Tesla's hidden feature for entering address or URL

[AlexG]

I have made a video about a hidden feature that I have recently learn about how you can enter a location address or a website URL into your Tesla UI before you even get into the car. Please follow the simple instructions in the video and your life will be just a little easier

YouTube video:

If you have other features to share - please do so, I'd love to know!

 

[Tam]

...address or a website...

Very cool. I like it. Thanks for sharing!

 

[brkaus]

Spoiler alert - If you want to save 2min 45seconds of your life, just use the calendar notes or address. Then you can click on them in the shared calendar on the car.

 

[SMAlset]

For directions -- or you could just say "navigate to...and say the address" and avoid typing.

 

[CalBlue 85D]

If you have other features to share - please do so, I'd love to know!

Watch my video and I'll let you know. ; )

 

[AlexG]

For directions -- or you could just say "navigate to...and say the address" and avoid typing.

That's another video Plus, many times people end up getting an address of the destination before they even get to the car. So, this tip is for that case scenario

 

[AlexG]

Spoiler alert - If you want to save 2min 45seconds of your life, just use the calendar notes or address. Then you can click on them in the shared calendar on the car.

Some people want to actually be walked through it. Plus, you have to admit the background of my video is worth watching

 

[Canuck]

Good tip but it took too long to get to a simple point. No need to drag it out.

Here's another tip if you want all of your favourite bookmarks in your car and you have a ton of them like me. You download all of your bookmarks to a file, attach it to an email, then email it to yourself. Then open that email in the web browser in the car. In my webmail server, the email with the html file attached has: "download" and "view" beside it. I click "view" and it opens in the browser with all my favourites as links. Then you just press on the one you want to go to that site. It's also a good way to set up your favourites in the car's browser.

 

[Tam]

...email in the web browser in the car...

I also thought the same thing but Tesla's browser seems not to remember Gmail log in credentials so it's quite a hassle that I have to re-enter it each time I get in my Tesla.

 

[JPUConn]

Why would you use the painfully slow browser vs your smartphone?

Tesla should enable screen mirroring for smartphones.

 

[scaesare]

Hidden? Hack?

 

[AlexG]

Good tip but it took too long to get to a simple point. No need to drag it out.

Here's another tip if you want all of your favourite bookmarks in your car and you have a ton of them like me. You download all of your bookmarks to a file, attach it to an email, then email it to yourself. Then open that email in the web browser in the car. In my webmail server, the email with the html file attached has: "download" and "view" beside it. I click "view" and it opens in the browser with all my favourites as links. Then you just press on the one you want to go to that site. It's also a good way to set up your favourites in the car's browser.

WOW, really? Less than 3 minutes to save you much more time than that and it's still too long and inconvenient? LOL BTW, I have not followed your tip as I read it twice. Maybe make a video out of it?

 

[AlexG]

Hidden? Hack?

Yes. Why?

 

[AlexG]

Why would you use the painfully slow browser vs your smartphone?

Tesla should enable screen mirroring for smartphones.

What is the current alternative?

 

[Max*]

I'm just posting to get a dislike from EverythingTSLA.

 

[Canuck]

Why would you use the painfully slow browser vs your smartphone?

Because it's a $600 fine in BC to even hold your phone while driving, plus points on your licence. No thanks.

Also, I don't find the browser to be as bad as people say it is. I did upgrade to LTE but even without LTE it's not like I am in a hurry while driving. I'm not sitting at a desk only surfing the web so who cares if it's slow. I click on a link and check back when it loads.

Here's what happened to me a few months back. The cops here hide out in stop and go traffic watching for people on their phones. I was stopped before the Oak Street bridge, notorious for long lines and slow traffic, typing an email on my browser, when a cop emerged from hiding, walked right passed my vehicle, looked in at me typing the email (and quickly stopping), then pointed to the guy behind me and had him pull over. I know he thought twice about having me pull over too but I got a pass. That's why I use the browser and not my phone.

I also thought the same thing but Tesla's browser seems not to remember Gmail log in credentials so it's quite a hassle that I have to re-enter it each time I get in my Tesla.

When I first got my car just over three years ago the browser remembered the passwords until a reboot. That all changed with v.7 -- and why they did that is beyond me. Plus, now it's really difficult to get the keyboard to pop up when logging into hotmail. But with my work email, I can login relatively quickly.

My tip was really for access to bookmarks that you don't use a lot but want sometimes in the car. The ones use a lot I make bookmarks in the car's browser.

 

[Viking1]

Why would you use the painfully slow browser vs your smartphone?

Tesla should enable screen mirroring for smartphones.

Nice suggestion. Sort of like Chromecast. I would love to watch a podcast, while supercharging, on my 17" screen instead of my 5.5" iPhone screen. Would also be a way around the painfully slow browser. Also would resolve the issue of how to get links into the Tesla browser. Tesla should consider this. If necessary, only enable while the car is in park.

 

[Canuck]

Nice suggestion. Sort of like Chromecast. I would love to watch a podcast, while supercharging, on my 17" screen instead of my 5.5" iPhone screen. Would also be a way around the painfully slow browser. Tesla should consider this. If necessary, only enable while the car is in park.

Don't worry, it's all coming by the end of 2014:

Tesla Model S to get app support and Chrome by late 2014 (video)

Google and Tesla combine forces to bring Chrome inside the Model S by end of 2014

With "Tesla time" accounted for, it should be here in about 5 more years.

 

[ecarfan]

So you create an event in your calendar using your phone, tablet, computer, include a URL in the event, then in the car when it syncs to your phone calendar you open the calendar app, select the event, find the URL in the event, select it and the car browser will open that URL.

Thanks, got it.

For those who don't want to watch the 3 minute video, that is a text description that you can read in less than 10 seconds.

 

[JPUConn]

Because it's a $600 fine in BC to even hold your phone while driving, plus points on your licence. No thanks.

My tip was really for access to bookmarks that you don't use a lot but want sometimes in the car. The ones use a lot I make bookmarks in the car's browser.

Understoood the tip was helpful.

Just because you didn't get in trouble doesn't make distracted driving right. Hopefully you don't hit someone while typing emails on your display.. that'd be just one more thing for the tesla naysayers to rant about so I'm sure soon enough tesla will restrict the browser to only when the car is in park