Tesla Releases the 2021 Holiday Update with update 2021.44.25

This year's Holiday Update was building up to be an exciting one. After last year's disappointment, Tesla was certainly not planning to repeat it again this year.

The Holiday Update was expected to be released to the first individuals on Tuesday, and just a few hours before, we're now seeing many of the new features in this year's Holiday Update.

Let's just say it's a good one. If you're the kind of person that prefers to be surprised, you may not want to scroll any further.

The Holiday Update comes in as version 2021.44.25.

Light Show

Tesla Light Show

Emulsifide/Reddit

Just as the rumor showed yesterday, the former Model X exclusive Light Show easter egg will now be available on all Teslas.

This easter egg will have your car use its headlights, fog lights, turn signals, mirrors, and speakers to perform a coordinated light show.

The Model X's version of the easter egg plays the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It's not clear whether this easter egg will play the same song or offer a variety of songs to pick from.

Customizable App Launcher

Customize your app launcher

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This one is huge. Tesla is bringing some of the "v11" software features to the Model 3 and Model Y. Technically, the new Model S is not on v11, but its new interface is often referred to as v11 or the new UI.

It's not the entire Model S UI that is being brought over to the Model 3 and Model Y, but instead some of its most functional features.

Some features such as window docking, Auto Shift, the music mini-player, and other features will remain only on the new Model S, at least for now.

This feature brings over one of the most useful features of the new UI, a customizable app launcher.

The car's bottom navigation will now feature three areas. A fixed area of icons that you can't change, a customizable area where you can put your favorite Tesla apps such as the web browser, energy graph, or Spotify, and a Recents section that will show any recent apps you've used.

For better or worse, the app icons are now also the same ones from the Model S, featuring more detailed, colorful icons.

Simplified Controls

Simplified Controls

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The Model 3 and Model Y feature swipeable cards underneath the car's visualization that shows important information such as the odometer, tire pressure readings, active call information, wiper settings, and more.

The idea of the cards is good, but some crucial information was only available in these cards, which wasn't intuitive. Tesla is fixing that in this update.

Tesla is keeping some of the cards such as wiper controls, but moving most of the other information into the car's main Controls menu.

For example, to access the odometer, you will now go to Controls > Trips, much like the Model S.

For tire pressure, you can go to Controls then choose Service.

Blind Spot Camera

Blind Spot Camera

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You can now choose to have your car's fender camera feed displayed directly on the screen when you activate your turn signal.

This is the same camera view that can be displayed when you put your car into reverse.

It will be an option for those that prefer not to use it.

Edit Waypoints

Edit Waypoints

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Tesla introduced Waypoints just a few weeks ago. So many owners were excited to receive the update, but now, even before many owners have received waypoints, Tesla has a major update to it.

When waypoints was introduced, you needed to add destinations starting with your final destination first, as there was no way to reorder the destinations.

With this update Tesla is making waypoints more flexible, you will now be able to add, remove or reorder waypoints.

TikTok

TikTok

Emulsifide/Reddit

TikTok will now be the latest video service added to your Tesla. It will require Tesla's Premium Connectivity plan unless you're on WiFi and it will be available alongside other streaming services in Tesla Theater.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog

Emulsifide/Reddit

This was another suspected feature in this year's holiday update. Elon and Sega both confirmed that the original Sonic game will be playable inside of Teslas in the near future.

Like many of Tesla's other games, this one will also support a controller. Check our list of all controllers compatible with your Tesla, as you may already have one that works.

The Battle of Polytopia - Multiplayer Support

Multiplayer Support

Emulsifide/Reddit

Tesla added The Battle of Polytopia, a civilization-type game late last year. Tesla has now expanded the game to include multiplayer support.

Sudoku

Sudoku game

Emulsifide/Reddit

Late last year Elon was asked on Twitter whether the game Sudoku could be added to Teslas. Elon responded with one of his typical, "sure" replies.

And a year later, we have Sudoku.

It looks like the game will have various difficulty levels and hints. Like most Tesla games, it should also save your progress so that you can continue your puzzle next time.

Cold Weather Improvements

Cold Weather Improvements

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Honestly, I'm not sure why Tesla is still using this term. I feel like we're all tired of seeing it and it causes an unintentional eye roll for many.

However, it looks like there is something worth mentioning here. You will now be able to precondition your car even if you have a low battery.

Previously if your battery had less than a 20% charge, you would not be able to precondition the car. It looks like Tesla will now let you precondition your car unless your car's battery is very low.

Automatic Seat Heaters

Automated seat heaters

Emulsifide/Reddit

This was another feature that Elon said was coming soon earlier this year.

Tesla is simplifying the seat heater controls by turning the seat heater button into a single on/off button, instead of having four different settings (off, level 1, 2, and 3).

The temperature of your seat will instead vary based on the temperature of the cabin and what the climate system is set to.

You will continue to be able to set your seat heater manually if you don't have your HVAC system set to auto.

Manage Dashcam Clips

Delete all events

Emulsifide/Reddit

Tesla's dashcam is a fantastic feature, but it's easy to accrue a bunch of clips that later need to be deleted one by one.

With this update, Tesla will now let you delete all dashcam clips with a single tap in the main Controls menu.

Many users would have preferred to be able to manually select multiple Dashcam or Sentry Mode clips directly from the Dashcam Viewer and delete them that way, but this is a nice feature to have nonetheless.

Dark Mode

Dark Mode

Emulsifide/Reddit

Tesla already supported light and night modes that would automatically switch based on the time of day.

However, Tesla is now introducing a new Dark Mode that will presumably be more usable during the day.

Tesla's previous night display was often difficult to see in bright situations. This mode is expected to use darker colors and increased contrast instead of the grays used in night mode.

Hide Map Details

Hide pins

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Continuing with Tesla's theme of simplifying the display and controls, Tesla will now let you hide unneeded map information.

This new feature allows you to hide nearby locations that normally appear as a pin on the map.

It looks like these are the majority of the features in this year's holiday update.

These features are based on what an owner has received in their Model 3. There may be some additional features for other Model 3 configurations or features that may be exclusive to the Model S or Model X.

You can also view the release notes for Tesla's Holiday Update (2021.44.25).

Update: Tesla released many new features in the 2021 Holiday Update. The holiday update was released with version 2021.44.25.

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Tesla Software Update 2025.2 -- The Lesser Known Features (Undocumented Changes)

@TeslaNewswire

Another Tesla update has finished rolling out to the fleet and we once again have a list of undocumented features in this update. Tesla update 2025.2 was the first update of the year and it brought along features such as wiper improvements for the Cybertruck, support for the cabin radar, and third-party charger preconditioning.

However, other changes made it into the release as well but weren’t mentioned in the release notes. If you love following Tesla software changes or just want to be aware of all changes in your vehicle, these will help keep you updated.

Autopilot Warnings

Tesla has now carried over some of the updated warnings from FSD to regular Autopilot.

Warnings such as “Autopilot will not brake” when the accelerator pedal is actively pressed and others will now be presented at the top in a translucent rectangle, instead of near the bottom, where they can be easily missed.

Supercharger Notification

Not a Tesla App

After using a Supercharger, your vehicle will now display a notification with the total cost of the charging session. In addition to the cost, the alert will also display the location, total energy added, and the cost per kW/h.

This is a really nice addition as it brings the price of the charging session front and center when it matters most — as soon as you’re done charging. Previously, you could navigate to Controls > Charging to see the cost of charging.

Recommended Tire Pressure

Not a Tesla App

The Tire Pressure card on the Model 3 and Model Y will now show you the recommended tire pressure in the bottom left corner of the card. It continues to display the tire pressure reading for each wheel.

Service Mode

Max Bracco / X

As usual, Service Mode sees several improvements to make serving your vehicle easier.

Brake Burnishing: The Brake Burnish procedure parameters have been updated to reduce the need for coming to almost a complete stop during each cycle.

Legacy Model S and Model X only.

Charge Port Calibration: The charge port door calibration routine (PROC_CP_X_DOOR-SENSOR-CALIBRATION) and charge port latch calibration route (PROC_CP_X_LATCH-CALIBRATION) have been added to the Charging panel. Those routines are required to be run following the replacement of the charge port or charge port door.

All Model 3s and Model Ys.

Signal Viewer Panel: A new Signal Viewer panel is available to monitor multiple signal values live on a graph. If one or more of the signal values is unavailable, the graph will stop updating. To access the new panel, tap Tools > Signal Viewer.

All vehicles with AMD Ryzen.

Noise Recording Panel: To improve the user experience, the recording duration has been decreased to 30 seconds, and reliability of the download routine PROC_ICE_X_FETCH-DIAGNOSTIC-AUDIO-RECORDS has been improved.

Cybertruck only.

Next Update

If you want to read about the official changes in this update, check out our release notes for 2025.2.

Tesla has now started pushing software update 2025.8, but it’s currently only going out to a very small segment of vehicles. It’ll soon go out to more owners in larger waves, but if you’re interested in seeing what’s coming take a look at our 2025.8 update release notes and the undocumented features we’re aware of so far.

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Tesla Reveals Number of Cybertrucks Sold in Trim Replacement Recall

@TeslaTruckClub on X

Tesla has issued a voluntary recall for all Cybertrucks built to date, for an issue with the Cant Rail - the upper trim piece on the sides of the vehicle that sits above the window glass. This is a pretty big deal that it reveals some key information - in fact, it is the Cybertruck’s first full-blown recall that will impact all vehicles.

The Issue

The Cant Rail, being a thin piece of metal attached to a narrow portion of the vehicle, is currently held down by a single bolt and automotive-grade adhesives. Tesla has noted that the adhesives are becoming brittle due to heat and cold cycles over time, resulting in some vehicles having the trim pieces either break or fall off.

This has been an ongoing issue with the Cybertruck - but was previously considered resolved as the issue mostly went away as Tesla improved their adhesive application. 

As of March 20th, Tesla issued a voluntary recall to address the problem after conducting an engineering survey to determine a fix.

Tesla Reveals Number of Cybertrucks Sold

Tesla doesn’t break out Cybertruck sales on their earnings report, instead lumping it into an “Other Models” category that includes Model S, Model X, and Semi sales in addition to the Cybertruck. Since Tesla needs to reveal how many Cybertrucks are affected by this issue, this is our first official glimpse into how many Cybertrucks Tesla has sold.

The recall shows that Tesla has sold 46,096 Cybertrucks to date, which is the number of vehicles recalled. An estimated 1% of vehicles (approximately 460) have the defect, and Tesla has had 151 warranty claims to date in relation to the Cant Rail issue, which have already been remedied. As usual, no fatalities, collisions, or other injuries are related to this issue have been noted.

You can review the recall notice here if you’re interested.

The Fix

The fix to this issue is to fully replace the Cant Rail. That means that Tesla will be removing the existing Cant Rail from the vehicle - which is attached with adhesives - and then replacing it with a new part that uses a new structural adhesive that will not face environmental embrittlement, alongside being reinforced with a nut that will clamp the panel to the vehicle’s structure. Tesla will also weld the panel with an interior stud, solidifying the whole assembly.

Overall, it doesn’t sound like it’ll be a quick and easy fix, but it will be a very solid fix that should make sure that no more of these trim pieces fly off.

Wraps and Coatings

Those who have wrapped, coated, or otherwise treated the surface of their Cybertrucks will be in for a bit of a problem with this particular recall. The existing Cant Rail will be entirely removed from the vehicle, and replaced with a new piece, as mentioned above.

Because of this, the old Cant Rail exterior will no longer be on your vehicle - which includes your wrap or coating. When you go in for this recall, you will need to get the Cant Rails on your vehicle re-wrapped or re-coated, at your own expense.

Tesla is not providing reimbursement at this time for wraps or coatings done by third parties. If Tesla has installed your wrap due to a wrap promotion or through the in-house Tesla Wrap Program, you’ll want to confirm with your local service department if they can source and replace the wrap. 

At this time, there’s been no official guidance from Tesla on in-house wraps, but we expect that because this is a recall and the wrap is a service from Tesla. Hopefully, we’ll hear something officially soon.

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