Tesla's massive Spring update leaves older cars behind as owners spot fresh clue about a big Full Self-Driving change

Date:
Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:22:28 +0000

Description:
Tesla's big Spring software update has landed and its new Self-Driving app leaves a lot of questions unanswered.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
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your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Teslas Spring update brings with it lots of changes A new self-driving app is inarguably the biggest However, the app will only work on cars with the
latest hardware Tesla has revealed details of a massive Spring 2026 update that will bring a host of new software features to vehicles across the globe.

Alongside smaller things, such as a voice prompt to wake Grok and an innovative use of interior lighting to act as a blind spot warning system, Tesla has ushered in a new, dedicated Self-Driving app that will act as a hub for any information surrounding its highly autonomous Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system. Appearing somewhat like a homepage of a smart TV, the
new app allows owners that didnt specify FSD at the time of purchase to subscribe to the feature with the press of a button. Article continues below You may like Tesla will no longer sell customers Supervised full self-Driving as a one-off payment option Tesla's controversial self-driving tech just got
a green light in Europe Two more high-profile Tesla crashes spark fresh Full Self-Driving controversy

There are also tutorial videos and the ability to adjust numerous FSD
settings from within the app. (Image credit: Tesla) Eagle-eyed Tesla fans
have noted that the UX looks as if it is preparing for the potential introduction to a pay-per-mile or short term Full Self-Driving subscription package.

This could, potentially, allow customers to 'rent' the technology for a road trip, or even a day in the future although Tesla hasn't yet confirmed this.

Inside the new FSD app, theres also a screen that crunches the numbers and shows how much time the vehicle has spent in Self-Driving mode, as well as track multi-day usage streaks. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Not a Tesla App notes that this shows owners exactly how much value they are getting from the software. However, it also looks like a ploy to 'gamify' its autonomous driving functionality in order to keep customers engaged and drum up new business. Analysis: Not everyone is happy (Image credit: Tesla) A number of disgruntled owners have taken to the various comments sections, social media sites and subreddits to air their grievances around Teslas decision to make this new app only available to cars with Hardware 4 (HW4) the latest models, in other words.

Some customers have claimed that, despite their vehicles only being two years old, they are not able to make the most of the new Full Self-Driving app or the future improvements to the technology, while the clever use of interior accent lights is only available on the refreshed Highland Model 3 and Model
Y, as well as the Cybertruck. What to read next Tesla Model 3 code leak suggests two big upgrades are on the way Teslas Robotaxis are crashing four times more than human drivers Tesla ditches the luxuries but is generous on the performance in new Model Y

And now HW3 owners have been delegated to the crap pile, just like all the previous car owners, one Reddit user commented.

Others soon piled in to criticize the fact that most of Teslas major updates havent added many genuinely useful features. In the four years of owning my Model S, the only update that I found useful was when they enabled the blind spot cameras in the driver display, a Reddit user added.

Skeptics could easily claim that this update follows a similar pattern, with minor additions thrown in to grab headlines. These include the ability for customers to choose an animal when the car is in Pet Mode, including a dog, a cat and a new character dubbed Cyberhog (its a hedgehog, of course).

Apparently, many cars will also receive improved graphics on the in-car visualizations, as well as minor improvements to the weather maps and the Sketchpad app.

However, the biggest change, which comes in the form of the new Self-Driving app, is designed to drum up more business for Teslas automated technology, much of which wont apply to anything that isnt running the latest hardware.

This is a far cry from Elon Musk's initial promise that any Tesla produced since 2016 will be able to run Full Self-Driving a fact that it back-tracked on last year. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/teslas-massive -spring-update-leaves-older-cars-behind-as-owners-spot-fresh-clue-about-a-big- full-self-driving-change


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