Tesla has made a handful of small changes to its owner’s manuals with the recent holiday update, including a shift to how Autopark works, cabin radar monitoring, and an expansion of certain construction details, among other edits still.
On Monday, Not a Tesla App spotted and reported a handful of the changes seen in Tesla’s owner’s manuals that were not reported in the company’s holiday update release notes. Some of these include subtle feature changes or hints as to what other features may be coming, while many of them simply have different wording than was previously in the manual.
Typically, Tesla will make changes to the owner’s manuals when it debuts new software updates, and although the recent holiday update has offered owners a number of new features, some of those that weren’t reported by the company may be equally important.
You can check out the unlisted updates to the owner’s manual below, complete with new rules for Autopark, the removal of a previously-retired regen braking mode, expansions to certain navigation construction information, and more.
Note: the links navigate to various sections of Tesla’s Model Y owner’s manual, though these updates can be seen across the company’s lineup.
Tesla’s recent changes to the owner’s manual, both big and small
Cabin Radar now used for occupancy, rather than seat sensors
Tesla’s Cabin Radar, located just above the rearview mirror in the latest of the company’s vehicles, is now being used to detect cabin occupancy instead of the individual seat sensors, as was changed earlier this year. Over the summer, Tesla switched from using the seat sensors to using the cabin radar to monitor occupancy, as part of a response to a recall mandating closer passenger and driver monitoring.
The section now also includes a warning that blocking or obstructing the device will disengage Autopilot or Supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD). You can see the entry for cabin radar in Tesla’s owner’s manual here.
Camp Mode: text added to indicate that ports still work
While Tesla has already changed its vehicles so that the USB and 12V ports still work when Camp Mode is engaged, the company has also now updated the owner’s manual text to indicate this. You can see the company’s new details on Camp Mode here, under its section on Operating Climate Controls.
Construction and Accident Alerts to expand
Tesla has been adding additional icons to the map for road closures, accidents, and construction, and while the text in this section previously said they were limited to the U.S., this section has now been removed—suggesting that Tesla could be looking beyond North America with these in the near future.
Not a Tesla App also points out that, in all likelihood, Tesla will just need to wait for more data providers to partner with the company to add this information in other markets than the U.S. and Canada. You can check out this part of the owner’s manual here, in the Maps and Navigation section under the Online Routing section.
Desiccant Bags details removed
Tesla has removed details on its desiccant bag in the heat pump’s A/C section, which previously required a replacement every four years. This could suggest that this service may not be necessary after all, as the hardware likely lasts far more than four years in most cases. You can see the Maintenance Service Intervals section that previously had the instructions here.
Front Camera Window Cleaning
Tesla now points out that owners should clean the inside of the windshield within the front camera housing every so often. This was not previously a required maintenance option, and Tesla now says owners should schedule a service appointment to have the cleaning done when necessary.
There’s also a DIY option for this cleaning, and details for this can be found in the service manual under “Quad Camera Cover – Upper (remove and replace).” You can find the new text for cleaning inside the windshield here in the Maintenance Service Intervals section, listed under Periodic Checks.
Parental Controls now auto-set to these features
Tesla has made the default speed limit setting “Relative” with an offset of plus 5 mph. Additionally, when drivers select “Require Safety Features” in the parental controls, the system now automatically enables the following options, without the ability to change or remove them:
- Automatic Emergency Braking
- Obstacle-Aware Acceleration
- Automatic Blind Spot Camera
- Blind Spot Collision Warning Chime
- Automatic 911 Call
- Allow Mobile Access
- Park Assist Chimes
- Lane Departure Avoidance: Set to Assist.
- Speed Limit Warning: Set to Chime.
- Speed Limit: Set to Relative.
- Offset: Set to +5 mph (8 km/h).
- Forward Collision Warning: Set to Early.
You can find the Safety and Security Settings here, with the above options now located under Parental Controls.
Regenerative Braking options ‘January 2024’ wording removed
While Tesla removed the low regenerative braking setting for new vehicles in January, opting for the higher-efficiency option as default, the company’s owner’s manual has removed a section saying that the low options wouldn’t be available after January 2024. This suggests that Tesla could someday re-introduce multiple regen options in the future in some way, shape, or form.
Tesla’s regenerative braking instructions can be found here, as part of the Braking and Stopping section.
Steering Wheel Weight
Tesla has changed the name of the steering wheel weight option from “Medium” to “Standard,” which you can see here under the Steering Wheel Weight section.
Strikes No Longer Count Against Autopark
Vehicles that include a cabin camera can get as many as five strikes before banning Autopilot features, while those without one can get up to three strikes. However, Tesla has apparently removed the Autopark system from these strike-out rules, meaning that striking out won’t disqualify drivers from the automated park system. You can see Tesla’s Autopark section here.
Valet Mode Privacy Improvements
Tesla has improved the privacy features of its Valet Mode, now preventing access to a handful of features while it is engaged, such as showing text messages even if the owner is still connected to Bluetooth. The vehicle will now also remove home and work address access in this mode, and it will restrict access to driver profiles and a number of other features that could potentially compromise someone’s privacy.
You can check out the Tesla owner’s manual’s section on Valet Mode here, under the larger Driver Profiles section.
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.
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What is Digital Optimus? The new Tesla and xAI project explained
At its core, Digital Optimus operates through a dual-process architecture inspired by human cognition.
Tesla and xAI announced their groundbreaking joint project, Digital Optimus, also nicknamed “Macrohard” in a humorous jab at Microsoft, earlier this week.
This software-based AI agent is designed to automate complex office workflows by observing and replicating human interactions with computers. As the first major outcome of Tesla’s $2 billion investment in xAI, it represents a powerful fusion of hardware efficiency and advanced reasoning.
At its core, Digital Optimus operates through a dual-process architecture inspired by human cognition.
Macrohard or Digital Optimus is a joint xAI-Tesla project, coming as part of Tesla’s investment agreement with xAI.
Grok is the master conductor/navigator with deep understanding of the world to direct digital Optimus, which is processing and actioning the past 5 secs of…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 11, 2026
Tesla’s specialized AI acts as “System 1”—the fast, instinctive executor—processing the past five seconds of real-time computer screen video along with keyboard and mouse actions to perform immediate tasks.
xAI’s Grok model serves as “System 2,” the strategic “master conductor” or navigator, providing high-level reasoning, world understanding, and directional oversight, much like an advanced turn-by-turn navigation system.
When combined, the two can create a powerful AI-based assistant that can complete everything from accounting work to HR tasks.
Will Tesla join the fold? Predicting a triple merger with SpaceX and xAI
The system runs primarily on Tesla’s low-cost AI4 inference chip, minimizing expensive Nvidia resources from xAI for competitive, real-time performance.
Elon Musk described it as “the only real-time smart AI system” capable, in principle, of emulating the functions of entire companies, handling everything from accounting and HR to repetitive digital operations.
Timelines point to swift deployment. Announced just days ago, Musk expects Digital Optimus to be ready for user experience within about six months, targeting rollout around September 2026.
It will integrate into all AI4-equipped Tesla vehicles, enabling parked cars to handle office work during downtime. Millions of dedicated units are also planned for deployment at Supercharger stations, tapping into roughly 7 gigawatts of available power.
Oh and it works in all AI4-equipped cars, so your car can do office work for you when not driving.
We’re also deploying millions of dedicated Digital Optimus units in the field at Superchargers where we have ~7 gigawatts of available power.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 12, 2026
Digital Optimus directly supports Tesla’s broader autonomy strategy. It leverages the same end-to-end neural networks, computer vision, and real-time decision-making tech that power Full Self-Driving (FSD) software and the physical Optimus humanoid robot.
By repurposing idle vehicle compute and extending AI4 hardware beyond driving, the project scales Tesla’s autonomy ecosystem from roads to digital workspaces.
As a virtual counterpart to physical Optimus, it divides labor: software agents manage screen-based tasks while humanoid robots tackle physical ones, accelerating Tesla’s vision of general-purpose AI for productivity, Robotaxi fleets, and beyond.
In essence, Digital Optimus bridges Tesla’s vehicle and robotics autonomy with enterprise-scale AI, promising massive efficiency gains. No other company currently matches its real-time capabilities on such accessible hardware.
It really could be one of the most crucial developments Tesla and xAI begin to integrate, as it could revolutionize how people work and travel.
News
Tesla adds awesome new driving feature to Model Y
Tesla is rolling out a new “Comfort Braking” feature with Software Update 2026.8. The feature is exclusive to the new Model Y, and is currently unavailable for any other vehicle in the Tesla lineup.
Tesla is adding an awesome new driving feature to Model Y vehicles, effective on Juniper-updated models considered model year 2026 or newer.
Tesla is rolling out a new “Comfort Braking” feature with Software Update 2026.8. The feature is exclusive to the new Model Y, and is currently unavailable for any other vehicle in the Tesla lineup.
Tesla writes in the release notes for the feature:
“Your Tesla now provides a smoother feel as you come to a complete stop during routine braking.”
🚨 Tesla has added a new “Comfort Braking” update with 2026.8
“Your Tesla provides a smoother feel as you come to a complete stop during routine braking.” https://t.co/afqCpBSVeA pic.twitter.com/C6MRmzfzls
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 13, 2026
Interestingly, we’re not too sure what catalyzed Tesla to try to improve braking smoothness, because it hasn’t seemed overly abrupt or rough from my perspective. Although the brake pedal in my Model Y is rarely used due to Regenerative Braking, it seems Tesla wanted to try to make the ride comfort even smoother for owners.
There is always room for improvement, though, and it seems that there is a way to make braking smoother for passengers while the vehicle is coming to a stop.
This is far from the first time Tesla has attempted to improve its ride comfort through Over-the-Air updates, as it has rolled out updates to improve regenerative braking performance, handling while using Full Self-Driving, improvements to Steer-by-Wire to Cybertruck, and even recent releases that have combatted Active Road Noise.
Tesla holds a unique ability to change the functionality of its vehicles through software updates, which have come in handy for many things, including remedying certain recalls and shipping new features to the Full Self-Driving suite.
Tesla seems to have the most seamless OTA processes, as many automakers have the ability to ship improvements through a simple software update.
We’re really excited to test the update, so when we get an opportunity to try out Comfort Braking when it makes it to our Model Y.
News
Tesla finally brings a Robotaxi update that Android users will love
The breakdown of the software version shows that Tesla is actively developing an Android-compatible version of the Robotaxi app, and the company is developing Live Activities for Android.
Tesla is finally bringing an update of its Robotaxi platform that Android users will love — mostly because it seems like they will finally be able to use the ride-hailing platform that the company has had active since last June.
Based on a decompile of software version 26.2.0 of the Robotaxi app, Tesla looks to be ready to roll out access to Android users.
According to the breakdown, performed by Tesla App Updates, the company is preparing to roll out an Android version of the app as it is developing several features for that operating system.
🚨 It looks like Tesla is preparing to launch the Robotaxi app for Android users at last!
A decompile of v26.2.0 of the Robotaxi app shows some progress on the Android side for Robotaxi 🤖 🚗 https://t.co/mThmoYuVLy
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 13, 2026
The breakdown of the software version shows that Tesla is actively developing an Android-compatible version of the Robotaxi app, and the company is developing Live Activities for Android:
“Strings like notification_channel_robotaxid_trip_name and android_native_alicorn_eta_text show exactly how Tesla plans to replicate the iOS Live Activities experience. Instead of standard push alerts, Android users are getting a persistent, dynamically updating notification channel.”
This is a big step forward for several reasons. From a face-value perspective, Tesla is finally ready to offer Robotaxi to Android users.
The company has routinely prioritized Apple releases because there is a higher concentration of iPhone users in its ownership base. Additionally, the development process for Apple is simply less laborious.
Tesla is working to increase Android capabilities in its vehicles
Secondly, the Robotaxi rollout has been a typical example of “slowly then all at once.”
Tesla initially released Robotaxi access to a handful of media members and influencers. Eventually, it was expanded to more users, so that anyone using an iOS device could download the app and hail a semi-autonomous ride in Austin or the Bay Area.
Opening up the user base to Android users may show that Tesla is preparing to allow even more users to utilize its Robotaxi platform, and although it seems to be a few months away from only offering fully autonomous rides to anyone with app access, the expansion of the user base to an entirely different user base definitely seems like its a step in the right direction.
What is Digital Optimus? The new Tesla and xAI project explained
Tesla adds awesome new driving feature to Model Y
