All the Undocumented Features Coming With Tesla's Spring Update

Tesla's Spring Release was already projected to become one of the most feature-rich software updates of the year. The 2024.14 update rolled out to Wave1 testers in mid-April, and Tesla had enough employees back then to offer a comprehensive rundown of what to expect in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The most important change was a brand new, Cybertruck-inspired user interface for vehicles equipped with Ryzen processors. It also came with expandable Autopilot visualizations, showing a smaller map for trip guidance in the top right of the screen.

The refreshed Model S and Model X also got Auto Shift Beta, which can automatically shift between Drive and Reverse, in addition to automatically shifting out of Park as before. Vehicles with Ultra-Wideband chips (refreshed Model S/X and new Model 3) also get an automatic trunk opening when you stand behind the car with the Phone Key. Other minor changes and tweaks were offered, including the ability to preview Sentry Model recordings in the Tesla app and a cool trip progress bar in the navigation system.

The Cybertruck owners were spoiled with the pickup truck's most comprehensive software package since the delivery started. The Cybertruck got locking differentials, trail assist, and an enhanced Off-Road screen with more terrain options. The update also improved the turning radius and offered the long-awaited Cabin Overheat Protection feature.

However, the 2024.14.3 update, now rolling out to Tesla vehicles, also contains many undocumented features. We have already seen the new media player in videos shared by Tesla owners. The interface now includes a comprehensive charging screen that offers more information while the vehicle is charging. A nice touch is the ability to pause the trunk opening to remain open to the current height. This can be useful in garages with a low ceiling, although you can also set the maximum height for a specific location.

As the 2024.14.3 software rolled out, software magician Green (@greentheonly) decompiled the update. Green discovered some exciting features hinted at in the software code, although not yet active in this release. The most exciting is the reference to a Tesla voice assistant narrated by Microsoft's "Jenny Natural" voice. This is still in early development, so whether it will be triggered by a keyword or other method is unclear. It's too early to tell what is behind the assistant's voice, although some believe it will be powered by xAI's Grok.

The software also reveals that Tesla will add Amazon Music native support. Many Tesla owners have asked about this, although more music streaming services, including YouTube Music, would be welcome. Tesla is also preparing "restricted driver" profiles, presumably allowing owners to restrict features on certain profiles.

Other (than the release notes) stuff from 2024.14.3

- Amazon music playback support

- beginning of what looks like "tesla voice assistant" that would be activated by a wakeword-? (Aka car always listening for it), narrated by "Jenny Neutral" voice by Microsoft.

— green (@greentheonly) May 1, 2024