A welcome feature that allows Tesla driver profiles to independently control their streaming accounts has dropped as part of software update 2022.16.
Tesla introduced their Spotify integration in 2019, delighting premium Spotify users with a seamless streaming experience that enabled users to log in and easily stream their playlists.
But, for owners sharing a Tesla with multiple driver profiles, it required users to login in and out of their respective accounts if they wanted to view their own playlists, song likes, and suggested content.
This led many owners to create a separate shared Tesla Spotify account that would be shared for everyone in the vehicle.
Thankfully, taking pity on the countless users stuck listening to their significant other’s playlists, Tesla has now tied streaming account logins to driver profiles.
Users have begun to note that the differentiated account experience works with the other streaming services available on Tesla like TIDAL.
There are no new menus or options to set. When you log in to Spotify or another music service, your car will now simply remember that login should be used for the current driver profile.
This does not yet work for video streaming services like YouTube since those are essentially web pages, but we hope that Tesla can separate out more user specific information like browser data in the future.
Apple Music, the second most popular music streaming service, remains absent from the streaming lineup.
Amazon Music, a close third-place finisher, also misses the cut. If the rumored Tesla App Store is on track for deployment before the first Cybertrucks, there is hope that additional music streaming apps will appear as Tesla opens up their software to others.
It should be noted that workarounds exist for playing content from excluded streaming services like Pandora, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Youtube Music, etc. through the use of Bluetooth streaming.
Audiophiles would point out that the act of streaming via Bluetooth degrades the quality of the music to compress the data stream for wireless transmission.
You can also store music on a USB drive to play directly in your car, but there's no doubt that streaming music directly in your Tesla is the most convenient way, even if it requires Tesla's Premium Connectivity.
Dedicated Tesla streaming integrations ensure a higher-quality stream. For now, Tesla owners are just thankful they don’t have to listen to their co-owner's German Techno Spotify playlist on repeat ever again.
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After a post on X, Tesla has confirmed that it recently exported its 1 millionth car from Giga Shanghai. That’s a massive number of vehicles from a factory that only opened in December 2019.
Since Q3 2021, Giga Shanghai has been responsible for producing over 50% of global EV production – with the single exception of Q2 2022 – where production fell to about 40% while the factory was retooling. That’s a jaw-dropping figure for a single factory.
1 Million Exports
Giga Shanghai produces Teslas for practically the entire world, including the European, Australian, Chinese, and other Southeast Asian markets. For now, it also produces cars for Canada; however, an upcoming tariff could change this.
Giga Shanghai also celebrated the shipping of 100,000 vehicles to Australia with the 1 million vehicles exported mark. While the majority of vehicles end up in Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia are still massive markets for Tesla.
Going forward, Giga Shanghai, with its continued expansions, will be at or above 1 million vehicles produced per year. A good chunk of these vehicles stay within China, while the rest are exported. Tesla sells on average 40 to 80,000 cars per month in China, depending on the season, with an average of 90,000 cars produced per month in 2024 so far.
Automated Production
This is all thanks to Giga Shanghai’s 95% automated production line. Giga Shanghai is likely one of the most automated and advanced factories in the world, a testament to Tesla’s manufacturing and engineering expertise. Giga Shanghai produces one vehicle every 40 seconds.
We’re looking forward to seeing how Tesla’s expansions and factory innovations continue in the coming months and years.
Giga Shanghai operates a 95% automated production line, enabling a cycle time of less than 40 seconds! From taking 2.5 years for the first million cars to be produced, the second million was done in just 12 months 🚘🪄 pic.twitter.com/IF1w27AFPr
Tesla’s last app update, version 4.37.1, introduces support for critical alerts on the iPhone. These alerts are designed for emergency situations and will override standard notification settings, including the mute switch, Focus modes, and Do Not Disturb. This ensures that owners are notified when immediate action is required, even if their phone is set to silent.
How to Enable Critical Alerts
Activate Dog Mode: Open the Tesla app and turn on Dog Mode.
Main App Screen: After activating Dog Mode, go back to the main section of the app.
Enable Critical Alerts: A new option called Critical Alerts will appear under Live Camera and the quick action icons (Tip: You can add up to 5 quick actions). It’ll state, “Grant permissions to receive critical notifications.” Tap it, and you’ll see a system dialog asking for permission to allow critical alerts for the Tesla app.
Confirm Permission: Choose to allow the Tesla app to send critical notifications, which will grant the app special privileges for sending urgent alerts.
This new feature is likely intended for situations where Dog Mode needs to be turned off unexpectedly. For example, if the vehicle’s battery drops below 20% or if the temperature inside the cabin rises or falls drastically outside of your set temperature, the Tesla app is expected to send a critical alert to the owner, ensuring they are informed right away.
What Are Critical Alerts?
Critical Alerts are a type of iOS notification available only to approved apps, which must meet specific criteria set by Apple. These alerts are designed to be used in emergencies and bypass all standard notification restrictions. This means that regardless of whether your phone is silenced or in Do Not Disturb mode, the alert will play a sound and appear prominently.
By adding support for Critical Alerts, Tesla is prioritizing the safety of pets who may be left inside the vehicle with the expectation that Dog Mode will keep conditions safe. This change makes the app more reliable for alerting owners when immediate attention is needed, ensuring they are always kept informed—even when their phone’s settings would typically prevent other notifications from coming through.