So, you want to dive into the world of your Tesla Model 3's built-in guardian angel – the Dashcam and Sentry Mode! It's a fantastic feature that provides peace of mind, whether you're driving or parked. Viewing the footage is straightforward once you know the steps. Let's get you set up and viewing those clips!
Step 1: Ensure Your Tesla Dashcam is Ready to Record
Before you can view any footage, you need to make sure your Tesla's Dashcam is properly set up and actively recording. This involves having the right USB drive and enabling the feature in your car.
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| How To View Tesla Dashcam Footage Model 3 |
1.1: The All-Important USB Drive
Your Tesla Dashcam and Sentry Mode rely on a USB drive to store all those crucial video files. Without one, your car can't save anything!
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What kind of USB drive do you need?
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Minimum Storage: Aim for at least 64 GB of storage. Video footage can take up a lot of space, especially with multiple cameras recording simultaneously. Larger drives (e.g., 128GB, 256GB, or even external SSDs like 1TB) are highly recommended for extended recording.
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Write Speed: This is crucial! The drive needs a sustained write speed of at least 4 MB/s. Note that "sustained" is different from "peak" write speed, so check the product specifications carefully. Many standard USB drives may not be fast enough.
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USB Compatibility: The drive should be USB 2.0 compatible. If you use a USB 3.0 drive, it must also support USB 2.0.
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Dedicated Use: It's best to use a USB drive exclusively for your Tesla's Dashcam and Sentry Mode to avoid potential conflicts or data loss.
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Where to plug it in?
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For Model 3, the preferred port is the USB-A port located in the glovebox (if equipped). This port is specifically designed for data transfer, including Dashcam footage.
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For vehicles manufactured after approximately November 1, 2021, the center console USB ports may only support charging devices. Use the glovebox port for Dashcam.
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1.2: Formatting Your USB Drive for Tesla
Your USB drive needs to be formatted correctly so your Tesla can recognize and use it. You have two main options:
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Option A: Format Directly in Your Tesla (Easiest!)
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Insert the compatible USB drive into the correct USB port in your Model 3 (preferably the glovebox port).
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On your Tesla's touchscreen, navigate to Controls > Safety > Format USB Drive.
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Confirm the formatting. Be aware that this will erase all existing content on the USB drive.
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Your Tesla will automatically format the drive as exFAT and create the necessary
TeslaCamandTeslaTrackMode(if applicable) folders.
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Option B: Format on a Computer (If Tesla can't do it)
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Insert the USB drive into your computer.
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Format the drive using one of the following file systems: exFAT, MS-DOS FAT (for Mac, which is FAT32), ext3, or ext4. NTFS is currently not supported by Tesla for Dashcam.
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For Windows: You can use "Disk Management" or a third-party utility like GUIformat for drives larger than 32 GB that you want to format as FAT32.
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For Mac: Use "Disk Utility" and select "MS-DOS (FAT)" for FAT32 or exFAT.
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Once formatted, create a base-level folder on the drive named TeslaCam. This exact spelling and capitalization are crucial. If you plan to use Track Mode, create another base-level folder named
TeslaTrackMode. -
Safely eject the USB drive from your computer and insert it into your Model 3's USB port.
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1.3: Enabling Dashcam and Sentry Mode ️
Tip: Don’t skim past key examples.
Once the USB drive is properly installed and recognized, you'll want to ensure your Dashcam and Sentry Mode are active.
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On your Tesla's touchscreen, go to Controls > Safety.
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Locate the Dashcam option. You can choose from:
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Auto: Dashcam automatically saves a recording when your Model 3 detects a safety-critical event (e.g., collision, airbag deployment).
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Manual: You must manually tap the Dashcam icon to save the most recent ten minutes of footage.
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On Honk: When you press the horn, Dashcam saves the most recent ten minutes of footage. This can be enabled alongside Auto or Manual.
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For Sentry Mode, which records when your car is parked and detects suspicious activity, go to Controls > Safety > Sentry Mode and ensure it's enabled. You may also adjust settings like "Exclude Home," "Exclude Work," or "Exclude Favorites" locations, and enable "Camera-Based Detection" for enhanced monitoring.
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Icon Status: Keep an eye on the Dashcam icon in your touchscreen's app launcher. It changes to show the status:
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RECORDING: Dashcam is actively recording. Tap to save footage, or press and hold to pause.
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⚪ AVAILABLE: Dashcam is ready but not actively recording. Tap to start.
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⏸️ PAUSED: Dashcam is paused. Tap to resume. Always pause Dashcam before removing the USB drive to prevent data corruption!
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BUSY: Dashcam is loading, saving, or overwriting footage. Footage isn't captured during this time.
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✅ SAVED: Footage has been successfully saved.
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Step 2: Accessing Dashcam Footage from Your Tesla Touchscreen ️
This is the most convenient way to view your footage directly in your car.
2.1: Park Your Vehicle ️
For safety reasons and to ensure optimal performance, you can only access the Dashcam Viewer on your Tesla's touchscreen when your Model 3 is in Park.
2.2: Launch the Dashcam Viewer App
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On your Tesla's touchscreen, locate the App Launcher (the small grid icon at the bottom of the screen).
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Tap the Dashcam icon (it looks like a camera). This will open the Dashcam Viewer.
2.3: Navigate and View Your Clips
QuickTip: Skim fast, then return for detail.
Inside the Dashcam Viewer, you'll find your video clips organized into different tabs:
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Dashcam: Contains recordings from your general driving, saved manually or automatically.
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Sentry: Contains clips triggered by Sentry Mode events when your car was parked.
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Saved Clips: These are clips that you've explicitly saved, either manually or via "on honk," and they won't be overwritten automatically.
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Recent Clips: This section typically holds the most recent continuous recordings, which are overwritten as the USB drive fills up.
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Playback Controls:
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Tap on a clip to start playback.
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You'll see options to pause, rewind, and fast forward the footage.
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Many clips will display multiple camera views (front, side repeaters, rear) simultaneously, allowing for a comprehensive view of the event. You can often switch between single camera views and multi-camera views.
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You can delete clips directly from the viewer if you no longer need them.
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Step 3: Accessing Dashcam Footage on a Computer
Sometimes you'll want to transfer, back up, or analyze your footage on a larger screen with more robust tools. This requires removing the USB drive.
3.1: Safely Remove the USB Drive from Your Tesla
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Crucial Step: Before removing the USB drive, it's imperative to safely eject it from your Tesla to prevent data corruption.
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On your Tesla's touchscreen, press and hold the Dashcam icon in the app launcher for about 5 seconds.
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The icon should change from red (recording) to gray (paused/safe to remove).
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Wait for a few seconds (around 10) to ensure all writing has stopped.
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Now, you can safely remove the USB drive from your Model 3's USB port.
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3.2: Insert the USB Drive into Your Computer ️
Plug the USB drive into an available USB port on your desktop or laptop computer (Windows PC or Mac).
3.3: Locate the TeslaCam Folder
Tip: Be mindful — one idea at a time.
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Once the drive is recognized, open your file explorer (File Explorer on Windows, Finder on Mac).
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Navigate to the USB drive. You should see a primary folder named TeslaCam.
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Open the
TeslaCamfolder. Inside, you'll find sub-folders:-
RecentClips: Contains the continuously recorded footage (often up to the last hour), which gets overwritten as new footage is recorded.
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SavedClips: Contains footage that you manually saved or that was automatically saved due to a significant event (like a collision) while driving. These clips are protected from being overwritten.
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SentryClips: Contains all recordings triggered by Sentry Mode events. These clips are also protected from being overwritten but may be deleted by the car if storage space becomes limited for new Sentry events.
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3.4: Playback and Manage Your Videos
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The video files are typically in .mp4 format, which is widely supported.
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Double-click on any video file to open it with your computer's default media player (e.g., VLC Media Player, Windows Media Player, QuickTime Player).
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Note: Tesla often encodes videos using HEVC (H.265) for better compression. Some older computers or media players might require a codec pack or a more modern player (like VLC) to view these files.
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You can now copy, move, delete, or share these files as needed. For better multi-camera viewing, consider using third-party TeslaCam viewer applications available online, which can stitch the various camera views together for a more complete picture.
Step 4: Accessing Footage via the Tesla Mobile App (Premium Connectivity Required)
For a more modern and convenient way to check on your car, especially for Sentry Mode events, the Tesla mobile app offers remote viewing.
4.1: Ensure Prerequisites are Met ✅
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Premium Connectivity: This feature requires an active Tesla Premium Connectivity subscription.
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Mobile App Version: Make sure you have Tesla mobile app version 4.39.5 or newer.
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Operating System: Currently, live camera viewing from the mobile app is primarily available on iOS devices. Android support may vary or be introduced later.
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In-Car Setting: On your Tesla's touchscreen, navigate to Controls > Safety > View Live Camera from Mobile App and ensure this option is enabled.
4.2: Access Through the App
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Open the Tesla mobile app on your smartphone.
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Navigate to the Security section.
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Look for Dashcam Viewer or a similar option like "View Live Camera."
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You'll be able to view live camera feeds or access stored Sentry Mode events. This allows you to check on your car remotely and see what's happening around it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ❓
QuickTip: If you skimmed, go back for detail.
How to tell if my USB drive is compatible with Tesla Dashcam? Check its storage capacity (minimum 64GB), sustained write speed (at least 4 MB/s), and ensure it's USB 2.0 compatible. If in doubt, try formatting it in your Tesla.
How to format my USB drive for Tesla Dashcam if my computer doesn't recognize exFAT? Most modern operating systems (Windows 7+, macOS 10.6+) support exFAT. If yours doesn't, you might need to update your OS or try FAT32, ensuring it's for drives 32GB or smaller, or use a third-party utility for larger drives.
How to save a Dashcam clip manually while driving? Simply tap the Dashcam icon on your touchscreen. This will save the last 10 minutes of footage from being overwritten.
How to enable "On Honk" saving for Dashcam footage? Go to Controls > Safety on your Tesla's touchscreen and enable the "On Honk" option under Dashcam settings.
How to prevent my Dashcam footage from being overwritten? Manually save clips by tapping the Dashcam icon or rely on automatic saving for safety-critical events. These "SavedClips" will not be overwritten by continuous recording.
How to check the status of my Dashcam recording? Look at the Dashcam icon in the app launcher on your Tesla's touchscreen. A red dot indicates it's recording, while a gray icon means it's paused or not active.
How to troubleshoot "USB drive not accessible by Dashcam" error? First, try reformatting the USB drive using your Tesla's built-in format tool or on a computer. Ensure it meets the speed and formatting requirements. If the issue persists, the drive might be corrupted or failing, and you may need a new one.
How to view all camera angles simultaneously on a computer? While standard media players might show one view at a time, dedicated third-party TeslaCam viewer software or web applications can stitch together the footage from multiple cameras for a synchronized view.
How to know if Sentry Mode recorded an event? If a Sentry Mode event is detected while you're away, your car's headlights will pulse, the alarm may sound, and you'll receive a notification on your Tesla mobile app (if enabled). The footage will be saved in the "SentryClips" folder on your USB drive.
How to protect my Tesla Dashcam footage from theft? While the footage is stored locally on the USB drive, keeping the drive in the glovebox (which can be PIN-protected) offers some security. Regularly backing up important clips to another device is the best way to ensure their safety.
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