Depending on market region, vehicle
configuration, options purchased, and software version, your vehicle may not be
equipped with Dashcam or the features may not operate exactly as described. It is your sole responsibility to
consult and comply with all local regulations and property restrictions regarding
the use of cameras.
Dashcam records video footage of your vehicle's surroundings when Model Y is powered on (see Starting and Powering Off) and driving. Use
Dashcam to record driving incidents or other notable events, like you would for an
external Dashcam on other vehicles.
The Dashcam icon is located in
the app launcher. You can add the Dashcam app to the bottom bar for easy access (see
Customizing My Apps). When your
vehicle is in Park, touching the Dashcam icon brings up the Viewer.
To protect your privacy, video recordings are saved locally to a formatted USB flash
drive's onboard memory. Recordings are not sent to Tesla. Your vehicle does not record
videos when Dashcam is Off.
How to Use Dashcam
Format a USB flash drive. Dashcam
requires a properly formatted USB drive inserted in your vehicle's USB port
(Tesla recommends using the glovebox USB port, if equipped) to store and
retrieve footage. Vehicles manufactured beginning approximately 2020 are
equipped with a pre-formatted USB flash drive in the glove box. There are two
ways to format the flash drive:
Insert the flash drive
into the USB port and navigate to Controls > Safety > Format USB
Drive. Your vehicle automatically formats the flash drive for
you.
Insert the USB flash drive into
your vehicle's USB port.
Note
For some vehicles manufactured after approximately
November 1, 2021, the center console USB ports may only support charging
devices. Use the USB port inside the glove box for all other functions.
Enable Dashcam by touching
Controls > Safety > Dashcam. Dashcam allows you to choose how and when footage is saved. You
can choose between:
Auto:
Dashcam automatically saves a recording to the USB drive when Model Y detects a
safety-critical event, such as a collision or airbag deployment. When
Auto is selected, detection can vary and is subject to
your vehicle's power, sleep, and Autopilot state.
Note
Several
factors determine whether Dashcam automatically saves a recording of
a safety-critical event (for example, amount of force, whether or
not airbags deployed, etc.). Do not rely on Dashcam to automatically
record video of all safety-critical events.
Manual:
You must manually touch the Dashcam icon to save a recording of the most
recent 10 minutes of footage.
On Honk:
When you press the horn, Dashcam saves a recording of the most recent 10
minutes of footage. This can be enabled along with
Auto or Manual.
Once Dashcam is enabled, you are
free to drive. The Dashcam icon indicates when footage is saved. You can also
view the status of Dashcam with the icon in Controls:The icon changes to show the status of Dashcam:
RECORDING: Dashcam is recording. To save video
footage, touch the icon. To pause recording, press and hold the
icon.
PAUSED: Dashcam is paused. To resume recording,
touch the icon. To avoid losing video footage, pause Dashcam before
removing the flash drive.
SAVED: Footage is saved. You can also save Dashcam clips by touching the Dashcam icon
in the app launcher while Driving.
Note
You must save your desired footage in
order to view it later. Your vehicle does not save all recordings, even
temporarily. Unsaved footage recorded by Dashcam gets constantly
overwritten. See Viewing Video Recordings for more information.
Once
your desired footage is saved, view the clips on the touchscreen or a
computer:
Touchscreen: Ensure your
vehicle is in Park and touch the Dashcam icon in the app launcher.
Videos are organized by timestamp. See Viewing Video Recordings for more information.
Computer: Insert the USB
flash drive into a computer and navigate to the TeslaCam folder. Videos
are organized by timestamp. See Viewing Video Recordings for more information.
To turn Dashcam off, navigate to
Controls > Safety > Dashcam > Off. If set to Auto, On Honk, or
Manual, Dashcam will automatically enable every time you drive your
vehicle.
RECORDING: Dashcam is recording. To save video footage, touch the icon. To pause recording, press and hold the icon.
SAVED: Footage is saved. You can also save Dashcam clips by touching the Dashcam icon in the app launcher while Driving.NoteYou must save your desired footage in order to view it later. Your vehicle does not save all recordings, even temporarily. Unsaved footage recorded by Dashcam gets constantly overwritten. See Viewing Video Recordings for more information.