Have you ever wondered what exactly your Tesla Model Y's cameras are capturing while you're driving or parked? The Dashcam and Sentry Mode features are incredibly powerful tools for security and documenting your journeys. Let's dive into how you can access and view that footage, ensuring you're always in the know about what's happening around your vehicle!
Step 1: Ensuring Your Tesla Dashcam is Ready to Record
Before you can view any footage, you need to make sure your Tesla Model Y is set up to record. This involves having a compatible USB drive and enabling the Dashcam feature.
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| How To View Tesla Dashcam Footage Model Y |
1.1. The Essential USB Drive
Your Tesla's Dashcam and Sentry Mode rely on a USB flash drive to store recordings. While newer Model Ys (approximately 2020 onwards) often come with a pre-formatted USB drive in the glovebox, if you don't have one or need a new one, here's what to look for:
Minimum Capacity: A minimum of 64 GB is required, but larger capacities are highly recommended as video footage can quickly fill up space.
Sustained Write Speed: Look for a drive with a sustained write speed of at least 4 MB/s. This is crucial for smooth, uninterrupted recording, and it's different from the peak write speed often advertised.
USB Version: Your Tesla supports USB 2.0 compatible drives. If you're using a USB 3.0 drive, ensure it's also backward compatible with USB 2.0.
Preferred Location: The glovebox USB-A port is the preferred location for the USB drive as it offers enhanced security and optimized power consumption. Some center console USB ports in newer vehicles might only support charging.
1.2. Formatting Your USB Drive
A properly formatted USB drive is key. You have two main options:
1.2.1. Formatting via Your Tesla
This is the easiest and recommended method as it automatically formats the drive to exFAT and creates the necessary "TeslaCam" folder.
Insert the USB drive into a front USB port that supports formatting (preferably the glovebox port).
On your Tesla's touchscreen, navigate to Controls > Safety > Format USB Drive.
Confirm the formatting. Be aware that this will erase all existing content on the drive!
QuickTip: The more attention, the more retention.
1.2.2. Formatting on a Computer
If for some reason your Tesla can't format the drive, you can do it manually on a computer.
Connect the USB drive to your computer.
Format the drive to one of the following file systems:
exFATMS-DOS FAT(for Mac users)ext3orext4NTFS is currently not supported.
Once formatted, create a base-level folder (not inside any other folder) titled
TeslaCam(case-sensitive, exactly as shown).Safely eject the USB drive from your computer and insert it into your Tesla's glovebox USB port.
1.3. Activating the Dashcam
Once your USB drive is ready and inserted:
On your Tesla's touchscreen, go to Controls > Safety > Dashcam.
You'll have several recording options:
Auto: The Dashcam automatically saves recordings when your Model Y detects a safety-critical event (e.g., collision, airbag deployment).
Manual: You'll need to manually touch the Dashcam icon on the touchscreen to save the most recent ten minutes of footage.
On Honk: When you press the horn, the Dashcam saves the most recent ten minutes of footage. You can enable this alongside Auto or Manual.
Step 2: Accessing and Viewing Footage in Your Model Y ️
Now that your Dashcam is configured and recording, let's look at how to view those important clips directly in your Model Y.
2.1. Navigating to the Dashcam Viewer
Ensure your Tesla Model Y is in Park. You cannot view Dashcam footage while driving.
On the touchscreen, open the App Launcher (usually indicated by three dots or an icon resembling a grid).
Tap the Dashcam icon. This will open the Dashcam Viewer.
2.2. Exploring the Viewer Interface
Inside the Dashcam Viewer, you'll find:
QuickTip: Save your favorite part of this post.
Timeline: Videos are organized by timestamp, making it easy to find specific events.
Camera Perspectives: You can switch between different camera views (front, left, right, rear) to get a comprehensive understanding of the event.
Playback Controls: You'll have standard controls like play, pause, rewind, and fast forward.
Clip Management: You can save or delete clips as needed. Swiping right on a clip or pressing and holding it can quickly delete it. To delete all Dashcam and Sentry Mode footage, navigate to Controls > Safety > Delete Dashcam Clips.
Note: Dashcam recording pauses when you launch the Viewer.
Step 3: Viewing Footage on an External Device
For more detailed analysis, sharing, or long-term storage, you can access the footage on a computer or even through the Tesla mobile app.
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3.1. Using a Computer
Safely remove the USB flash drive from your Tesla (it's good practice to first pause Dashcam recording by pressing and holding the Dashcam icon on the screen before removal to avoid data corruption).
Insert the USB drive into a computer.
Navigate to the
TeslaCamfolder.Inside
TeslaCam, you'll find sub-folders:RecentClips: Contains up to 60 minutes of continuously recorded footage, which is overwritten as new footage is recorded.SavedClips: Contains recordings that you manually saved or that were automatically saved due to a safety event. These clips are renamed and moved fromRecentClips.SentryClips: Contains recordings triggered by Sentry Mode events. If storage space is low, the oldest Sentry Clips are deleted first.
You can then view, copy, or manage the video files as you would with any other video on your computer.
3.2. Using the Tesla Mobile App (Premium Connectivity Required)
For a convenient way to check on your car remotely, the Tesla mobile app offers live camera viewing and access to Sentry Mode events.
Ensure you have Premium Connectivity enabled for your Tesla.
Make sure your Tesla mobile app version is 4.39.5 or newer.
On your Tesla's touchscreen, enable View Live Camera from Mobile App.
Open the Tesla mobile app on your phone.
Navigate to Security > Dashcam Viewer (or similar, depending on app version). You should be able to view live camera feeds and review saved Sentry Mode events.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to check if my Tesla Model Y has Dashcam?
Check for the Dashcam icon in the app launcher on your Tesla's touchscreen. If it's present, your vehicle is equipped. Also, newer Model Ys (2020 onwards) typically come with a pre-formatted USB drive in the glovebox.
Tip: Avoid distractions — stay in the post.
How to format a USB drive for my Tesla Model Y?
Insert the USB drive into a front USB port (preferably the glovebox) and go to Controls > Safety > Format USB Drive on your Tesla's touchscreen. This is the easiest method. Alternatively, format it on a computer to exFAT, MS-DOS FAT, ext3, or ext4, and create a folder named TeslaCam.
How to save a specific Dashcam video in my Tesla?
While driving, you can manually save the last ten minutes of footage by tapping the Dashcam icon on your touchscreen. You can also set it to save automatically on collision, or by simply honking the horn if "On Honk" is enabled.
How to transfer Dashcam footage from my Tesla to another device?
The primary method is to remove the USB drive from your Tesla and connect it to a computer. You can then copy the TeslaCam folder and its contents to your desired device.
How to delete Dashcam clips from my Tesla?
In the Dashcam Viewer on your Tesla's touchscreen, you can swipe right or press and hold individual clips to delete them. To delete all Dashcam and Sentry Mode footage, navigate to Controls > Safety > Delete Dashcam Clips.
Tip: Keep the flow, don’t jump randomly.
How to prevent my Tesla's Dashcam storage from filling up?
Use a USB drive with a larger storage capacity. Regularly review and offload older footage to a computer, or manually delete unnecessary clips from the Dashcam Viewer.
How to view Sentry Mode events on my Tesla Model Y?
Sentry Mode events are saved to the same USB drive as Dashcam footage. You can view them in the Dashcam Viewer on the Tesla touchscreen under the "SentryClips" section, or by accessing the SentryClips folder when the USB drive is connected to a computer.
How to use the Tesla mobile app to view Dashcam footage?
With Premium Connectivity and mobile app version 4.39.5 or newer, you can enable "View Live Camera from Mobile App" on your Tesla's touchscreen. Then, in the app, navigate to Security > Dashcam Viewer to see live feeds and review Sentry Mode events.
How to troubleshoot if my Tesla Dashcam isn't recording?
Ensure a properly formatted USB drive is inserted into the correct USB port (preferably the glovebox). Check that Dashcam is enabled in Controls > Safety > Dashcam. The Dashcam icon on the touchscreen should indicate "RECORDING" or "AVAILABLE." If it shows "PAUSED" or "BUSY," it's not actively recording.
How to understand the different Dashcam icon statuses?
RECORDING (red dot): Dashcam is actively recording. Tap to save, press and hold to pause.
AVAILABLE (gray icon): Dashcam is ready but not actively recording. Tap to start.
PAUSED: Dashcam recording is temporarily stopped. Tap to resume.
BUSY: Dashcam is loading, saving, or overwriting. Footage is not being captured during this time.
SAVED: A clip has been successfully saved.
Find out more about how to check Sentry events in your Tesla Model Y by watching this helpful video:
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