Tesla is quietly changing one of its most recognizable FSD symbols — the Autopilot icon — in its latest FSD update. With FSD v14, vehicles will no longer show the familiar blue circular steering wheel icon when FSD is engaged — instead, the display will show “Self-Driving.”
The Autopilot Icon
Since October 2015, when Tesla first launched its first Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) with Mobileye hardware, the Autopilot icon has served as a visual indicator that the system is engaged.
However, it didn’t look exactly the same back then. Back then, it appeared as a plain blue steering wheel icon when active; the familiar solid-blue circular background came later. This visual cue helped drivers instantly understand the system’s status.
However, it looks like that’s coming to an end with FSD v14.
What Is Tesla Replacing It With?
Starting with this update, Tesla has removed the traditional Autopilot icon and now displays the words “Self-Driving” in blue when the system is engaged. Underneath this text, users can switch between FSD profiles, choose from Chill, Standard, Hurry, or the new Sloth Mode.
Text-only labels, traditionally, don’t work well across languages, and an icon is usually a much better option. If someone rents a vehicle in a foreign country, the vehicle may be set to a different language. Even if they’re familiar with Tesla and Autopilot, blue text in a language they can’t understand may not be the most obvious indicator that Autopilot is active.
Why Are They Replacing It?
Tesla VP of AI Ashok Elluswamy explained that the steering wheel icon had become outdated — “it’d be like the floppy disk icon for the save function,” he said, referencing how teens today might not recognize the symbol. The analogy suggests that one day, teens may not recognize a steering wheel; however, that’s likely decades away.
There will still be specialized vehicles, vehicles for recreation and racing that will help the steering wheel stay far more relevant than the floppy disk has; however, Ashok’s point is well taken.
However, maybe there’s something else that could be used instead of plain text? A vehicle displaying waves or a path, similar to FSD, as illustrated in the example below, could indicate that the vehicle is operating autonomously.
What Comes Next
While the Autopilot icon is gone in the latest FSD release, we believe it’ll return at some point, possibly with an icon and text. Tesla could retain the iconic Autopilot symbol or introduce a new design.
Text just isn’t as easy to understand at a glance as a symbol is. As a reader suggested, Tesla should make it more obvious that Autopilot is enabled, potentially adding a blue border around the entire screen, much like they do in Service Mode.
Tesla has made several UI changes in FSD v14.1, which also include new arrival modes, emergency vehicle handling, automatic parking at the destination, and more. This visual change for Autopilot may be subtle, but it could be the end of an era. Say it ain’t so, Tesla.
Had we continued to use it, it’d be like the floppy disk icon for the save function.
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) October 10, 2025
