Tesla's 2023.12 software update brings many new features and improvements, but the undocumented changes are some of the most intriguing. These minor, lesser-known updates enhance the user experience and showcase Tesla's commitment to continuous innovation. So far, we have spotted ten undocumented changes in the latest build.
Automatic Emergency Braking
Automatic Emergency Braking has been improved and will now stop for vehicles traveling perpendicularly and supports higher speeds, up to 124 mph (200 km/h). It also has limited support while traveling in reverse.
Reverse Camera
Tesla has updated the reverse camera app slightly, there is now a separate button on the top right corner to show or hide your repeater cameras. Hiding and showing your repeater cameras previously required swiping up or down on the reverse camera feed.
Parked Visualization
The vehicle visualization that appears when parked can now be rotated for different viewing angles. This one doesn't have any real world use, but it's fun to view all the details Tesla has put into the visualization.
Nav Improvements
When you're searching for a destination, each search results will now display the distance from your current location. Tesla has also made the pin look more like a button, to make it clear that it's a separate button. Tapping on the name will route directly to the destination, while tapping the pin will bring up more detail about the destination, including reviews, phone number and photos.
Rename Vehicle in App
Owners can now rename their vehicles directly through the Tesla app. Simply tap the current name, input the new one, and press "OK."
Speedometer Font
The font of the speedometer has a little more weight to it, making it more visible at a glance.
Wiper Speed Adjustment
Drivers can adjust wiper speed without touching the touchscreen at all. On a Model 3 or Y, you'll need to tap the button at the end of the left stalk. This will wipe the windshield once and bring up the wiper controls on screen. You can then tilt the steering wheel's left scroll wheel to cycle through the various wiper speeds.
Air Suspension
Users have more control over air suspension settings, including toggling height and speed adjustments on and off for a given location.
Music Favoriting
A plus sign (+) icon replaces the heart for favoriting songs. Same functionality, but for some reason Tesla felt a plus sign worked better across the various music services.
Tesla Theater Icons
Tesla Theater icons are now square, app-like icons instead of horizontal logos, which happen to match the WeChat apps Tesla released in China. Could this mean something more?
App Drawer
When you open the app drawer by tapping on the ellipsis in the launcher, all available options are now displayed. A Customize button is also included at the top for easy access.
Updated Charging Screen
The charging menu in Controls > Charging has also been given a facelift. The unneeded vehicle visualization is now gone, which makes the battery slider much larger and easier to use. It's also much more fluid than in previous versions.
New Labels
You've likely already noticed this one, but Tesla has started to add 'New' labels to each new option or function. Tesla will likely continue to add these labels in future updates to make owners more aware of any changes.
Tesla 2023.12 update has been the largest and most exciting since the 2022 Holiday Update. This update includes the ability to answer your phone with the steering wheel, as well as adjust popular functions such as change acceleration mode and modify the HVAC fan speed, all without touching the screen.
It also included the ability to change the size of text on the screen, which has been a feature that has been requested for quite a while now.
With the 2023.12 update, Tesla continues to enhance the driving experience for its users. Explore the full range of features and undocumented changes of this update by checking out our Tesla release notes for 2023.12.
