Questions on Software Updates

[Vettepartz]

I have 2 questions about updates, and hope someone here can give me some answers.

1. How does Tesla determine who gets the newest updates first? Not talking FSD here.

2. I may be wrong about this, so please correct me if needed. Watching TeslaFi, it seems that the updates require at least two steps. First is the download to the car from Tesla. I don't know the requirements for this to happen. Second would be the actual installation process, where the driver would be notified of a pending update, assuming it is in the cars computer. Then the driver would push the prompt and the installation process would start in two minutes. My reasoning could be wrong on this, so please correct me if needed.

 

[GtiMart]

Tesla decide who gets the update (the order) and no one else has the formula. We only have guesses floating around.

Your car receives a notification when it is entitled to an update. You get a notification that an update is available for download. As soon as the car gets a wifi connection it will download it, no questions asked. Once the download is complete the car will notify you that an update is ready to install and will ask if you want to install it. It's your choice. Just know that it says 25 minutes but it might take up to 45 minutes. During that time, the car is unusable, choose wisely.
You get the notifications on your cell phone as well and can start the update process (the installation) from your phone.

EDIT: Yes, once you launch the installation process you have two minutes to cancel it before it really starts.

 

[GreenT]

Might add that unlike most software, once you install the upgrade and you think it's worse than what it replaced, you're screwed.
There is no downgrading.

 

[GtiMart]

That is true for mobile apps as well, you only have access to the latest. In any case you cannot run away forever. You're better off following regularly than eventually being forced to update and being disoriented because everything changes at once.

 

[Vettepartz]

Tesla decide who gets the update (the order) and no one else has the formula. We only have guesses floating around.

Your car receives a notification when it is entitled to an update. You get a notification that an update is available for download. As soon as the car gets a wifi connection it will download it, no questions asked. Once the download is complete the car will notify you that an update is ready to install and will ask if you want to install it. It's your choice. Just know that it says 25 minutes but it might take up to 45 minutes. During that time, the car is unusable, choose wisely.
You get the notifications on your cell phone as well and can start the update process (the installation) from your phone.

EDIT: Yes, once you launch the installation process you have two minutes to cancel it before it really starts.

GTiMart - I have never gotten a notification that an update was available for download, only the notification for an install. What does this notification look like, and where does it show up?

 

[GtiMart]

You'll get a yellow down arrow at the top right of your screen. If you park where the car has a wifi connection, you won't see that arrow for long since the download will happen. If you go in the car's menus to check if an update is available, and you happen to have an update available, you'll see it

 

[Vettepartz]

You'll get a yellow down arrow at the top right of your screen. If you park where the car has a wifi connection, you won't see that arrow for long since the download will happen. If you go in the car's menus to check if an update is available, and you happen to have an update available, you'll see it

Thanks for that info, Gti. I will look for the yellow down arrow from now on.

 

[vsapi100]

Can someone one clarify please. So if I don’t have Wi-Fi in the building garage where I park, if I have connectivity that came with my car free for a year, wouldn’t just use the cell service to install it or just to download or neither?

 

[father_of_6]

Can someone one clarify please. So if I don’t have Wi-Fi in the building garage where I park, if I have connectivity that came with my car free for a year, wouldn’t just use the cell service to install it or just to download or neither?

Typically, no... you need WiFi to download an update. I do believe there are exceptions to this though... perhaps safety related updates.

You can tether to your phone and use that cellular data though.

 

[father_of_6]

EDIT: Yes, once you launch the installation process you have two minutes to cancel it before it really starts.

Also, you can tap that countdown 5 times to immediately begin installation.

 

[MikeKFE]

If you recently purchased your car, it can sometimes take a few weeks to get the latest download. At least that’s been my experience up until yesterday when I got my latest S.

Update 2 hours after taking delivery.

So YMMV

 

[vcor]

You can get software updates without WiFi, but they are less frequent. This often includes an update that fixes a recall. Map updates, which are very infrequent (maybe 1-2 times/year), are only done on WiFi as they are quite large.

 

[SedesGobhani]

.... it seems that the updates require at least two steps ... download to the car from Tesla ... actual installation process, where the driver would be notified of a pending update ...

And there's a third step. Map updates. So like for my car to get WiFi I have to open the garage door and the signals so weak I have to wait an hour for it to download. Then I wait 20 minutes or so for it to install, do tunings and reboot. Then I think "Oh good it's finally done" so next trip I hop in the car and Nav doesn't work, says I have to download maps. I'm late so at the destination I use my phone as a hotspot for a couple hours and then the app says "Software update: Downloading 2022.40.4.2 (100%)" like it's not done yet, even though it's already installed, and the car Nav says to connect to WiFi to download the maps (although I already did, it's "100%"). So that now I can drive but Nav is disabled so maybe there's a 4th step then (Hard reset)? and maybe more I (Contact Tesla)? Not sure why they don't install the updates and map data in the same package and then say it's done instead of pretending like it's done "but wait, there's more". Rant over.

 

[father_of_6]

And there's a third step. Map updates. So like for my car to get WiFi I have to open the garage door and the signals so weak I have to wait an hour for it to download. Then I wait 20 minutes or so for it to install, do tunings and reboot. Then I think "Oh good it's finally done" so next trip I hop in the car and Nav doesn't work, says I have to download maps. I'm late so at the destination I use my phone as a hotspot for a couple hours and then the app says "Software update: Downloading 2022.40.4.2 (100%)" like it's not done yet, even though it's already installed, and the car Nav says to connect to WiFi to download the maps (although I already did, it's "100%"). So that now I can drive but Nav is disabled so maybe there's a 4th step then (Hard reset)? and maybe more I (Contact Tesla)? Not sure why they don't install the updates and map data in the same package and then say it's done instead of pretending like it's done "but wait, there's more". Rant over.

That's confusing. I don't think they updated the navigation data more than once a year... and it's been totally separate from the actual software updates for me.