Tesla began the global rollout of its 2026 Summer Update to customer vehicles on Sunday, expanding Grok voice controls to core vehicle functions, adding personalized navigation and several new mobile app features.
The 2026.26 software package is the second major seasonal over-the-air release, following the Spring Update that introduced the “Hey Grok” wake word in April, among other features.
The company published the release notes on July 21, the same day it expanded its robotaxi service into Orlando and Tampa — and a day before reporting its second-quarter earnings results.
As with previous seasonal releases, the Summer Update focuses on convenience and personalisation rather than autonomous driving.
As of early Monday, owners across Germany, Sweden, and Spain have also reported that they had received the notification to update their vehicles.
FSD improvements arrive through separate branches such as V14 and V14 Lite, the latter of which began its first broad deployment to Hardware 3 owners earlier this month.
CFO Vaibhav Taneja said about 55% of new North American deliveries in the quarter included an FSD subscription at the time of delivery, calling the software one of the main reasons customers are visiting Tesla stores.
Grok Gains Vehicle Controls
The headline addition is a significant expansion of what Grok, the AI assistant developed by Elon Musk-led SpaceXAI, can do inside Tesla vehicles.
Drivers can now use voice commands to place phone calls, search and play music, adjust climate settings, open the glovebox, search through the Controls menu, and ask questions about the vehicle or the latest software update.
Tesla also added the ability to choose Grok’s voice and personality and to set location-based reminders.
The expansion builds on a gradual integration that has unfolded over the past year. Tesla first added Grok to its infotainment system in July 2025 as a screen-based chatbot with no ability to control vehicle functions.
The Spring Update brought the “Hey Grok” hands-free activation in April, and this summer release extends the assistant’s reach into core vehicle systems for the first time.
Tesla‘s expanded Grok commands require an AMD Ryzen infotainment processor — standard on Hardware 4 vehicles and newer Model 3 and Model Y builds — along with either Premium Connectivity or a Wi-Fi connection.
Older Hardware 3 vehicles equipped with Intel-based media control units do not receive the feature.
Driver Habits
Two new navigation features aim to make routing more personal.
Automatic Navigation extends the system’s existing ability to suggest Home, Work, and calendar-based destinations by learning places a driver visits regularly — such as a gym, school, or weekly errand stop — and surfacing them as suggestions.
Preferred Routes allows the navigation system to prioritise roads a driver has taken before rather than defaulting solely to the fastest or shortest path.
The feature requires Online Routing to be enabled and uses anonymous location data.
Mobile App and Energy
Several capabilities move to the Tesla mobile app in version 4.59.0 and later.
Owners can now view and share FSD statistics — including streaks and miles driven — directly from the phone.
A new Set Arrival Energy option allows drivers to choose a desired battery percentage at their destination from the app before starting a trip.
Custom vehicle wraps, previously transferable only via USB, can now be uploaded directly from the mobile app to the car.
Entertainment
‘Caraoke’, Tesla‘s in-car karaoke feature, now scores singing performances while the vehicle is in Park.
On vehicles with a rear display, a QR code can be shown for passengers to add songs.
The scoring feature requires an AMD Ryzen infotainment processor and Premium Connectivity.
A new Rear Display Lock gives front-seat occupants control over the rear screen’s content.
Rear passengers can watch content, but only the front row can change settings — a feature likely aimed at families with children.
Smaller Additions
The update includes a collection of quality-of-life refinements. Supercharger stations can now be found by name when searching for a destination.
Apple Music users can add songs to the playback queue directly from search results and artist pages.
Owners can set a preferred zoom level for the Self-Driving visualisation.
The in-car web browser now supports cabin camera and microphone access while parked, though this is limited to AMD-equipped vehicles.
Newer Model 3 and Model Y builds receive welcome and intro animations.
Supported newer Model 3 and Model Y vehicles also gain three traction control modes — Auto for standard conditions, Slippery Surface for wet or icy roads, and Stuck Assist for snow, mud, or sand — with the setting resetting to Auto at the start of each drive.
Camera Preview is now accessible even when the vehicle is not in Park.
Hardware 3 Support
The 2026.26 update is rolling out to Hardware 3 vehicles, which make up the majority of the Model S, 3, X, and Y fleet produced between roughly 2019 and early 2023.
Core features such as Preferred Routes, Automatic Navigation, Custom Wraps, Set Arrival Energy, Rear Display Lock, Supercharger search by name, Apple Music queue improvements, and Camera Preview work on both Intel and AMD infotainment hardware.
Features restricted to AMD Ryzen vehicles — the expanded Grok Commands, Caraoke scoring, and browser camera and microphone support — are not available on older Intel-based cars.
Newer HW4 vehicles and the refreshed Model 3 and Model Y receive the full feature set along with model-specific items such as the welcome animations and traction control modes.
The hardware divide has widened over successive updates.
The Spring Update restricted “Hey Grok,” the Self-Driving app, and updated car visualisations to AI4 hardware and newer builds, leaving Hardware 3 and Intel owners without several headline features.
Tesla saw record deliveries of 480,126 vehicles globally in the second quarter, a 25.0% increase year on year that exceeded the company-compiled analyst consensus of 406,024 by more than 74,000 units.
