and Internet Browsing. In order to use your mobile hotspot, you need to have an unlimited plan with your carrier. 

Extra Streaming Services and Games 

You may access streaming services such as Netflix, Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, and others if you have Premium Connectivity or are connected to your mobile phone’s hotspot. It already has an outstanding selection, but you can add even more streaming services to your Tesla. 

You will receive access to streaming services such as HBO Max, ESPN, Paramount, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and many more when you visit some page! You may also play Tetris and other games. The user interface is fluid and easy to use; you may bookmark the website so that it opens first when you open your internet browser, making it easier than ever to start streaming right away. 

Open the Charging Port 

The charging wire may sometimes get entangled in your Tesla’s charge port, something we hope never happens. If this happens at home or at a Tesla Supercharger, you will be unable to use the main screen to electrically open the charging connection.

 This may be frustrating since physically disconnecting the cable is often difficult. Fortunately, there is a hidden lock in the Trunk’s top left side that may be utilized to remove the charging cable. You’ll have to dig a bit to find the wire, but once you do, just tug on it to manually remove the charging line. 

As soon as possible, reduce the Autopilot Speed. 

If you find yourself going faster than the speed limit when on autopilot and need to reduce your speed quickly, you may do it simply by tapping the speed limit sign on the screen rather than using the scroll wheel to change the speed. Tap the speed limit indication to quickly and safely lower your speed in an emergency or to avoid traffic penalties. 

Send Your Address to Tesla 

The navigation system in Tesla makes it easy to find and go to an address, but there are other ways to tell your Tesla where you want to go. You may wirelessly send the information from your mobile device to your Tesla if you want to travel to a destination. 

You may do this using addresses that have been emailed to you, texted to you, or retrieved using an internet browser. You may do this by long-tapping the address and choosing the Share to Tesla app, which will instantly send the information to your Tesla and begin navigating to the location. It is necessary to have the Tesla app, Bluetooth, and a driver profile attached to your Tesla. 

Sunglasses Extender 

This one may seem simple to most drivers, but you may be surprised to find that the vast majority of drivers are uninformed. If you didn’t previously know, you can extend your Tesla’s sun visors by moving the visor to the left or right after it’s been folded down, exposing an adjustable rod for more coverage. 

System of Parking Brakes 

You may be aware that when you park and exit your Tesla, the parking brake is automatically engaged, but did you also know that you may manually activate the parking brake? To achieve this, hold the park button on the right steering wheel stock. Holding it for a few seconds engages the parking brake, and the main screen displays a parking brake symbol. This is useful if you are parking on a slope or in an inclined driveway while still inside your car. 

QUICKLY GET HOME OR TO WORK 

Do you need a quicker method to go to work or home? You can save time by swiping up or down on the navigation bar instead of navigating to the address bar, choosing home or work, and then hitting navigate. You may start navigating to your home or business with a single swipe. 

Battery and Range Icons 

The battery icon in the top left corner of your screen always indicates how much charge your battery has. By default, it will show the amount of charge by percentage, but if you tap the number, you can change it to how many miles you can go with the current charge. A simple yet useful hidden feature! 

Quick and easy access to the Tesla App 

The Tesla app for iPhone and Android is useful for enabling sentry mode, checking charge metrics, and scheduling service appointments, but the most useful feature is using it as a vehicle key, which allows you to lock your doors, open the trunk or frunk, adjust the temperature, and even vent your windows. 

By default, the program gives four options: lock/unlock, temperature switch on, charging port open, and trunk open. Long pressing between those four symbols will reveal a hidden menu with a plethora of other options that you may modify using any of the standard controls. 

Some of the hidden features include defrosting your car, honking the horn, and activating sentry mode. You may even add a fifth symbol to the control bar if you explore with the icons! 

Tesla’s Widget 

You may add the Tesla Widget to your mobile device’s home screen in addition to the fast controls in the Tesla app to make your quick controls more accessible. Simply hold down an empty spot on your home screen and pick the Add button in the top left corner of your screen, then search for the Tesla widget and select either the small or medium version of the widget, and it will be added to your home screen or any page you like. 

Once installed, you’ll be able to access your four or five quick controls without ever opening the app, thus turning your phone into a virtual car key. The widget will also show your battery percentage, the car’s current location, and the status of sentry mode. One of the most stunning hidden features on this list is ours! 

Turn off the temperature control. 

With the Christmas update V11 in 2021, simple controls become more difficult to access, making operating the Tesla more challenging than ever. Since then, the Tesla team has released updates to make things simpler to use, but many of these upgrades fail to emphasize many of the new capabilities.

 One of these features is an easy way to turn off the climate. Normally, you’d slide up from the bottom of the screen and then press the power button on the temperature panel, which may be tough to do while driving. To make things easier, just hold down the climate button for a few seconds and the climate will turn off completely, making things much easier than before! 

Convenient Lighting Configurations 

Your headlight and foglight settings are another feature that you can now access much more easily. Rather of browsing Tesla menus and options, just slide the left steering wheel stock forward to access your light settings, where you can adjust your headlights, high beams, and parking lights. 

Remove Autopilot as soon as possible. 

The autopilot warnings urging us to hold the steering wheel with minimal pressure to ensure we’re paying attention are something we loathe as Tesla drivers. We will never be able to get rid of it since it is a safety feature, but there is a method to reduce its load. 

Driving with a tiny turning force on the steering wheel might be unnerving at times since with enough strength, you can shift the car left and right. This also enables you to disable the autopilot completely. Instead of clutching the steering wheel, just press or spin either scroll wheel, making long trips safer and easier on your wrists and arms. 

Determine the Trunk Height 

If you’ve ever been frightened to open your Tesla trunk in locations with low ceilings or hanging things above your vehicle, you don’t have to worry since you can change the trunk opening height by simply pressing on the trunk shut button on your trunk at the height you want it to stop opening. 

You can set it to open at the specified height every time you open your trunk by holding down the button for a few seconds once it’s at the chosen height, which is ideal for home use. To reset the height, just push the trunk all the way up and leave it open until you hear a beeping sound. 

Mode of Joe

If you have small children or often transport backseat passengers, the system noises in your Tesla may be loud and annoying. Fortunately, you may lessen the volume of these sounds by selecting “Joe Mode” from the system’s safety menu. 

The capability is known as “Joe Mode” since a Tesla owner called Joe complained about system sounds and demanded a repair. Elon reacted to the owner by implementing the capability, which he named after him. How awesome is that? 

Gestures 

As previously said, recent Tesla improvements have made navigating the infotainment screen easier than ever, and the addition of gestures enables this. Simple actions, rather than browsing through menus and settings, may accomplish a lot.

 For example, you can change the temperature of the climate by holding down on it and swiping left and right. Alternatively, you may get a similar effect by altering the loudness. There are many more actions to uncover, so go swiping; you’ll be amazed at what you can do! 

Restart your computer right away. 

Don’t contact Tesla if your Tesla’s infotainment screen starts acting oddly, such as slowing down and stuttering, or if some functionalities stop functioning as expected, such as your phone no longer connecting to Bluetooth or connection capabilities no longer working. A simple reboot should address the bulk of these small difficulties. 

You may reboot and refresh your Tesla without losing any settings by squeezing the two scroll wheels on the steering wheel for around five seconds. If everything is done successfully, the screen will go black for up to 50 seconds before returning to normal.

 Your Tesla will be updated, and everything should work properly. You may even utilize this system while driving since all of the driving functions will continue to work, although without a screen, until the car is reset. 

Enhance Your Tesla 

Aside from hidden features, there are ways to improve the comfort, performance, and look of your Tesla. This may be accomplished by adding aftermarket equipment. Custom seat covers and carbon fiber accents may completely remodel your interior. Aerodynamic upgrades and wheel spacers may boost performance, while floor mats and car covers may protect it. 

The possibilities are endless! You may customize your Tesla at AccessoriesForTesla.com. This page only includes products that Tesla enthusiasts have personally tested for quality over long periods of time. 

What do you think about these hidden features? Is there anything on this list that you didn’t know about? Is there anything more we should have said? Let’s discuss it in the comments!