Tesla to make Joe Mode even quieter in a future update

By Gabe Rodriguez Morrison
Joe Mode reduces the sound of the vehicle's chimes
Joe Mode reduces the sound of the vehicle's chimes
Not a Tesla App

In 2019, Tesla introduced Joe Mode, a volume setting that helps ensure that sleeping passengers in the rear seats are not disturbed by the vehicle's chimes and alerts. This volume setting is practical for those who have young children who may be sleeping and could be disturbed by loud noises.

In a recent tweet, Elon Musk said that Tesla could make the Joe Mode volume setting even quieter. Elon responded to a tweet from Tesla Owners Silicon Valley, in which they asked if Joe Mode’s alerts could be made quieter.

Joe Mode is a feature that ensures passengers in the back seat (especially kids) are not disturbed in their sleep by reducing the volume of sounds by 50%. Joe Mode reduces the sound volume from turn signals, ultra-sonic sensors and Autopilot chimes in order to minimize disruption, while maintaining an effective alert volume for the driver. Since this feature was introduced with the V10 software update, Tesla owners have repeatedly shared requests in the past to make Joe Mode even quieter.

For many owners, the alerts and chimes from the car are still loud enough to disturb or wake up kids even with the Joe Mode feature enabled. The inside of a Tesla is already fairly quiet, so any loud sounds like Autopilot/TACC chimes can seem even louder and easily wake someone up. To enable Joe Mode, tap Controls > Safety & Security > Joe Mode.

The feature Joe Mode is named after a guy named Joe, who asked Elon Musk if Tesla could reduce the Autopilot chimes in the vehicle because they kept waking up his baby.

Tesla listened to Joe and added the feature via a software update. Tesla honored Joe by naming the feature 'Joe Mode.'

Back in 2020 Tesla Owners Silicon Valley asked Elon Musk on Twitter whether Tesla could add a volume slider to Joe Mode so that owners could set their own preferred volume.

At the time Elon Musk responded with 'Yes,' but it's now been a couple years since that interaction, so it's not clear whether Tesla still plans on adding a volumne slider to Joe Mode, or simply reduce its volume.

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Tesla Rolls Out Innovative Towing Solutions for Cybertruck and Supercharger Network

By Kevin Armstrong
Pull through supercharging added to UI
Pull through supercharging added to UI

Tesla’s latest update includes a special feature for Cybertruck that may eventually be rolled out to the rest of the lineup. It appears Tesla is getting ready for the summer road trip season early by focusing on enhanced security for drivers who tow trailers and improving accessibility to its Supercharger network for such vehicles.

Cybertruck's New Trailer Alarm Feature

A standout feature in the latest update is introducing a trailer alarm system for the Cybertruck. This innovative feature extends the vehicle's alarm system to monitor the connection status of a trailer hitched to the vehicle. In practical terms, this means the vehicle's alarm will now also protect the trailer, ensuring an added layer of security for owners' valuable cargo.

Activating or deactivating alongside the vehicle's alarm system, this feature can be conveniently managed through the vehicle's settings under the "Towing and Hauling" section, where the "Trailer Alarm" option is located. Owners who prefer not to use this feature can disable it, tailoring the vehicle's security settings to their preferences. At this point, we only have confirmation of the feature in Cybertruck, but it would make sense to add it to the other models that haul trailers as well.

Enhanced Supercharger Network Accessibility

Tesla is also improving the Supercharging experience for drivers with trailers. Recognizing owners' difficulties when charging vehicles while towing, Tesla has been progressively introducing pull-through stalls at Supercharger stations. These stalls are designed to accommodate vehicles with trailers, eliminating the need to detach trailers before charging – a significant improvement over the traditional back-in stalls that dominate the network.

Wes Morrill, a Cybertruck engineer who has become more vocal on X, posted that the “Supercharger team is always looking for opportunities to install these at new locations. Will show trailer friendly stalls on the in-vehicle UI to make it easier when road tripping with a trailer.”

Amid rising gas prices, Tesla's updates offer a cost-effective solution for summer road trips. The new trailer alarm and UI improvements for finding Supercharger stations address towing challenges, enhancing the Tesla experience. This initiative showcases Tesla's commitment to innovation and sustainable travel, enabling owners to bypass the impact of fuel costs and enjoy their adventures.

Tesla Expected to Release 'Actually Smart Summon' and 'Tap to Park' Updates Next Month

By Not a Tesla App Staff
Smart summon in April update
Smart summon in April update

Elon Musk announced that Tesla will finally reintroduce Smart Summon and Autopark to its vehicles. According to the CEO, these features are scheduled for release in April. Tesla removed ultrasonic sensors (USS) from their vehicles in 2022, and with it removed several features, including Autopark, Smart Summon and Park Assist. However, since then, they’ve added High Fidelity Park Assist, a feature that recreates the surrounding environment in 3D. Although, it’s currently only available to vehicles without USS, that’s expected to change in the near future, and could also come bundled in with the new Autopark feature.

This update in April is not only expected bring these features back to vehicles without ultrasonic sensors, but Tesla is also expected to release drastically improved versions of these features, known as Actually Smart Summon and Tap to Park.

Major improvements coming for Summon & Banish (Autopark) next month - Elon Musk

Improved Autopark

Greentheonly, who regularly decompiles Tesla firmware, has indicated that Tesla's latest software, version 2024.8, already contains the code necessary for these new features, but they need to be remotely activated by Tesla. Additionally, Green says the new Autopark system will offer users the choice between parallel and perpendicular parking options. The new Autopark is expected to let drivers visually select a parking spot, exit the vehicle, and let it park itself.

New ‘Tap to Park’ Feature

With the introduction of High Fidelity Park Assist, Tesla laid the groundwork for more sophisticated features like "Tap to Park."

Tap to Park builds on the original concept of Park Seek, a feature discussed by Tesla in October 2022 that aimed to automate the parking spot search process. While the initial vision for Park Seek suggested a vehicle could autonomously search for parking, "Tap to Park" simplifies this idea.

With the deployment of FSD Beta v12.3 going to more users this weekend, the company continues to leverage AI to reduce code in favor of neural networks trained with real-world driving data.

Just last week, Musk posted on X: "Really cool stuff coming both this month and next." Since that post, FSD beta version 12.3 has started going to more users, and now it seems two other long overdue and highly anticipated updates are coming with Actually Smart Summon and Tap to Park. Still no word on auto wiper improvements.

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