A Closer Look at Tesla's Updated Spotify App in Update 2023.26

By Not a Tesla App Staff
Tesla has updated the Spotify app in software update 2023.26
Tesla has updated the Spotify app in software update 2023.26
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Tesla has a variety of streaming services available for users to listen to while driving, however, Spotify is one of the most popular.

The Spotify interface in a Tesla has been limited when compared to their desktop or mobile applications, however with Tesla update 2023.26 Tesla has added some much-needed features and completely updated the UI, making it more appealing and easier to read.

New Interface

The improved Spotify interface is cleaner and easier to navigate. The buttons at the top are now limited to Home, Browse and Your Library, reducing the need to scroll horizontally. Your playlists are now neatly tucked under the Your Library section.

Jump to Artist / Album

You can now more easily jump into an album or artist to view additional songs. Underneath the album name, you can now on the artist to reveal popular songs and a full list of albums by the selected artist.

Favoriting Songs

Each song in a list is now visually separated from each other, making it easier to see all the songs in a playlist or album. Although it's not immediately obvious, each song has a plus (+) sign next to it that lets you easily add it to your list of favorites.

It would be nice if this button added the song to your now-playing queue instead, but unfortunately, that functionality isn't included in this release.

Improved Playlists

Tesla has updated the Spotify app in software update 2023.26
Tesla has updated the Spotify app in software update 2023.26
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In this Spotify refresh, Tesla has improved one of Spotify's greatest limitations - the number of songs displayed in a playlist.

Playlists were previously limited to displaying the first 100 songs, however, that limit has now been lifted with this update. At the bottom of a playlist, you can now paginate through the playlist to view additional songs.

This is a big improvement that will now let users view their complete playlists, although there is still room for improvement. You still cannot sort playlists by different attributes and are forced to view them only in the default order they're presented.

Audiobooks

Spotify has a large collection of over 350,000 audiobooks. Some of them are free, while others are paid, but up until now, they weren't accessible in Tesla's Spotify app.

With this update you can now listen to Spotify's collection of audiobooks, bringing you a little more enjoyment during longer commutes.

Easier Login

Logging in to your Spotify account isn't something you do often, but with this update, it's now easier than ever. The app now displays a QR code that lets you scan it on your mobile phone in order to log in more easily.

This Spotify refresh is a welcome addition to one of the most popular streaming services in Tesla vehicles. It's available for all models with software update 2023.26.

Update 2023.26 recently started going out to owners, but it can take several weeks before it becomes available to everyone.

Rivian to Add Google Cast and Native YouTube App, Will Tesla Respond?

By Not a Tesla App Staff

Coming to Rivian vehicles over a software update is Google Cast and YouTube support, which will allow for seamless, high-quality content streaming to Rivian vehicles.

This is a big step forward for Rivian’s software integration, especially compared to Tesla, which has yet to integrate native apps or release the long-rumored Tesla native app store.

Google Cast

Google Cast is Google’s version of Apple AirPlay which is supported in a variety of audio and video streaming apps such as Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, and more. By using a supported app, a user will be able to cast content directly to Rivian’s main 15.6” center screen.

Like Casting to a TV or Smart Device at home, this will allow you to play, pause, or skip back and forth using the vehicle’s touchscreen. Google Casting automatically pauses when the vehicle shifts into Drive.

Native YouTube App

Alongside Google Cast, Rivian is also bringing a native YouTube app to vehicles, enabling users to access YouTube’s video and music library from anywhere with a data connection. These features will be integrated right into Rivian’s vehicle operating system, which means they will receive regular software updates, and not be reliant on browser-based capabilities.

Similar to casting content, YouTube content will also automatically pause when the vehicle is shifted into Drive.

Tesla Equivalents

For the time being, there is no way to AirPlay or Cast video from a phone or tablet to Tesla’s front or rear screens. However, for some apps such as YouTube, you can send the video URL to the vehicle and have it open the YouTube app to that video.

To do this, open the YouTube app and find a video. Once you’d like to share it with the vehicle you can tap on share. You’ll then need to share it with the Tesla app which will then send it to your vehicle. On iPhones this requires you to scroll to the right and tap on More, which brings up the native sharing screen and has the Tesla app.

However, this is far more limited than including AirPlay or Google Cast support which will work for practically and video, even personal videos in your photo library.

Elon Musk mentioned back in 2016 that Tesla would add mirroring of phone apps to the center screen, but that has yet to materialize. More recently Musk mentioned a native X App coming to Tesla vehicles.

Tesla Theater

Tesla Theater allows users to stream videos from various platforms, including YouTube, but these are web-based applications, with no native applications available. This leaves some marked limitations on usability.

Tesla most recently announced in their 2024.14 update that the browser will be able to be expanded to full-screen mode when parked, enabling more access to streaming services on the web. Meanwhile, Google Cast and Apple Airplay continue to remain highly requested features.

Tesla FSD V12.4 - Features and Release Date

By Not a Tesla App Staff

The greatly anticipated FSD v12.4 is around the corner, with Elon Musk mentioning that it will be going to employees this weekend, with limited external testers next week.

Several significant improvements are coming with V12.4, which is being compared to the leap in performance that was previously seen between V12 and V11.

Improved Comfort and Reduced Interventions

There are quite a few improvements expected with V12.4, which Musk has said will be focused on user comfort by reducing hard accelerations and sudden braking. According to Musk, FSD v12.4 is also expected to have a 5-10x improvement in time between user interventions, which means that Tesla is rapidly approaching its goal for the Robotaxi announcement on August 8, 2024.

Steering Wheel Nag Removal

FSD V12.4 is expected to eliminate the steering wheel nag, as Musk confirmed its removal last week. The camera-based driver monitoring system will be taking over, providing a hands-free experience. These improvements will most likely benefit owners who have cabin cameras with infrared lights the most, while Tesla may continue to use steering wheel nag as a fallback mechanism.

Driverless Autopark

The second key feature that may be included in v12.4 will be Banish Autopark, previously known as Reverse Summon, allowing you to choose a parking spot, exit the vehicle and have the car park itself. Whether this feature makes it in v12.4 is yet to be seen, but Musk has mentioned that parking without a driver is coming soon.

Automatically Seek Parking Spot at Destination

Finally, your Tesla will now traverse a parking lot and automatically enter Autopark mode when arriving at a destination, according to a post from Musk.

Eligibility and Branch

Tesla recently added FSD v12.3.6 to the 2024.14 branch with updates 2024.14.5 and 2024.14.6. This makes it very likely that Tesla’s next FSD version will also be based on 2024.14, meaning that it will be available to any vehicle on 2024.14.x.

For users on update 2024.3.25, this means that they’ll receive all of the features included in updates 2024.8 and 2024.14, which should make it a massive update.

Release Date

Musk has mentioned that FSD V12.4 is going out to employee vehicles for internal testing this weekend, with external testing starting next week. The rollouts typically go slower than predicted but looks like we may see this begin shipping to customers by the end of the month.

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