Every year, Tesla releases a huge Holiday update, to celebrate the holiday season. Last year’s Holiday update was packed with features, such as custom lock sounds, alternative routes, high-fidelity park assist and more. We expect this year’s update to be just as packed.
So, what can we expect in this year’s Holiday update? We closely monitor features that are discovered in the vehicle’s firmware or in the Tesla app, but haven’t been released yet. So we have a good idea of some of the features that are likely to be included in this holiday update.
Some of the features mentioned below are highly likely to be included in the holiday update, while others have a chance of showing up in the year’s biggest update.
So we’ll quickly review those, and then move on to what else we think is coming. So, grab your stockings, watch out for the coal, and let’s get stuffing.
Holiday Update Features
We’ve got quite a few features we’re expecting to land with the Holiday Update, so let’s go through them!
Watch Support
First up in our expected updates is Apple Watch support for the Tesla app. A recent update to the iOS app revealed that a Watch app is on its way, and you’ll be able to access some key controls from your Apple Watch in the near future. We’re not sure whether Android watch support will also be included, or whether Tesla will work on this later.
Adaptive Headlights
Next up is Adaptive Headlights - which were confirmed to be “coming soon” to North America. Adaptive Headlights are a massive benefit for driving in the dark and are good for both Tesla owners and other road users. We’re excited to see this one land, as it's a huge safety benefit.
Voice Assistant
Tesla has been cooking up an updated Voice Assistant for quite some time now, with new voiceovers available on new vehicles, and Elon confirming that a Smart Voice Assistant is on the horizon. China recently got context-based voice commands, so we’re hoping for something a little smarter than what’s currently available.
We will say though, there are quite a few Voice Commands already available - but making them smarter and better is never a bad thing!
X App
License Plate Visualization
With an upcoming currently employee-only update, you’ll be able to set your vehicle license plate and have it show up in the vehicle visualization - both when parked and when moving. For now, this feature is China-exclusive, but we’re hoping that this will arrive globally with the Holiday Update, similar to other features that originally launched in China, like the Air Quality Index display, the trip meter that displays traffic along your route, and even the ability to change your vehicle’s color.
SiriusXM Streaming
SiriusXM is famed for its satellite streaming - and for Tesla owners, only the Model S and Model X are equipped with the receivers. For other owners, you were out of luck. However, In a web post that was taken down back in August, SiriusXM confirmed that a SiriusXM Web Streaming App was on its way to Tesla vehicles!
That means non-satellite (data) streaming of SiriusXM content to any vehicle. Lots of people love SiriusXM’s content, and expanding Tesla’s ever-growing library of streaming content is always a plus.
Amazon Prime Video
Tesla previously added Amazon Music back in Update 2024.26, and many remarked that Prime Video was missing. While you can technically access Prime Video through the web browser, you don’t get the same experience as Theatre Mode. So we’d love for Tesla to bring Amazon’s Prime Video to the list of theatre experiences.
Smart Child Seats
In Update 2024.32, Tesla added references to Smart Child Seats. These smart seats come with a slew of features, including real-time notifications for the buckle and occupant status. We’re sure all the parents are hoping to be able to better integrate their children’s safety with how safe and smart their vehicle is - including a forgotten child alert!
Avoid Highways
Back in June, Elon confirmed that an “Avoid Highways” option would be coming to Tesla’s navigation options. While this hasn’t landed just yet, we’re hoping this will land with the Holiday Update. Being able to avoid highways, just like you can avoid tolls, can be useful - and some drivers just prefer the scenic or non-highway route to their destination.
Caraoke Studio
Caraoke is getting a Recording Studio mode, where you’ll be able to record your Karaoke sessions, add special effects, and save the files to a USB stick. This will be a fun one - especially when you grab a set of Caraoke Mics!
Everything Else
There’s always more than we covered in just this article. Pretty much anything that a Tesla executive has discussed over the last year on X, or that we’ve seen the potential for arriving in partial updates could show up. This includes items like New Charging Visualizations, Fleet-Data Suspension Adjustments, Stuck Detection for the Cybertruck, and more.
You can read through our list of Upcoming Tesla Features here!
