Tesla Software Update 2025.8 -- The Undocumented Changes

By Not a Tesla App Staff
Not a Tesla App

With most vehicles moving on to Tesla’s 2025.14 Spring Update, we’re now taking a look at all the undocumented features that were discovered during Tesla’s 2025.8 update.

While these features tend to be smaller in nature, some of them are just as valuable as the features outlined in Tesla’s release notes in the vehicle.

This update includes changes such as improvements to maps, trip meters, and Rainbow Road. Let’s take a look at all the undocumented features in Tesla’s 2025.8 software update.

New Map Icons

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Icons on the map are being redesigned to be rounder and easier to see. They now feature a white border to make them pop out against a colorful background, which is especially better when using satellite views.

This feature started rolling out slowly but should now be available to everyone.

Trips & Odometer

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The Trips display has been improved to show more precise information, and a new metric has been added.

More Precision: The trip meters will now show values with a tenths place when they’re under a certain value. That means that the Current Drive and Since Last Charge trip meters will now show a fractional kWh and a mile. This is especially useful for Current Drive.

The Current Drive meter is automatically reset when your vehicle comes out of park so that it can track your current drive, while the Since Last Charge meter automatically resets after a charging session completes.

More Data: In addition to added precision, the Current Drive now features a new data point. kWh is now shown for the current drive, just like the other trip meters. Previously, the Current Drive showed minutes instead of kWh -- it now features both.

These changes affect the Trips widget in the Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck. While the added precision is also added to all vehicles under Controls > Trips, the new kWh metric for the Current Drive is only displayed in the small widget.

Additional Tool Tips

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Tesla has added some additional tips to the screen that show up in certain cases. For example, if you’re playing audio over Bluetooth, Tesla will suggest that you use their built-in music apps instead of streaming through your phone.

Destination Charging

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Destination charging icons are now visible on the map when you have Points of Interest enabled. You can enable Points of Interest by tapping on the map and choosing the Points of Interest icon on the right side near the satellite imagery icon.

Some destination chargers may charge a fee, while others may be open to the public or exclusive to paying customers.

Navigation Improvements

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If you're using Tesla's navigation system with voice guidance enabled, the spoken directions will now stop immediately when you end the trip. Previously, the spoken directions would continue being played until the phrase was completed.

Improved Rainbow Road

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The rainbow road feature has been greatly improved in this update with FSD. Rainbow road, which can be enabled in the Toybox app, now changes the vehicle's path when on Autopilot from a blue path to a rainbow one.

Previously, Tesla had to overlay the blue path on top of the rainbow colors because rainbow road didn’t support all the features of the path, such as showing chevrons when slowing down rapidly.

With this update, the rainbow path now incorporates all the same features as the blue path when FSD is active.

In addition, if you start Rainbow Road by tapping the right stalk four times, audio will play. Unfortunately, the sound couldn’t be stopped until it was completed before, but with this update, you can now stop the audio by reducing the volume with the left scroll wheel.

Additional Transparency Effects

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On Intel vehicles, several modules didn't include a transparency effect. This was primarily due to Intel cars not using the blur effect since it could slow down the infotainment unit.

With this update, Tesla has enabled the transparency effect across a set of modules. Notably, this fixes the issue when using full-screen visualizations where the music player had transparency, but the navigation module on the right did not.

Transparency has also been added to other modules that are displayed over the map, such as the list of Superchargers, destinations, search results, and the ETA / End Trip module displayed at the bottom.

Note: Due to the lack of the blur effect on Intel due to performance reasons, these changes could make some text more difficult to read.

No Phone Key Graphic

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The graphic that's displayed in the vehicle when it doesn't detect a phone key has been updated. Tapping on the blue text at the bottom displays the old animation showing you where to tap a key card.

Bluetooth Player

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The Bluetooth app typically only displays the connected devices and a button to connect a new device. There was a lot of white space, since there wasn’t much other information to display.

With this update, Tesla is making it easier to jump to another source by displaying available music streaming services underneath the connected Bluetooth device.

Tapping a music service will jump to the selected service.

Service Mode Release Notes

@scotsrule08 on X

As with most Tesla updates, Tesla usually adds or improves Service Mode with additional features, making diagnosing and fixing problems easier. This update adds or improves the following items.

New HVAC Panel

A new HVAC panel is available to support HVAC system diagnosis. It adds the ability to determine the status of the HVAC actuators, HEPA filter, and blower motor.

Applies to: Cybertruck

HV Battery Panel Update - Moved State of Health (SOH) Routine

The State of Health (SOH) routine in the HV Battery panel has been moved to the Controls > Service tab, which does not require entering Service Mode or Service Mode Plus.

Applies to: 2021+ Model S, 2021+ Model X, Model 3, Model Y

Windows Panel Update - Rear Defrost Routine

The rear defrost component on the Windows panel has been updated to simplify diagnostics. The re-enable routine will now be visible all the time, but it can only be ran when a condition requiring its usage is detected.

Applies to: 2021+ Model S, 2021+ Model X, Model 3, Model Y

Seats Panel Update - Cabin Radar and Seat Sensor

The Seats panel has been updated to show whether the cabin radar and/or seat sensor is being used to detect occupants in the front seats.

Applies to: Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck

Brakes Panel Update - Update Gateway Configurations

The gateway configurations for brake hardware type and caliper color can now be updated on the Brakes panel.

Applies to: Model 3 (2017-2023), Model Y (2020-2024), Model S (2021+), Model X (2021+)

Steering Panel Update - Update Gateway Configurations

The gateway configuration for the steering column motor type can now be updated on the Steering panel.

Applies to: Model 3, Model Y

Service Mode Update - Media Source Switches to Bluetooth

When entering Service Mode, the Media Source will now automatically switch to Bluetooth to prevent the vehicle from playing media using the customer's connected media accounts.

Applies to: Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y

Charging Panel Update - Charge Port ECU Reset Routine

The Charge Port Electronic Control Unit (ECU) reset routine, TEST-RESET_CP, has been added to the Charging panel, which may be required after performing Charge Port related service.

Applies to: Model 3, Model Y, Palladium S, Palladium X, Cybertruck

Noise Recording Panel Update - Moved to Tools

The Noise Recording panel has been moved from the the High Voltage panel to the Tools panel. To access the panel, tap Tools > Noise Recording.

Applies to: Cybertruck

Coolant Panel Update - Coolant Purge Status Indicator

An indicator has been added to the Coolant panel to report the status of the coolant purge and whether the coolant purge needs to rerun.

Applies to: Cybertruck

Next Update

Tesla’s next update is the 2025.14 Spring Update, which has now rolled out to more than half of the Tesla fleet. If you’re still waiting for it, rest assured that you should be updated soon. If you’ve already updated, be sure to check out the undocumented features already found in the 2025.14 update.

Tesla Denies WSJ Report Claiming Board is Replacing Elon Musk

By Karan Singh
YouTube/NYT Events

Tesla has issued a strong denial in response to a Wall Street Journal report (Paywall) which claimed that Tesla’s Board of Directors had initiated a search for a new CEO.

In a statement posted directly on Tesla’s X account, Board Chair Robyn Denholm denied the report unequivocally. As per the statement, Tesla’s board did not reach out to recruiting firms in search of a new CEO.

Board Supports Elon

The statement reaffirmed the board’s position on Tesla’s current leadership and that the board is highly confident in Elon’s ability to continue executing Tesla’s plans and future growth.

This confidence behind Elon follows his recent statements made during the Q1 2025 Earnings Call that he would be stepping back from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the coming days and significantly reducing time spent there. Instead, he would be returning to focus on Tesla’s operations and the upcoming deployment of Robotaxi.

Shortly after the denial was posted, Elon Musk also commented on the report, specifically tagging the Wall Street Journal and criticizing their handling of the report.

We’re glad to see Tesla and Elon set the matter straight, but there could have been a better way to spread this message and maybe even prevent the report from WSJ from going out.

We recently published an opinion piece on why Tesla needs its PR team back, and this specific incident is a good example. Relying solely on platforms like X for critical corporate communications - and in this case, late at night (1 AM EST), with limited reach outside the existing follower base seems like an ineffective way of communicating important company information.

We’d love to see Tesla really put some thought into managing its image, as it seems that several recent reports from major financial news organizations have apparently been wrong.

Either way, the board’s stance is clear - there is no active search underway, and Elon has the full backing and support of the board to lead Tesla toward the future.

Tesla Megapack: How Tesla Is Reinventing Global Energy Infrastructure

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s Megapack is rapidly becoming a key component in energy storage and grid modernization efforts worldwide. Though often associated with powering AI infrastructure or industrial operations, Megapack’s true strength lies in its ability to stabilize electrical grids during blackouts and brownouts.

In a recent behind-the-scenes reveal, Tesla showcased the impressive scale of Megapack production at its Mega Lathrop facility, along with real-world examples of how these systems are already transforming energy resilience across the globe.

Mega-Scale Megapack

Tesla is operating the largest utility-scale battery manufacturing facility in North America at Mega Lathrop, which has the capacity to produce 10,000 Megapacks annually. Thanks to a highly automated assembly process that uses over 30 welding robots to assemble the core Megapack structure. This is the largest manufacturing fixture Tesla uses— likely to only be matched by future developments at Mega Shanghai.

Tesla uses a highly automated powder coating process, utilizing over 90 robotic paint atomizers to apply more than 140 pounds of powder coat to each Megapack. This process delivers Tesla’s signature white reflective finish, engineered for long-term durability and corrosion resistance that lasts up to 20 years, even in harsh coastal or high-heat environments.

All of Megapack’s power electronics are designed and built in-house. Each Megapack uses 24 battery modules, electrical busing, and thermal management systems to ensure grid reliability and help to maximize energy density. The architecture pairs each inverter with a battery module to maximize energy availability and overall uptime. Plus, before each Megapack ships its way across the world, Tesla performs rigorous on-site quality control to ensure that the installation process is as seamless as possible.

Watch Tesla’s video of the manufacturing process below:

Megapack’s Real-World Impact: Hawaii

The core purpose of Megapack is to make power grids more stable and resilient while also reducing reliance on dirty peak power plants like coal. They achieve this by balancing energy supply and demand in real-time, smoothing out fluctuations from variable renewable sources like solar and wind, which helps to prevent grid shortages.

Hawaii actually provides the most real and down-to-earth example of Megapack’s impact. In mid-2024, the Kapolei Energy Storage facility in Hawaii came online. Hawaii utilized 258 Megapacks with a combined capacity of 565 MWh, successfully replacing the state’s last coal-fired power plant. This single facility can power approximately 20% of Oahu’s peak electricity needs by itself for approximately 4 hours.

The project is more than just removing coal plants, though. It serves as an example of Megapack’s grid integration and grid forming technology. The Kapolei Energy Storage facility can manage grid fluctuations caused by weather changes impacting renewable energy, improving stability and preventing blackouts. Thanks to their rapid inverter response times of under a millisecond, Megapacks participate in complex grid balancing activities, including fast frequency and voltage support, which helps to maintain grid balance throughout the day. Beyond that, Kapolei also allows Hawaii to black-start the grid in case of a major power outage that takes out a large section of the grid.

This functionality would be especially useful in Spain, where black-starting the grid took over eight hours recently and is still disrupting the day-to-day life of people there.

You can check out Megapack’s real-world impact in this video from Tesla below:

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