# New v10.2 feature: Phone Improvements (text message reading & responding)



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Phone Improvements first appeared in the release notes for 2019.40.50 (official thread and discussion thread).

*Phone Improvements*​You can now read and respond to text messages using your right scroll wheel button. When a new message is received press the right scroll wheel button to have your text message read out loud and press again to respond by speaking out loud. You will also be able to view messages as they come in via the "Cards" section of the touchscreen.​​To view messages that have been received while your phone is connected via Bluetooth, tap the Application Laucher > Call > Messages. You can read and reply to a message by tapping an entry in the Messages list. To enable this feature, tap the Bluetooth icon on the top of the display, and enable "Sync Messages". Once enabled you can also choose to play a chime whenever a new text message is received by enabling "Chime on New Message".​​Additionally, if you have favorite phone contacts on your device, you can now easily access them from the Favorites tab of the Phone app.​​Note: Notifications need to be enabled on your device from the phone's Bluetooth settings to send and receive text messages. Due to the limitations of Bluetooth support from your device, you will not be able to send group messages. As usual, Bluetooth behavior may depend on make and model of your device.​​


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## Frully (Aug 30, 2018)

Really hoping there will be good third party API support to integrate fb messenger/whatsapp/the thousand other apps - they just need to talk to the tesla app to get the data siphoned into the car via teslas own data tunnel.


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## StromTrooperM3 (Mar 27, 2019)

Elon tweeted this preview would only be for HW3. Do we think we'll see at least this feature for hw2.5?


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## dburkland (Nov 12, 2018)

StromTrooperM3 said:


> Elon tweeted this preview would only be for HW3. Do we think we'll see at least this feature for hw2.5?


This specific feature would be handled by the MCU so it should be available on HW2.5 cars as well.


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## littlD (Apr 17, 2016)

Confirmed: available on HW2.5 cars.

Also confirmed, you can sometimes get it reading back HTML to you. So far, a friend of mine texted me from an Android device (One Plus 7 Pro) and most of what I heard was HTML text along with his text. My phone is a Pixel 4, so maybe the issue is there, not sure yet.


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## Needsdecaf (Dec 27, 2018)

StromTrooperM3 said:


> Elon tweeted this preview would only be for HW3. Do we think we'll see at least this feature for hw2.5?


That's just the traffic visualization "preview". (which is pretty bogus and certainly falls short of "feature complete" IMO). The other features definitely do not need HW3 to run.


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## Ken Voss (Feb 2, 2017)

Here is a text example, it displays it and reads it. If you want to reply you have to be fast because it disappears in about 10 seconds, I was in park in my garage but if I was driving I think I would need more time to tap the screen.


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## DocScott (Mar 6, 2019)

So the big question: what does Tesla's "voice" sound like?


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## Ken Voss (Feb 2, 2017)

DocScott said:


> So the big question: what does Tesla's "voice" sound like?


Same as Navigation voice


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## littlD (Apr 17, 2016)

Ken Voss said:


> Here is a text example, it displays it and reads it. If you want to reply you have to be fast because it disappears in about 10 seconds, I was in park in my garage but if I was driving I think I would need more time to tap the screen.


From the Call app, you can now select "Messages" to see all previous messages and replay them


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## Needsdecaf (Dec 27, 2018)

Ken Voss said:


> Same as Navigation voice


LOL, I've never even heard the Nav voice on my car.....


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## Needsdecaf (Dec 27, 2018)

DocScott said:


> So the big question: what does Tesla's "voice" sound like?


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## Ken Voss (Feb 2, 2017)

littlD said:


> From the Call app, you can now select "Messages" to see all previous messages and replay them


I know, but that requires 4 screen taps, wouldn't it be better to just leave the last text up on the screen for 60 seconds, giving you time to respond without taking your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road? If you don't respond in 10 seconds, you will have to do the following: 
1- tap app launcher
2- tap call
3- Tap messages
4- Select message


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## StromTrooperM3 (Mar 27, 2019)

Needsdecaf said:


> That's just the traffic visualization "preview". (which is pretty bogus and certainly falls short of "feature complete" IMO).


100% agree the visualization is a bogus delivery. They knew they messed up again with the timing and tried to play misdirection with the acceleration boost and stupid piano mode.

Glad I'll at least get this. However I hope it's easy to toggle on and off if you have passengers, Co worker's, etc in the car


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## Needsdecaf (Dec 27, 2018)

Ken Voss said:


> I know, but that requires 4 screen taps, wouldn't it be better to just leave the last text up on the screen for 60 seconds, giving you time to respond without taking your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road? If you don't respond in 10 seconds, you will have to do the following:
> 1- tap app launcher
> 2- tap call
> 3- Tap messages
> 4- Select message


Or maybe you can open it with voice commands?


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## RichEV (Sep 21, 2017)

Ken Voss said:


> I know, but that requires 4 screen taps, wouldn't it be better to just leave the last text up on the screen for 60 seconds, giving you time to respond without taking your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road? If you don't respond in 10 seconds, you will have to do the following:
> 1- tap app launcher
> 2- tap call
> 3- Tap messages
> 4- Select message


or maybe say something like: "view/open messages"?


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## DocScott (Mar 6, 2019)

StromTrooperM3 said:


> 100% agree the visualization is a bogus delivery. They knew they messed up again with the timing and tried to play misdirection with the acceleration boost and stupid piano mode.
> 
> Glad I'll at least get this. However I hope it's easy to toggle on and off if you have passengers, Co worker's, etc in the car


Why do you want to toggle it off? EDIT: Oops. I didn't read carefully enough. I thought you wanted to toggle the _visualizations_ off. Toggling the texts off makes sense!


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## Kizzy (Jul 25, 2016)

DocScott said:


> Why do you want to toggle it off?


So passengers don't see your texts?


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## Ken Voss (Feb 2, 2017)

RichEV said:


> or maybe say something like: "view/open messages"?


Ahhh.......... Yes that works "open text messages" much better!


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## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

After a solid day of use, I find the texting feature to be absolutely excellent. One thing my wife mentioned is that if she texts me something and I have the kids in the car its concerning that the message will be read with no way to stop it, but you can counter act that by reading the message from the Message tab under Phone. All in all very happy!!


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## Sjohnson20 (Mar 8, 2018)

So does this not work if it’s an imessage? Most everyone I text has iphones and they use imessage. Nothing seems to be showing up.


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## Needsdecaf (Dec 27, 2018)

8


Sjohnson20 said:


> So does this not work if it's an imessage? Most everyone I text has iphones and they use imessage. Nothing seems to be showing up.


Did you set up your phone to send messages, and the car to get and show them?

Works fine here. But you have to set up first.


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## Sjohnson20 (Mar 8, 2018)

Needsdecaf said:


> 8
> 
> Did you set up your phone to send messages, and the car to get and show them?
> 
> Works fine here. But you have to set up first.


I thought I did. I did what it said with the settings. I'll try it again.


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## jsmay311 (Oct 2, 2017)

One thing I'm trying to figure out...

After you dictate a text, the car displays its interpretation of what you said on the screen, and then you either press the right scroll wheel button or tap the screen to send it.

But what if the car mangles the voice-to-text and you want to cancel rather than send a nonsense text? I couldn't figure out any way to do this. I tried tapping the "circle arrows" / refresh icon in the bottom-right corner of the card, thinking that this would let me start over and dictate the message again from scratch, but instead it just sent the (misinterpreted) text. 

(Here's the icon I'm referring to. I took this screengrab from a random youtube video, so disregard the message shown.)


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## Mike2016 (Jul 6, 2019)

If you have chinese characters in your contacts, the Tesla dialer app will crash and restart


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## Sjohnson20 (Mar 8, 2018)

Mine is working now yay!


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## Hugh_Jassol (Jan 31, 2019)

Ah yes, the old privacy vs convenience... Super cool would be a "privacy mode" where if it detects someone sitting in any other seat in the car, the messages would not be displayed on the screen. Maybe an envelope icon appears somewhere. And before everyone jumps down my virtual throat who doesn't want this... make it an option so 'privacy mode' can be turned on/off


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## JWardell (May 9, 2016)

I have to say I am totally thrilled to get this, and the added dictation response is a total surprise.
Message display had been one feature the wife had been complaining missing when comparing to other cars, and it one update Tesla not only added display but speech and everything is so nicely done, instantly making the other cars' implementation seem kludgy. This is what is so awesome about these cars.
Before we left for a drive to family today I made sure she sat and read the release notes and set up and tested it 
Thanks for the Christmas gift, Tesla!


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## Rick Steinwand (May 19, 2018)

JWardell said:


> I have to say I am totally thrilled to get this, and the added dictation response is a total surprise.
> Message display had been one feature the wife had been complaining missing when comparing to other cars, and it one update Tesla not only added display but speech and everything is so nicely done, instantly making the other cars' implementation seem kludgy. This is what is so awesome about these cars.
> Before we left for a drive to family today I made sure she sat and read the release notes and set up and tested it
> Thanks for the Christmas gift, Tesla!


Agree, nicely executed too, but I haven't tried to reply yet.


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## R H (Aug 1, 2017)

i have an iphone 8. i enabled sharing messages with tesla over bluetooth. i’m receiving texts fine but i can’t send them. It’s understanding my speech and it says to tap here to send but when i do nothing happens. if i click the right scroll wheel still nothing happens. if i click the refresh part of the card it lets me dictate the message again, but i still can’t send it. i tried rebooting but it still won’t work. any ideas?


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## StromTrooperM3 (Mar 27, 2019)

Is there any way to remove a message from the "messages tab" once it's been read? So far I only found disabling message access will clear them


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## StromTrooperM3 (Mar 27, 2019)

Hugh_Jassol said:


> Super cool would be a "privacy mode" where if it detects someone sitting in any other seat in the car, the messages would not be displayed on the screen.


100% agree with this. Definitely needs to be a feature for when driving co workers to lunch 🤷🏽‍♂️


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## jsmay311 (Oct 2, 2017)

Hugh_Jassol said:


> Ah yes, the old privacy vs convenience... Super cool would be a "privacy mode" where if it detects someone sitting in any other seat in the car, the messages would not be displayed on the screen. Maybe an envelope icon appears somewhere. And before everyone jumps down my virtual throat who doesn't want this... make it an option so 'privacy mode' can be turned on/off





StromTrooperM3 said:


> 100% agree with this. Definitely needs to be a feature for when driving co workers to lunch 🤷🏽‍♂️


I'm confused. I'm pretty sure when a message is received, all that is shown on the screen_ at first _is the name of the sender. If you subsequently want to have the message displayed on the screen and read out loud by the car, you have to tap on the screen or press the right scroll wheel button. Right?


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## StromTrooperM3 (Mar 27, 2019)

jsmay311 said:


> I'm confused. I'm pretty sure when a message is received, all that is shown on the screen_ at first _is the name of the sender.


That is correct. However if I have passengers I'd prefer to have the option of no message notification at all


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## SMITTY (Jan 24, 2019)

Sjohnson20 said:


> Mine is working now yay!


How'd you get yours to finally work? iPhone 11 Pro here and haven't gotten mine to show.


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## jsmay311 (Oct 2, 2017)

jsmay311 said:


> I'm pretty sure when a message is received, all that is shown on the screen_ at first _is the name of the sender.





StromTrooperM3 said:


> That is correct. However if I have passengers I'd prefer to have the option of no message notification at all


Ah, gotcha. (Is this for a wife / gf situation?  J/k.  )

Well, you could at least turn off the chime in the Bluetooth settings. Without any associated sound, the card popping up on the screen will draw less attention.


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## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

jsmay311 said:


> Ah, gotcha. (Is this for a wife / gf situation?  J/k.  )
> 
> Well, you could at least turn off the chime in the Bluetooth settings. Without any associated sound, the card popping up on the screen will draw less attention.


Or maybe just don't do things that require hiding them from those riding in your car 🤔


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## DocScott (Mar 6, 2019)

There are certainly legitimate cases where the identity of those texting (or even the number) shouldn't be displayed to passengers. This is true of lots of people who have multiple clients. Imagine, for example, an agent for a writer or actor. She might well be taking a producer or editor to lunch somewhere to pitch their client. You really, really don't want texts from other producers/editors showing up on your screen at that point!

Or imagine Elon taking a reporter for a ride in one of his Teslas, as he sometimes does. Imagine the trouble that could come from a reporter seeing a text from a potential new business partner before Tesla is ready to release that information...


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## jsmay311 (Oct 2, 2017)

I have an iPhone. When Tesla's text message capability first got rolled out, outgoing voice-to-text messages that I dictated through the car/screen were sent as iMessages. (I.e., sent via data as opposed to SMS.) But I just noticed today that dictated messages were being sent as SMS instead. (In a text convo with another iPhone user, voice-to-text messages through the car went out via SMS while all other messages went out as iMessages.)

I'm wondering if anyone else is seeing this? Is this maybe something that changed with a recent software update? (I recently updated to 2020.4.1.) Or is it just a fluke occurrence with me and my phone only?


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## Long Ranger (Jun 1, 2018)

jsmay311 said:


> I'm wondering if anyone else is seeing this? Is this maybe something that changed with a recent software update? (I recently updated to 2020.4.1.) Or is it just a fluke occurrence with me and my phone only?


I just looked back at a voice text reply I sent shortly after upgrading to 2020.4.1 and it was sent as an iMessage. Perhaps you or the other iPhone simply lost coverage briefly?


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## Needsdecaf (Dec 27, 2018)

jsmay311 said:


> I have an iPhone. When Tesla's text message capability first got rolled out, outgoing voice-to-text messages that I dictated through the car/screen were sent as iMessages. (I.e., sent via data as opposed to SMS.) But I just noticed today that dictated messages were being sent as SMS instead. (In a text convo with another iPhone user, voice-to-text messages through the car went out via SMS while all other messages went out as iMessages.)
> 
> I'm wondering if anyone else is seeing this? Is this maybe something that changed with a recent software update? (I recently updated to 2020.4.1.) Or is it just a fluke occurrence with me and my phone only?


Nope, just checked, mine are all iMessages to multiple users.



Long Ranger said:


> I just looked back at a voice text reply I sent shortly after upgrading to 2020.4.1 and it was sent as an iMessage. Perhaps you or the other iPhone simply lost coverage briefly?


Agree, probably a coverage issue.


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## jsmay311 (Oct 2, 2017)

Long Ranger said:


> I just looked back at a voice text reply I sent shortly after upgrading to 2020.4.1 and it was sent as an iMessage. Perhaps you or the other iPhone simply lost coverage briefly?


Thanks for checking.

Guess it's just a fluke thing with my phone then. (It wasn't a coverage issue.)


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