Skip to main content

First look at Tesla’s Sentry Mode live view that lets you scare people away with voice modifier

Tesla owners are starting to try the new Sentry Mode live view and revealed that it also lets you broadcast audio to your car with a voice modifier.

As we reported earlier this week, Tesla launched remote sentry mode live view as a new premium connectivity feature.

The automaker wrote in the release notes:

You can now remotely view your car’s surroundings when parked to confirm the safety of your environment before returning to your car. Live Camera is end-to-end encrypted and cannot be accessed by Tesla. To enable or disable tap Controls > Safety & Security.

However, we missed that for vehicles equipped with the speaker for the pedestrian warning sound, Tesla also added an audio broadcasting feature.

It works just like Google’s Nest cameras.

You press a button and you can talk to people around your car while it’s parked. And because Tesla is Tesla, there is an ominous voice modifier:

The feature is being rolled out as part of Tesla’s 2021.36.8 update, but the speaking through the app is available only for Tesla vehicles with the speaker for pedestrian warning sounds, which was added in 2019.

Electrek’s Take

It’s funny that when Tesla first introduced the speaker for pedestrian sounds, many Tesla owners were upset that their vehicles would be less quiet.

It was added as part of a new regulation for electric vehicles to emit a sound at low speed in order to prevent pedestrian accidents. However, the regulation was controversial because it doesn’t apply to vehicles with internal combustion engines – even though modern ones are also very quiet at low speed.

But either way, now Tesla owners who don’t have the speaker are the ones complaining because they don’t have access to those cool, albeit arguably gimmicky, features like the remote view/talk and playing custom sounds through the speakers while driving.

Good on Tesla for taking a feature that was forced by regulation and making fun features out of it.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News. You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.

Comments

Author

Avatar for Fred Lambert Fred Lambert

Fred is the Editor in Chief and Main Writer at Electrek.

You can send tips on Twitter (DMs open) or via email: fred@9to5mac.com

Through Zalkon.com, you can check out Fred’s portfolio and get monthly green stock investment ideas.