Saving video footage on your Tesla Model Y is a fantastic way to capture driving moments, document incidents, and utilize security features like Sentry Mode. It's a straightforward process once you understand the necessary setup. Let's dive in!
Setting Up Your Tesla Model Y for Video Recording
Ready to get started? The first step is crucial: ensuring your Tesla has the right storage.
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| How To Save Video On Tesla Model Y |
Step 1: Prepare Your USB Drive
Your Tesla Model Y doesn't save video footage to an internal hard drive that you can directly access. Instead, it relies on a USB flash drive plugged into a dedicated port.
Sub-heading: Understanding USB Drive Requirements
Not just any USB drive will do! To ensure reliable recording for both Dashcam and Sentry Mode, your USB drive needs to meet specific criteria:
Minimum Storage: A minimum of 64 GB is recommended, but using a drive with as much available storage as possible is ideal, as video footage can take up a lot of space. While some older information might mention 32GB, current recommendations lean towards larger capacities for optimal performance and storage.
Sustained Write Speed: This is critical. The drive must have a sustained write speed of at least 4 MB/s. Note that sustained write speed is different from peak write speed. Many typical USB thumb drives, even if they claim high speeds, may not sustain the necessary write speed for continuous recording, leading to errors.
USB 2.0 Compatibility: The drive must be USB 2.0 compatible. If you're using a USB 3.0 drive, it must also support USB 2.0.
Dedicated Use: It's best to use a dedicated USB drive exclusively for saving footage for your vehicle. Mixing it with other files (like music, unless properly partitioned) can sometimes cause issues.
Location of USB Port: For Model Ys manufactured after approximately November 1, 2021, the glovebox USB port is the preferred location for all data functions, including Dashcam and Sentry Mode. Center console USB ports in these vehicles may only support charging. For older models, the front center console USB ports typically support data transfer.
Sub-heading: Formatting Your USB Drive
Your USB drive needs to be formatted correctly for your Tesla to recognize it. You have two primary methods:
Method A: Format with Model Y (Recommended for simplicity!)
Insert the USB drive into the correct USB port (preferably the glovebox port if available).
On your Tesla's touchscreen, navigate to Controls > Safety > Format USB Drive.
Confirm the action. This will erase all existing content on the drive! Your Tesla will automatically format the drive as exFAT and create the necessary "TeslaCam" folder.
Method B: Format on a Computer
Insert the USB drive into your computer.
Format the USB drive as exFAT, MS-DOS FAT (for Mac), ext3, or ext4. NTFS is currently not supported.
Create a base-level folder titled TeslaCam. The folder name is case-sensitive!
If you want to use the same drive for music, you'll need to create separate partitions or folders.
Tip: Reflect on what you just read.
Step 2: Enable Dashcam and Sentry Mode ️
Once your USB drive is properly set up and inserted, you can enable the recording features.
Sub-heading: Activating Dashcam
Dashcam records footage while you are driving.
With your Model Y in Park, touch Controls > Safety > Dashcam.
Choose your preferred saving method:
Auto: Dashcam automatically saves a recording to the USB drive when your Model Y detects a safety-critical event (e.g., a collision). It's important to note that various factors determine if an event is automatically saved, so don't solely rely on this for all critical events.
Manual: You must manually touch the Dashcam icon on the touchscreen to save a recording of the most recent ten minutes of footage.
On Honk: When you press the horn, Dashcam saves the most recent ten minutes of footage. You can enable this alongside Auto or Manual.
Once enabled, the Dashcam icon on your touchscreen will indicate its status:
RECORDING: Dashcam is actively recording. Touch the icon to save current footage. Press and hold to pause recording.
AVAILABLE: Dashcam is ready but not actively recording (e.g., if set to Manual and not touched). Touch to start.
PAUSED: Dashcam recording is paused. Touch to resume. Always pause before removing the USB drive to avoid losing footage!
BUSY: Dashcam is processing, saving, or overwriting footage. Footage is not captured during this time.
SAVED: Footage has been successfully saved.
Sub-heading: Activating Sentry Mode
Sentry Mode acts as a security system, recording events when your car is parked and locked.
Ensure Dashcam is enabled (Sentry Mode requires Dashcam to function).
Touch Controls > Sentry Mode > On.
The Sentry Mode icon in Controls will turn red when active.
Important Sentry Mode Notes:
Sentry Mode requires a battery charge of at least 20% to function.
When a security event is detected, Sentry Mode can pulse headlights, sound an alarm, display a message on the touchscreen, and alert you via the mobile app.
Footage of the event is saved to your USB drive. If no USB drive is installed, you'll still receive mobile app alerts but no camera recordings.
You can adjust Sentry Mode settings, such as excluding specific locations (home, work, favorites) or enabling/disabling "Camera-Based Detection" (which uses external cameras in addition to sensors for detection).
For vehicles with Premium Connectivity and the latest Tesla mobile app, you can use the "View Live Camera" feature to remotely view the surroundings of your Tesla through its cameras.
Step 3: Viewing Your Saved Videos
You have a couple of convenient options for reviewing your recorded footage.
Tip: Each paragraph has one main idea — find it.
Sub-heading: Viewing on the Tesla Touchscreen
Ensure your Model Y is in Park.
Touch the Dashcam icon in the app launcher on your touchscreen.
The Viewer will display a list of all video clips, organized by location and timestamp.
You can pause, rewind, fast forward, and delete clips directly from the touchscreen.
Dashcam recording pauses when you launch the Viewer.
Sub-heading: Viewing on a Computer
This method offers more flexibility for managing and backing up your footage.
Safely remove the USB drive from your Model Y. It's best to pause Dashcam recording before removal if it's active.
Insert the USB flash drive into a computer.
Navigate to the TeslaCam folder on the drive.
Inside the TeslaCam folder, you'll find sub-folders:
RecentClips: Contains up to 60 minutes of continuously recorded content. This footage is overwritten unless saved.
SavedClips: Contains all recordings that you manually saved or that were automatically saved due to a critical event (from the RecentClips folder). These are renamed and not overwritten automatically.
SentryClips: Contains recordings triggered by Sentry Mode security events.
Pro Tip: Regularly move important saved videos from the USB drive to another device (like your computer or an external hard drive) and delete them from the USB drive. This prevents the drive from becoming full and ensures continuous recording.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Saving Tesla Model Y Videos
How to check if my USB drive is compatible with my Tesla?
Check if your USB drive has at least 64 GB of storage, a sustained write speed of 4 MB/s or higher, and is USB 2.0 compatible. Many generic USB drives may not meet the sustained write speed requirement.
How to format a USB drive for Tesla on a Mac?
Insert the USB drive, open Disk Utility, select the drive, and choose "Erase." Select "ExFAT" or "MS-DOS (FAT)" as the format. Then, manually create a folder named "TeslaCam" on the root of the drive.
QuickTip: Read with curiosity — ask ‘why’ often.
How to view Sentry Mode recordings from the Tesla app?
With Tesla Premium Connectivity and the latest mobile app version, you can view live camera feeds through the app when Sentry Mode is enabled. For saved clips, you'll need to access them via the in-car viewer or by removing the USB drive and plugging it into a computer.
How to prevent my Tesla's USB drive from filling up?
Regularly transfer desired saved videos from the USB drive to another storage device (like your computer) and then delete them from the USB drive. Dashcam and Sentry Mode continuously overwrite old footage unless it's explicitly saved.
How to manually save a Dashcam clip while driving?
Touch the Dashcam icon on your Tesla's touchscreen. This will save the most recent ten minutes of footage to your USB drive.
How to make sure Sentry Mode is always on?
Navigate to Controls > Sentry Mode and ensure it's set to "On." Remember, Sentry Mode requires at least 20% battery charge to operate. You can also configure exclusions for home/work locations.
How to troubleshoot if my Tesla isn't recognizing the USB drive?
Tip: Train your eye to catch repeated ideas.
Ensure the drive meets the specified requirements (size, speed, format). Try reformatting the drive using the Tesla's touchscreen (Controls > Safety > Format USB Drive). Also, try a different USB port, especially the glovebox one if available.
How to get a pre-formatted USB drive for my Tesla?
Vehicles manufactured beginning approximately 2020 are often equipped with a pre-formatted USB flash drive in the glove box when delivered.
How to turn off Sentry Mode or Dashcam temporarily?
For Sentry Mode, touch the Sentry Mode icon on the touchscreen to toggle it off until your next drive, or go to Controls > Safety > Sentry Mode to disable it for multiple drive cycles. For Dashcam, go to Controls > Safety > Dashcam and select "Off."
How to choose the best USB drive for Tesla Dashcam and Sentry Mode?
Look for "endurance" or "high-endurance" microSD cards (with a suitable adapter) or solid-state drives (SSDs) as they are designed for continuous writing and have a longer lifespan compared to standard USB flash drives. Brands like Samsung and SanDisk offer reliable options.
You can learn more about Tesla's Dashcam features in this video:
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