Ah, the wonderful world of Tesla recordings! Whether it's Dashcam footage from your daily commute or Sentry Mode keeping an eye on your parked vehicle, accessing these recordings can be crucial for peace of mind or in case of an unfortunate incident. Let's dive into a comprehensive guide on how to view your Tesla recordings, step-by-step.
Step 1: Understanding Tesla's Recording Systems
Before we even think about viewing footage, let's ensure we're on the same page about how your Tesla captures these moments.
Dashcam: Your Personal Driving Recorder
The Dashcam feature acts like a continuous loop recorder for your drives. It captures footage from various cameras on your Tesla, typically the front, rear, and side cameras. This is incredibly useful for recording driving incidents, scenic routes, or anything noteworthy that happens while you're on the road.
How it works: Dashcam constantly records, but only saves footage if you manually trigger it (by tapping the Dashcam icon on the touchscreen or honking the horn if "On Honk" is enabled) or if the car detects a safety-critical event (like a collision).
Important note: Unsaved Dashcam footage is continuously overwritten, so if you see something important, save it immediately!
Sentry Mode: The Vigilant Guardian ️
Sentry Mode is Tesla's advanced security system. When enabled and your vehicle is locked and in Park, it monitors the surroundings for suspicious activity.
How it works: If Sentry Mode detects a "threat" (e.g., someone leaning on the car, a break-in attempt, or significant jerky movement), it will pulse the headlights, sound the alarm, display a warning message on the touchscreen, alert your mobile app, and save the footage to your USB drive.
Battery consumption: Sentry Mode does consume battery, so be mindful if you plan to leave it on for extended periods, especially if your battery is low. Tesla aims to reduce this with software updates.
No USB? No recording: If you don't have a properly set up USB drive plugged in, Sentry Mode will still alert you, but it won't save any camera recordings.
Step 2: Preparing Your USB Drive
This is arguably the most crucial step. Without a correctly formatted and compatible USB drive, your Tesla simply won't be able to save any recordings.
Sub-heading: USB Drive Requirements
Not just any USB drive will do. Here's what you need to look for:
Storage Capacity: A minimum of 64 GB is recommended. Video footage takes up a lot of space, and a larger drive means more saved clips before you need to offload them. Some sources even suggest 35 GB as a minimum.
Sustained Write Speed: This is key! Your USB drive needs a sustained write speed of at least 4 MB/s. This is different from the "peak" write speed often advertised. A slow write speed can lead to corrupted or jumpy footage. Many recommend high-endurance USB drives or even SSDs for optimal performance, as they handle constant writing and overwriting better.
USB Version: USB 2.0 compatible. If using a USB 3.0 drive, it must also support USB 2.0.
USB Type: While Teslas have USB-C ports, it's often recommended to use USB-A drives (with an adapter if needed) as some USB-C ports in the console might only support charging. The glovebox USB port is generally the preferred location for the Dashcam/Sentry Mode USB drive, as it's often powered and more secure.
Sub-heading: Formatting the USB Drive
Your Tesla needs the USB drive formatted in a specific way to recognize and save recordings.
Option 1: Format in your Tesla (Easiest)
Insert the USB drive into a compatible front USB port (preferably the one in the glovebox).
On your Tesla's touchscreen, navigate to Controls > Safety > Format USB Drive.
Tap "Format."
Your Tesla will automatically format the drive as exFAT and create the necessary "TeslaCam" (and "TeslaTrackMode" if equipped) folders. This is the most straightforward method.
Option 2: Format on a Computer (If in-car formatting fails or for older Teslas)
Connect the USB drive to your computer.
Format the drive to one of these file systems: exFAT, MS-DOS FAT (for Mac), ext3, or ext4. NTFS is currently NOT supported.
For Windows: Right-click the USB drive in File Explorer, select "Format," choose "exFAT" as the file system, and click "Start."
For Mac: Open "Disk Utility," select your USB drive, click "Erase," choose "MS-DOS (FAT)" or "exFAT" as the format, and click "Erase."
Once formatted, create a base-level folder on the USB drive named exactly
TeslaCam.Safely eject the USB drive from your computer and insert it into your Tesla's USB port (again, glovebox is ideal).
Step 3: Enabling Dashcam and Sentry Mode
Now that your USB drive is ready, let's ensure your Tesla is actively recording.
For Dashcam:
On your Tesla's touchscreen, go to Controls > Safety > Dashcam.
Here you can choose how footage is saved:
Auto: Automatically saves recordings for safety-critical events.
Manual: You must manually tap the Dashcam icon to save the last 10 minutes of footage.
On Honk: Saves the last 10 minutes of footage when you honk the horn. You can combine this with Auto or Manual.
Ensure Dashcam is enabled. The Dashcam icon in your status bar will indicate its status (e.g., a red dot for recording).
For Sentry Mode:
On your Tesla's touchscreen, go to Controls > Safety > Sentry Mode.
Toggle it On.
You can also set exclusion locations (Home, Work, Favorites) where Sentry Mode won't automatically enable, saving battery.
Consider enabling Camera-Based Detection (Controls > Safety > Sentry Mode) for your vehicle's external cameras to assist with detecting security events.
Step 4: Viewing Recordings in Your Tesla
This is the most convenient way to quickly check recent events.
Sub-heading: In-Car Viewer
Ensure your Tesla is in PARK. The viewer cannot be launched while driving.
Locate and tap the Dashcam icon (a red dot with white lines, representing the Sentry Mode camera system) in the status bar at the top of your screen.
Select "Launch Viewer" from the menu that appears.
The viewer will open, displaying your recorded Dashcam and Sentry Mode events.
Navigating the Viewer:
Tap the menu button (usually in the upper-left corner) to see a chronological list of all recorded events.
Select any event from the list to view its corresponding footage.
Use the timeline scrubber at the bottom of the screen to scroll through the video.
Switch camera angles (front, rear, left, right, and sometimes B-pillar) to get a comprehensive view of the event from multiple perspectives.
You can also delete clips directly from the in-car viewer if you need to free up space.
Step 5: Accessing Recordings on a Computer
For a more in-depth review, archiving, or sharing, accessing your footage on a computer is the way to go.
Safely Remove the USB Drive:
On your Tesla's touchscreen, pause Dashcam (press and hold the Dashcam icon until it shows "PAUSED") before removing the USB drive. This helps prevent data corruption.
Open your Tesla's glovebox (tap the glovebox icon on the touchscreen).
Carefully remove the USB drive.
Connect to Your Computer:
Insert the USB drive into an appropriate USB port on your computer.
Navigate to the TeslaCam Folder:
Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
Locate the connected USB drive.
Open the "TeslaCam" folder.
Inside, you'll find several subfolders:
RecentClips: Contains up to 60 minutes of continuously recorded Dashcam footage that gets overwritten unless saved.
SavedClips: Contains manually saved Dashcam footage.
SentryClips: Contains all Sentry Mode event recordings.
Viewing and Managing Files:
Videos are typically organized by timestamp, making it easy to find specific events.
You can play the video files using any standard media player on your computer.
Copy important clips to your computer for long-term storage or sharing.
Delete old or unnecessary clips from the USB drive to free up space.
Sub-heading: Third-Party Viewers & Tools
For a more advanced viewing experience, consider third-party applications:
Web-Based Viewers: Websites like
sentrycam.videoallow you to upload and view your TeslaCam files in a web browser.Desktop Applications: Software like "Sentry Keeper" (for Windows) or "SentryCam" (for Mac) offer enhanced features like:
Viewing all four camera angles simultaneously.
Easily scrubbing through clips.
Exporting merged video files.
Filtering events by type.
Zooming in on details.
Mobile Apps: Apps like "Perception" for iOS/iPadOS/Android allow you to view, store, trim, and manage footage directly from your phone if you connect the USB drive (often requiring an adapter). These often offer a much smoother experience than the in-car viewer for detailed review.
Step 6: Viewing Recordings on Your Mobile App (Premium Connectivity Required)
For quick checks on Sentry Mode events or even live camera views, the Tesla mobile app is incredibly convenient.
Ensure you have Premium Connectivity enabled in your Tesla.
Make sure your mobile app is updated to version 4.39.5 or newer.
On your Tesla's touchscreen, ensure "View Live Camera from Mobile App" is enabled.
Open the Tesla app on your smartphone.
Navigate to Security > Dashcam Viewer (or "View saved clips").
You can view saved Sentry Mode events and, in some cases, even access a live view from your car's cameras.
Step 7: Best Practices for Managing Your Recordings
To ensure you never miss an important event and keep your storage optimized:
Regularly Review and Save: Don't wait! If you see something important while driving, tap the Dashcam icon immediately. For Sentry Mode, check your app notifications.
Offload Important Footage: Periodically connect your USB drive to a computer and transfer important recordings to your personal storage (cloud, external hard drive).
Delete Unnecessary Clips: Free up space on your USB drive by deleting old or irrelevant recordings. You can do this in the in-car viewer or on a computer.
Invest in a Quality USB Drive/SSD: A good quality, high-endurance storage device will be more reliable and prevent issues like corrupted files.
Use the Glovebox Port: If your Tesla has one, utilize the USB port in the glovebox for your Dashcam/Sentry Mode drive. It's often more secure and dedicated for this purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to format a USB drive for Tesla recordings?
You can format it directly in your Tesla by going to Controls > Safety > Format USB Drive, or manually on a computer to exFAT, MS-DOS FAT, ext3, or ext4, then creating a "TeslaCam" folder.
How to know if my Tesla is recording?
The Dashcam icon in the status bar of your Tesla's touchscreen will indicate its status (e.g., a red dot for recording).
How to save a specific Dashcam clip?
While driving, tap the Dashcam icon on the touchscreen, or if enabled, honk the horn. This saves the last 10 minutes of footage.
How to check Sentry Mode events on my phone?
Open the Tesla app, navigate to Security > Dashcam Viewer. You'll need Premium Connectivity and a supported app version.
How to prevent my Tesla USB drive from getting full?
Regularly offload important videos to another device and delete old clips from the USB drive using either the in-car viewer or a computer.
How to view all camera angles at once?
When viewing footage in the in-car viewer or a third-party app, you can typically switch between or view multiple camera angles simultaneously.
How to deal with a "USB drive not recording" error?
Check if the drive is properly formatted, has enough space, and meets the sustained write speed requirements. Try reformatting it or using a different, higher-quality drive.
How to get old Tesla recordings?
If the footage wasn't manually saved or triggered by an event, it might have been overwritten. The "RecentClips" folder usually only holds the last 60 minutes of continuously recorded (but unsaved) footage.
How to use a third-party app to view Tesla footage?
First, safely remove your USB drive from the Tesla. Then, connect it to your mobile device (with an adapter if needed) or computer, and use a dedicated TeslaCam viewer app to browse and manage the files.
How to ensure my privacy with Tesla recordings?
Tesla states that recordings are saved locally to your USB drive and are not sent to Tesla unless you opt into data sharing for safety improvements or in specific critical events. You control whether Sentry Mode or Dashcam are active.
Remember to always consult your Tesla's owner's manual for the most up-to-date and specific instructions for your vehicle model and software version.