Touchscreen

In addition to the instrument panel, Model S is equipped with a front and rear touchscreen.

Note

Throughout this Owner's Manual, the front touchscreen is referred to as the "touchscreen" whereas the rear touchscreen is referred to as the "rear touchscreen".

Warning

Always pay attention to road and traffic conditions when driving. To minimize driver distraction and ensure the safety of vehicle occupants as well as other road users, avoid using the touchscreen to adjust settings while the vehicle is in motion.

Use the touchscreen to control many features that, in traditional cars, are controlled using physical buttons (for example, adjusting the cabin heating and air conditioning, headlights, etc.). You also use the touchscreen to control media, navigate, use entertainment features, and customize Model S to suit your preferences. For hands-free access to common touchscreen controls, use voice commands (see Voice Commands).

If the touchscreen is unresponsive or demonstrates unusual behavior, you can restart it (see Restarting the Touchscreen).

CAUTION

Do not apply a screen protector on the touchscreen. Doing so can result in unintended inputs to the touchscreen (phantom inputs), delayed response or unresponsiveness to touches, electrostatic discharge which can damage the touchscreen, etc. Any damage caused by installing a screen protector is not covered by the warranty.

Note

Illustrations are provided to improve conceptual understanding only. Depending on vehicle options, software version, market region and regional and language settings, the details displayed on the screen will differ.

Navigation: Change the orientation of the map, find or navigate to a destination, and change navigation settings (see Maps and Navigation).
Status bar: Find car controls and status in the top bar (see Top Status Bar Icons).
Drive mode strip: Use to shift into Park, Reverse, Neutral, or Drive. The drive mode strip always displays on the touchscreen when you touch Controls. (See Shifting.)
Controls: Control various features and customize Model S to suit your preferences. The Controls screen appears over the map. Touch an option on the Controls screen to display the various settings and preferences associated with the chosen option.
To search for a specific setting, touch Search at the top of the Controls screen. Make changes directly from the result or touch the link to jump to that option in Controls.

When an information icon displays beside a specific setting, touch it to display a popup that provides helpful details about the associated setting.

Note
You can also access Controls by touching anywhere on the side of the touchscreen closest to the driver and swiping open.
Note
Many vehicle controls, settings, and preferences (such as climate, media, and navigation) can be adjusted hands-free using voice commands (see Voice Commands).
Note
You can send touchscreen feedback to Tesla by long-pressing this icon.
Climate controls (driver): Use the left and right arrows to decrease/increase cabin temperature. Touch Split on the popup to display separate controls for the driver and passenger. Touch the temperature icon to customize climate control settings (see Operating Climate Controls). The passenger climate controls display when temperature controls have been Split to provide separate controls for the driver and passenger.
My Apps: For one-touch access to frequently used apps and controls, you can choose what displays here. See Customizing My Apps.
App Launcher: Touch the app launcher to open the app tray. Then touch any app to open it. The app you choose displays on top of the map. To close an app, drag it downward.
Note
You cannot completely close Media Player. When you drag Media Player down, it displays Mini-Player which allows you see what's playing, pause/play, and skip reverse/forward.
Recent App(s): Displays the most recently used app(s). The number of recent apps displayed here depends on how many apps have been added to My Apps. If you add the maximum number of apps to My Apps, only the most recent app displays.
Climate controls (passenger): Displays when temperature controls have been Split to provide separate controls for the driver and passenger.
Volume Control: Controls the volume of media player and phone calls (see Volume Controls). The volume of navigation instructions is controlled separately (see Maps and Navigation).
Media Player: See Media.

Customizing My Apps

For one-touch access to commonly used apps and controls, you can customize what displays in the My Apps area on the touchscreen's bottom bar:

Enter customization mode by touching and holding any app or control in the My Apps area. If this area is empty, touch the App Launcher.
Drag any app or control from the app tray onto the My Apps area in the bottom bar.
Note
Seat heaters selected from the app tray appear next to the temperature, instead of in the My Apps area.

Note

When you've added the maximum number of apps or controls to My Apps, adding an additional app removes the rightmost app.

Note

Remove an app or control from the My Apps area by touching and holding, then touching its associated "X".

Top Status Bar Icons

Touch to lock/unlock all doors and trunks.

Displays the local or destination weather conditions. Touch to display more detailed information about the weather and air quality, including chance of rain, humidity, and UV index. Requires premium connectivity.

Displays the current temperature. If your vehicle is equipped with premium connectivity, you can also touch to display more detailed information about the weather and air quality, including chance of rain, humidity, and UV index.

Displays on the touchscreen status bar only when Model S detects that the local Air Quality Index (AQI) value is poor. A poor AQI will have yellow, orange, red, purple, or maroon numbers. Touch to display more detailed information about the weather and air quality, including chance of rain, humidity, and UV index. Requires premium connectivity.

4:20 pm

Your vehicle automatically updates the time. If the time is incorrect, confirm your vehicle has internet and GPS connectivity with the latest software.

Displays on the touchscreen status bar only when Model S detects a programmed HomeLink within range, and the touchscreen is not already displaying the HomeLink screen or popup. See Smart Garage.

a half circle with a smaller circle on top of it

Displays on the touchscreen status bar only when Model S is parked. Add, configure (including Valet Mode and Use Easy Entry), or quickly switch driver profiles. Driver profiles can also be accessed from the top of any Controls screen. See Driver Profiles.

Available when Model S is parked, touch to manually enable or disable Sentry Mode for the current drive cycle. To automatically turn Sentry Mode on (or off) every time you leave your vehicle, enable the setting from Controls > Safety > Sentry Mode. See Sentry Mode for more information.

Note

If you turn Sentry Mode on or off from Controls > Sentry Mode, the shortcuts on the vehicle's touchscreen and mobile app will only work for the current drive cycle.

Displays when Model S is connected to a Wi-Fi network.

lines increasing in height from left to right

Displays when Model S is connected to a cellular network. Touch this icon for quick access to Wi-Fi settings.

lines increasing in height from left to right with a line through it

Displays when Model S cellular connectivity is unavailable. Touch this icon for quick access to Wi-Fi settings.

a yellow person and air bag with the text "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF"

Status of the front passenger airbag (see GUID-0943510B-B8A7-4E0E-8998-62ACB9BD4D12.html Airbags).

Touch to contact emergency responders and receive public safety information in the event of a serious accident or injury (see Emergency Call).

Appears when your vehicle's GPS location is actively being accessed in the Tesla mobile app by the owner, an added driver, or a third party app you're using. Tap the icon for details. To disable, navigate to Safety > Allow Mobile Access on the touchscreen.

Popup Messages and Vehicle Alerts

Popup messages appear at the bottom of the touchscreen. For example, a seat belt reminder appears if a seat belt is unfastened in an occupied seat, an alert appears to notify you of an incoming phone call, a text message appears (when applicable), and voice commands appear when in use. If applicable, touch options from these popup messages (for example, accept/decline a phone call, choose an option from the headlight menu, etc.). To dismiss a popup message, swipe it downward.

If an alert appears on your vehicle's touchscreen, touch Learn More for more details regarding the alert and how it can be resolved. You can view a list of vehicle alerts and notifications by touching the bell icon at the top of Controls.

Note

Not all alerts provide additional information at this time.

Restarting the Touchscreen

You can restart your touchscreen if it is unresponsive or demonstrates unusual behavior.

Note

To ensure the safety of occupants as well as other road users, restart the touchscreen only when the vehicle is in Park.

Shift into Park.
Hold down both scroll buttons on the steering yoke (or steering wheel) until the touchscreen turns black. Pressing the brake pedal while holding down the scroll buttons does not have any impact and is not required.
After a few seconds, the Tesla logo appears. Wait approximately 30 seconds for the touchscreen to restart. If the touchscreen is still unresponsive or demonstrating unusual behavior after a few minutes, try power cycling the vehicle (if possible). See Power Cycling the Vehicle.

Note

Restarting the touchscreen also activates the drive mode selector on the center console.

Note

Pressing the scroll buttons only restarts the touchscreen. It does not restart any other vehicle component and does not power Model S off and on.

Tilt the Touchscreen (if equipped)

To tilt the touchscreen, navigate to Controls, then touch the display icon to choose the desired position.

Warning

When the center display is tilting, ensure that there are no objects (such as your fingers or jewelry) between the screen and instrument panel to reduce the risk of injury or damage.

Rear Touchscreen

The rear touchscreen provides rear passengers with access to:

Temperature: Touch the arrows to decrease/increase cabin temperature.
Power: Touch to turn the rear climate control system on or off.
Rear fan: Touch to turn the rear fan on or off, to adjust fan speed and control the direction of air flow from the rear vents (see Adjusting the Front and Rear Vents).
Seats: Control rear seat heaters and move the front passenger seat forward/rearward using the arrows.
Media: Play, pause, skip or rewind through the currently playing song (see Media).
Video: Access video streaming services.
Settings: Touch to pair up to two sets of Bluetooth headphones, change the brightness or clean the display.
Note
Connect headphones to listen to audio from the rear touchscreen. The vehicle supports up to two Bluetooth devices at a time (such as one phone and one headset).
Note
Some vehicles manufactured before approximately September 2021 may require additional hardware to be compatible with wireless headphones. If the touchscreen displays this message, use the mobile app to schedule a service appointment.
Auto: If Auto is enabled and a passenger is detected, the set temperature is maintained for the rear cabin.
Note
Enable Sync on the rear tab of the front touchscreen's climate controls to set both the front and back cabin temperatures.
Volume: Touch to adjust the volume.

Note

You can also use the front touchscreen to adjust climate settings in the rear cabin (see Adjusting Climate Control Settings).

Note

Adjusting the media and volume controls also adjusts the front cabin settings.

Control the rear screen from the front

To control the rear touchscreen from the front, open the rear screen remote control app in the bottom bar on the front touchscreen. Besides audio, video and climate controls, you can lock the rear display in the app or by touching Controls > Display > Lock Rear Display.

Customizing Display and Sound Settings

Touch Controls > Display to adjust display settings to suit your preferences:

Appearance: Customize the display to be Dark or Light. When set to Auto, the brightness changes automatically based on ambient lighting conditions.
Reduce Blue Light: When enabled, the display automatically adjusts to use warmer colors at night.
Brightness: Drag the slider to manually control the brightness level. If Display Mode is set to Auto, the touchscreen further adjusts based on both the ambient lighting conditions and your brightness preference. Model S remembers your chosen brightness preference and adjusts the touchscreen accordingly.
Screen Clean Mode: When enabled, your touchscreen darkens and temporarily disables to facilitate cleaning. Follow the onscreen instructions to exit Screen Clean Mode.
Touchscreen Language: Select the language that the touchscreen displays.
Note
Model S must be in Park to change the language. When you change the language, you experience a brief delay as Model S shuts down and restarts the touchscreen.
Voice Recognition Language: Choose the language to be used for voice commands.
Voice Navigation Language: Choose the language that the navigation system uses for spoken instructions.
Note
For languages that require a download, select the language in the dropdown list to initiate the download (Wi-Fi connection required).
Lock Rear Display: Lock access to the rear touchscreen.
Time: Choose to display time in either 12 or 24 hour format.
Region Format (if available): Choose a region to define the formatting convention used to display dates (mm dd yy/dd-mm-yy, etc.) and decimal separators (5.123, 5,123, etc.).
Energy Display: Choose to display remaining energy and charging units as either a percentage of battery energy remaining, or as an estimate of the distance you can drive.
Note
When anticipating when you need to charge, use energy estimate as a general guideline only. Many factors have an impact on energy consumption. See Factors Affecting Energy Consumption.
Distance: Choose to display measurements in metric (kilometers, centimeters, etc.) or imperial (miles, inches, etc.) units.
Temperature: Choose to display temperature using Fahrenheit or Celsius.
Tire Pressure: Choose to display tire pressures using BAR or PSI.

In addition to customizing the display, you can enable Joe Mode to reduce the volume of all chimes that are not related to critical safety issues. Touch Controls > Safety > Joe Mode to enable.

Naming your Vehicle

To further personalize your vehicle, you can name it. Touch Controls > Software > Name Your Vehicle located on the right side of the touchscreen below the image of Model S. If your vehicle already has a name, touch the existing name to change it. Enter the new name in the popup and touch Save. The name of your Model S also appears in the Tesla mobile app.

Erasing Personal Data with a Factory Reset

When transferring ownership of Model S, perform a factory reset for security purposes before removing your vehicle from your account by touching Controls > Service > Factory Reset. Before erasing data, Model S verifies your credentials by prompting you to enter the user name and password associated with your Tesla account.

Note

Performing a factory reset is only possible when the vehicle is in your account. After the vehicle is removed from your account, you no longer have access to perform a reset of customized settings to the factory defaults and to erase all personal data.