Details of Tesla’s 2023 Holiday Update — or at least a notable portion of it — have been leaked online. Based on the reaction from Tesla owners on social media, it appears that Tesla’s 2023 Holiday Update has made some EV owners feel like Santa Claus gave them coal instead of toys.
The anticipation for Tesla’s 2023 Holiday Update was palpable, with software tracking services such as Teslascope hinting that employees who received the update were under a nondisclosure agreement. The release notes for update 2023.44.25 were posted online anyway, providing a pretty good teaser of what’s to come with the 2023 Holiday Update.
Following are the release notes of Tesla update 2023.44.25, as shared by Not a Tesla App.
Here is your Tesla’s 2023 holiday update:
– Trip Planner on Mobile App
– More Cameras in Live Camera View
– Automatic Blind Spot Camera
– Light Show
– Apple Podcasts
– Tesla Arcade Updates
– Automatic 911 Calls
– Speed Cameras on Your Route
– Shuffle Play in TIDAL
– Apple and… pic.twitter.com/FRh2Rfv3E6— Not a Tesla App (@NotATeslaApp) December 7, 2023
Apple Podcasts
Listen to millions of the world’s most popular podcasts. Apple Podcasts for Tesla syncs with your favorite Apple devices, so you can seamlessly follow shows, save episodes, and pick up right where you left off. Browse new and noteworthy podcasts or explore what’s trending on Top Charts.
From the Application Launcher, open the Apple Podcasts app, scan the QR code, and log in with your Apple ID. Premium Connectivity required.
Tesla Arcade Updates
-Beach Buggy Racing – Unlock new vehicles and tracks. Your racing vehicle now matches the color you’ve set in Toybox > Colorizer.
-Polytopia Diplomacy Update — Explore new options for peaceful and hostile interactions, from peace treaties and embassies to stealth infiltration and guerrilla warfare.
-Vampire Survivors Chilling Update – Melt hordes of snowmen and defend against ice monsters in the new wintry Whiteout map, along with a new character, achievements, and items to collect.
-PS4, PS5, and Xbox Controllers – Feel more immersed in the action with rumble effects in select Tesla Arcade games.
To pair a controller, open the Bluetooth panel and follow the instructions.
Availability varies by model and location.
Automatic 911 Calls
Your vehicle will call 911 if an accident triggers the airbags.
A countdown timer allows you to cancel the call before it’s placed if you don’t need 911.
This feature works automatically when your mobile phone is connected to your vehicle via Bluetooth.
Speed Cameras on Your Route
Navigation now includes symbols along your route to show speed cameras, stop signs, and traffic lights.
To see this route information, you must have Navigation > Online Routing turned on. Requires Premium Connectivity.
Trip Planner on Mobile App
Use the Tesla mobile app to plan a trip.
Go to Location > Navigate and enter a destination. For multiple stops or to make changes, simply Edit Trip > Add Stop. If needed, Trip Planner will also include charging stops along the way. Then choose Send to Car to share it with your vehicle.
Requires Tesla app 4.27.5+ to add multiple stops to a trip.
More Cameras in Live Camera View
When you view your vehicle surroundings from the Tesla app, now you’ll have access to the left and right pillar cameras.
On your vehicle touchscreen, go to Controls > Safety > View Live Camera via Mobile App. Then you can view from the app on your phone.
Live Camera is end-to-end encrypted and can’t be accessed by Tesla. Requires Tesla app 4.27.5+ and Premium Connectivity.
Automatic Blind Spot Camera
Tesla’s blind spot warning in this year’s holiday update
— Not a Tesla App (@NotATeslaApp) December 7, 2023
The blind spot camera view now alerts you with red shading along the edge when your turn signal is on and your vehicle detects an object or another vehicle in your blind spot.
Go to Controls > Autopilot > Automatic Blind Spot Camera.
Light Show
Time to celebrate with the latest Light Show to the tune of The Arrival by Irving Victoria.
Play it right away, or schedule the show up to 10 minutes in advance, with one vehicle or synced with friends. Go to Toybox > Light Show.
Light Show enthusiasts can now play multiple custom Light Shows from the same USB flash drive. Simply save the show files to a directory named “LightShow” on your flash drive, connect, and choose.
Shuffle Play in TIDAL
Shuffle your TIDAL playlists and albums.
Apple and Spotify Profile Image
In Apple Music and Spotify, you can show your account profile image to indicate which account you’re using for each.
Availability varies by model and location.
Search Includes Owner’s Manual
When you use Controls > Search on the touchscreen, your results now include links to entries in the Owner’s Manual, in addition to results with vehicle settings. So you can find the setting you want or learn more about it.
Charging Location Filters
When you search the vehicle map for charging locations, you can now filter between two charging speeds: Three lightning bolts shows locations with more than 70 kW. One lightning bolt shows locations with 70 kW or less.
As we were saying… Take a moment, enjoy what has been posted so far, and remember “Don’t Panic”.
More is still coming… pic.twitter.com/y0AlGLmknl
— Teslascope (@teslascope) December 7, 2023
Among the most notable criticisms of Tesla’s 2023 Holiday Update is its apparent focus on minor features and quality-of-life improvements, not the rollout of substantial functions such as FSD V12 or the much-anticipated Actual Smart Summon. Some Tesla owners noted that the 2023 Holiday Update feels like a regular software update from the EV maker that could have been released at any month of the year.
That being said, Tesla software tracking service Teslascope noted that the 2023 Holiday Update release notes do not include specific changes for vehicles that are running Full Self-Driving Beta, as those improvements have not been rolled out yet. Thus, inasmuch as the 2023 Holiday Update seems underwhelming so far, there seems to be a pretty fair chance that more will be coming.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
News
Tesla to improve one of its best features, coding shows
According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.
Tesla is looking to upgrade its Matrix Headlights, a unique and high-tech feature that is available on several of its vehicles. The headlights aim to maximize visibility for Tesla drivers while being considerate of oncoming traffic.
The Matrix Headlights Tesla offers utilize dimming of individual light pixels to ensure that visibility stays high for those behind the wheel, while also being considerate of other cars by decreasing the brightness in areas where other cars are traveling.
Here’s what they look like in action:
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- Credit: u/ObjectiveScratch | Reddit
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- Credit: u/ObjectiveScratch | Reddit
As you can see, the Matrix headlight system intentionally dims the area where oncoming cars would be impacted by high beams. This keeps visibility at a maximum for everyone on the road, including those who could be hit with bright lights in their eyes.
There are still a handful of complaints from owners, however, but Tesla appears to be looking to resolve these with the coming updates in a Software Version that is currently labeled 2026.2.xxx. The coding was spotted by X user BERKANT:
🚨 Tesla is quietly upgrading Matrix headlights.
Software https://t.co/pXEklQiXSq reveals a hidden feature:
matrix_two_stage_reflection_dip
This is a major step beyond current adaptive high beams.
What it means:
• The car detects highly reflective objects
Road signs,… pic.twitter.com/m5UpQJFA2n— BERKANT (@Tesla_NL_TR) February 24, 2026
According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.
Finally, the new system will prevent the high beams from glaring back at the driver. The system is made to dim when it recognizes oncoming cars, but not necessarily objects that could produce glaring issues back at the driver.
Tesla’s revolutionary Matrix headlights are coming to the U.S.
This upgrade is software-focused, so there will not need to be any physical changes or upgrades made to Tesla vehicles that utilize the Matrix headlights currently.
Elon Musk
xAI’s Grok approved for Pentagon classified systems: report
Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations.
Elon Musk’s xAI has signed an agreement with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to allow Grok to be used in classified military systems.
Previously, Anthropic’s Claude had been the only AI system approved for the most sensitive military work, but a dispute over usage safeguards has reportedly prompted the Pentagon to broaden its options, as noted in a report from Axios.
Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations.
The publication reported that xAI agreed to the Pentagon’s requirement that its technology be usable for “all lawful purposes,” a standard Anthropic has reportedly resisted due to alleged ethical restrictions tied to mass surveillance and autonomous weapons use.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in what sources expect to be a tense meeting, with the publication hinting that the Pentagon could designate Anthropic a “supply chain risk” if the company does not lift its safeguards.
Axios stated that replacing Claude fully might be technically challenging even if xAI or other alternative AI systems take its place. That being said, other AI systems are already in use by the DoD.
Grok already operates in the Pentagon’s unclassified systems alongside Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Google is reportedly close to an agreement that will result in Gemini being used for classified use, while OpenAI’s progress toward classified deployment is described as slower but still feasible.
The publication noted that the Pentagon continues talks with several AI companies as it prepares for potential changes in classified AI sourcing.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk denies Starlink’s price cuts are due to Amazon Kuiper
“This has nothing to do with Kuiper, we’re just trying to make Starlink more affordable to a broader audience,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
Elon Musk has pushed back on claims that Starlink’s recent price reductions are tied to Amazon’s Kuiper project.
In a post on X, Musk responded directly to a report suggesting that Starlink was cutting prices and offering free hardware to partners ahead of a planned IPO and increased competition from Kuiper.
“This has nothing to do with Kuiper, we’re just trying to make Starlink more affordable to a broader audience,” Musk wrote in a post on X. “The lower the cost, the more Starlink can be used by people who don’t have much money, especially in the developing world.”
The speculation originated from a post summarizing a report from The Information, which ran with the headline “SpaceX’s Starlink Makes Land Grab as Amazon Threat Looms.” The report stated that SpaceX is aggressively cutting prices and giving free hardware to distribution partners, which was interpreted as a reaction to Amazon’s Kuiper’s upcoming rollout and possible IPO.
In a way, Musk’s comments could be quite accurate considering Starlink’s current scale. The constellation currently has more than 9,700 satellites in operation today, making it by far the largest satellite broadband network in operation. It has also managed to grow its user base to 10 million active customers across more than 150 countries worldwide.
Amazon’s Kuiper, by comparison, has launched approximately 211 satellites to date, as per data from SatelliteMap.Space, some of which were launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Starlink surpassed that number in early January 2020, during the early buildout of its first-generation network.
Lower pricing also aligns with Starlink’s broader expansion strategy. SpaceX continues to deploy satellites at a rapid pace using Falcon 9, and future launches aboard Starship are expected to significantly accelerate the constellation’s growth. A larger network improves capacity and global coverage, which can support a broader customer base.
In that context, price reductions can be viewed as a way to match expanding supply with growing demand. Musk’s companies have historically used aggressive pricing strategies to drive adoption at scale, particularly when vertical integration allows costs to decline over time.
Tesla to improve one of its best features, coding shows
xAI’s Grok approved for Pentagon classified systems: report
