Tesla Sentry Mode and Dashcam Tutorial | 2022 Update

[@davidwebster2616]

Thank you. You taught me every hour the footage overwrites on the thumbdrive and to make sure you save it if something happens.

[@ant_picard]

Bear in mind too that standard dash cam footage is kept in the "Recent" folder but if you honk the horn or press the button to save footage, a 10 minute clip is moved out of the recent folder into the "Saved" folder. This means if you're looking at 60 minutes of rolling video files (in 10 minute blocks), you'll be missing one chunk as it was moved to a protected folder for storage. Also, try voice commands and say "Save that" or "Save that $hit" for the footage to be saved for you.

[@crownedchronos592]

You can also move the dashcam icon to your main toolbar, by holding and dragging it, similar to the iPhone. This saves you the hassle of hitting the car icon then dashcam, for convenience- or you can just give the horn a slam. Good Vid!

[@kidneydietitian6054]

This was such a fantastic and simple explanation! Thank you! Can you please a video basic autopilot (not enhanced. 2023 3m) & how it works / explain the speed set up options & what autopilot does well and where to be more cautious - types of roads/speeds/rainy conditions, etc Also, how will it stay behind a car when driving at a decent speed. I can’t get myself to trust the autopilot, which of course defeats the purpose of this car & I also don’t understand how to set up speed options 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@CoachRedmon]

For some reason my dashcam shows as “unavailable” and when I tap on the notification of a sentry mode event, it does nothing.

[@jmb9701]

Thanks for this dude, videos are really high quality - keep going people will stick around.

[@KilowattAuto]

Thank you! I really appreciate it and am happy it was useful for you!

[@harrysaini7805]

If i am adding 1tb ssd, can i record dashcam videos until i run out of space?

[@Slangchang]

I was wondering what both recording features were. Thank you for explaining this!

[@KilowattAuto]

You’re welcome!

[@NavySWO]

How the heck do I access the saved dashcam clips on the car's touchscreen? I tap the dashcam icon and it only "saves" the clip, nothing comes up for me to view saved clips, and I know I have several saved clips? Have a new 2023 MYLR with most recent update. THX!

[@marienguyen2501]

I don’t know why after sentry mode notifies me on screen on left side of my 2018 lrm3… I still cannot see the recording by touching the green exclamation mark.

[@tonymai1844]

I can not find where is the menu I can watch after the notification. I can not just sit and watch at the parking lot.

[@jwgals143]

great video! very informative! Just waiting for my delivery day!! cheers!

[@doublebo7]

My 2017 model X with upgraded m U2 does not have the live camera to mobile phone feed. It’s a perk that I am desperate to have but do not have an idea when it will be offered, if at all?

[@ChesterHicks-m2x]

I was hit in the back in my Tesla S how do I get the video from the USB

[@motap001]

Explained very well.. Thxs

[@jamesj9325]

Ok any suggestions for SSD or Micro SS drives that can survive interior temperatures of 150-190 degrees in climates reaching over 100 degrees? My 2 Sansumg SSD 1 TB drives die when visiting desert areas. And no cabin overhead protection does not cool glove box

[@arirodriguez24]

I wish you would have explained how to transfer the video with visuals. I cannot locate the usb drive in my car.

[@KilowattAuto]

I believe for model year 21 and newer the USB should be in your glove box and there should be a port for it there as well.

[@torocars9227]

those having to use USB thumb drive as I did before. Bit tricky to find a good thumb drive, went through 3 or 4 and from different brands can't remember. Corruption, over heating, erratic reliability, hanging, etc. Glad Tesla solved all these issues on current models already including HD storage. From my experience 2019 Model 3 and our current 2023 Model Y LR 3Row, huge jump in quality.

[@ariunkhishign]

Hi! I also have 2019 Tesla model3. What ssd do you use now? Or a usb?

[@summerm7975]

Hi! Why doesn’t my tesla have View live camera via mobile option?

[@KilowattAuto]

You need to subscribe to premium connectivity to have this feature

[@briantrawick9746]

Excellent and very articulate explanation.

[@dragonbig]

Is live feed available for 2018 models?

[@onsitemedialsuite6123]

Hi. TY for a detailed video. My Cam stopped recording sometime in March 22 and When the car got scratched while parked, there was no footage. Is there a setting to auto-delete old files? I don't think it was doing that since it stopped recording when the drive was full. Thank you

[@KilowattAuto]

As far as I am aware I have not found a setting to auto delete old files. Glad you found the video helpful!

[@TarekElRaey]

My Tesla doesn't show live cam on the App !!!! mine is model 2020 as well

[@KilowattAuto]

You need to have a premium connectivity subscription in order to view the cameras live. Once subscribed their is a setting in the car menu you need to turn on.

[@TarekElRaey]

@@KilowattAuto i do have premium subscription, I will try it again today and will let you know .. thank you so much

[@KilowattAuto]

No problem! 3:38 shows you the setting that needs to be turned on in the safety menu to view the cameras.

[@Digital-Dan]

Thanks. Also for reminding me how useful the H4 is!

[@phat_gunpla_etc]

does sentry mode warns the hd is full?

[@Rellderrick777]

I want to install sentry mode on my bmw I already have side in rear camera they don’t record thou

[@monicabotero5989]

My footage is not being overwritten. Why?

[@Jelly-Mack]

Great vid thx. If.i put a 1TB usb in the glove box. Would it record.more than the 1 hour. Thx in advance.

[@KilowattAuto]

It will only record a 60 minute loop regardless of hard drive size.

[@Jelly-Mack]

@@KilowattAuto yh thanks. Do u know if setting up the horn for cam records prior to actually pressing the horn. Eg 1 minute. Thx agen

[@KilowattAuto]

Yes when you press the horn it will save footage prior to and after the horn press.

[@Jelly-Mack]

@@KilowattAuto thx a lot man

[@Drdoom182]

I am getting an alert constantly: “ dash cam unable to write USB drive is full. clear drive space to use dash cam” I am confused because I thought the whole purpose was that it just loops and deletes old footage but this is my second drive and it’s happening having the same issues again. Any advice?

[@KilowattAuto]

The dashcam does loop and overwrite footage but sentry mode also saves to the drive. You likely have too many sentry mode clips saved. You can plug the drive into a computer and see if it’s actually full and delete files that way or there is a “format usb” button in the security menu if your car. If you use the formate usb option it will delete everything on the drive.

[@goe5]

My boss’s 2022 Tesla was hit in the parking spot. When we checked his dash cam footage. It showed his memory card was full and the last footage was from 2 months ago. Is there a way to access any videos of there was a crash? Does Tesla have an emergency record option???

[@KilowattAuto]

I don’t think there is any way to access it if the memory card was full.

[@cmoneyfresno]

If I'm watching a 60 minute clip & I press "save" will it save the whole clip or just the first & last 10 minutes?

[@KilowattAuto]

Per the manual it says it will only save the last 10 minutes when you press “save”. If you want the whole 60 minutes I would take the flash drive out and save it to a computer.

[@johnrlaw1]

How do you turn on cameras to display while driving. . Thanks for the video

[@KilowattAuto]

There is a camera button on bottom of the screen you can push to turn the cameras on while driving. You may need to add it to your app carousel by holding your finger on one of the icons at the bottom of the screen until the available buttons/apps appear.

[@imasaucy1]

We own a 2022 Model 3LR. Everything has been going well for the last month or so of our ownership, however recently, our Tesla apps on our phones no longer allow us to watch the live feed. We cannot figure out why this feature no longer works and cannot find any information on how to reactivate it. Can anyone assist?

[@kathyh978]

This is true and not much videos are about this no longer available service

[@arisnavarro]

Same thing happened to me because I didn't pay for premium connectivity. Once you pay for premium connectivity, then you will be able to view live footage on your phone.

[@sirtalis69]

I just picked up my car yesterday 😊. I plan on putting a dark tint on the windows. Does anyone know if this will compromise the effectiveness of the sentry mode? I realize the cameras are mounted externally, but are the sensors that trigger them inside of the cabin? I just wanna make sure that I'm not gonna mess anything up.

[@KilowattAuto]

This will not affect sentry mode. The cameras are constantly on when sentry mode is engaged and are triggered to record and save video by movement in their visual field.

[@Astrokhels]

Do you need to toggle the sentry on control screen to ON to be able to activate and record sentry on the Tesla app? Or leave it off and activate it manually on the app also works? What’s the difference between console screen toggle and just activating it in the app

[@KilowattAuto]

You can turn sentry mode on via the screen or app. Both accomplish the same outcome. I would turn it on via the screen so it is always on when you park and you don’t have to remember to turn it on in the app. In the screen menu you can also set certain exclusions (home and or work).

[@bshimo2]

On sentry mode when there is an incident indicated I understand how to view the footage at the red dot. However, when there are multiple incidents and you view the other videos I don’t see a red dot to scroll to. Is that correct or am I missing something?

[@KilowattAuto]

I have had this happen as well. I am not sure why this occurs but it seems like it sometimes saves extra “incidents” when nothing actually occurred.

[@alla6632]

Is there a way to recover dashcam footage that is older than 60 minutes old?

[@KilowattAuto]

Unless you saved it while driving it is lost after 60 minutes.

[@rodj7477]

I have a 2022 Model Y Performance and my “On Honk” setting does not consistently work. Also events you expect to see recorded aren’t recorded - all that I mention are known software issues that you can find tons of blogs on. It’s so disappointing. I was rear ended and Immediately after I exchanged info with the driver at fault I noticed nothing recorded!!! Not even the moments we were pulled to the side of the road. Years ago I had a Blackvue dashcam system that was extremely reliable - I cannot believe how unreliable recordings have been and what I’ve read from others. One Tesla owner stated his vehicle was parked and another driver hit and run his parked Tesla and his car recorded useless video before the incident and after the incident and didn’t record any important footage of the incident.

[@thejewishrepublican]

Thumb drive vs SSD - which do you recommend? I’m in NJ so temps go from 0 in winter to 100 in summer… I heard SSD may not work so well in cold? What do I get? I’m due to get my Model Y in a month.

[@KilowattAuto]

I’m in western PA so the climate is similar. I have not had any issues with my Pioneer SSD. I’ve had it parked outside all day while working when temps have been in the single digits without any issues. The SSD I have is a bit overkill with 256gb of storage but I opted for it because it wasn’t that expensive and would handle lots of overwriting.

[@MrRiceOwl]

I keep thinking I'm misunderstanding how Dashcam works. I installed a dashcam in my non-Tesla car and it records continuously to the microSD card without my having to tell it to save video clips. I can't believe Tesla doesn't do this. I was trying to view my 15 minute trip and the video cuts off near the end of my 15 minute trip, and suddenly shows a sentry mode recording. Do I have to constantly press the Dashcam button to save clips to my USB drive? Am I missing something?

[@KilowattAuto]

My understanding is that you only have to press the dashcam button once to save the recording to the drive. I had an issue the other day where I did just that and nothing was saved. I’m going to look in the user manual to see if that offers any clarity.

[@thejewishrepublican]

Also - great video. I got a lot to learn before delivery day 🤪

[@KilowattAuto]

Thank you!

[@hgodtx]

If you use a higher capacity drive will that allow the Tesla to save more than 60 minutes at a time?

[@KilowattAuto]

Unfortunately no, the dashcam software limits the 60 minute loop.

[@krishnastock]

One important requirement that was not mentioned is that in order to view the car's cameras from the app on your phone you must have PREMIUM CONNECTIVITY! Standard connectivity does not include this feature!

[@mazutkaintheturret]

thank you very much, this is why I watched this video to find out how to connect my cameras and watch the footage live, you are TopMan. Thank you

[@Meatball2022]

Does getting a larger flash drive or using some sort of ssd allow the system to keep either longer or more videos before overwriting?

[@KilowattAuto]

A larger drive allows the car to save more sentry mode footage. It will only record the 60 minute dashcam loop regardless of drive size.

[@Meatball2022]

@@KilowattAuto so it might affect sentry mode but likely nothing on normal Dashcam. Got it. Thanks, man! I just got a model Y last week. Still tweaking the settings to my liking

[@KilowattAuto]

Yes exactly. No problem! Best of luck to you!

[@JL-xg7xb]

My car got it and I pulled over on a freeway. I didn’t hit saved. An hour later Tow truck took the car away. Can I still get the 60min dash cam footage for insurance co?

[@camillegietz]

I have a Tesla Model 3 and the usb came with the vehicle. I was hit by another driver and would like to know how to access and save any footage of the accident from the usb. Is that something you know how to do?

[@KilowattAuto]

You would have to hit the dashcam button in the driving menu after the collision to make sure the footage was saved. If you haven’t driven it since you may still be able to find it by opening the dashcam viewer and toggling from sentry footage to dashcam footage to see if it is there. Once confirmed it’s still there, the usb can then be removed from the car and plugged into a computer to extract the files.

[@yasmingonzalez8602]

My car was recently hit in a parking lot (hit&run) …sadly my sentry mode was off 😭

[@kavansurf]

How do you review the recordings from the dash tablet??

[@kavansurf]

Nvm found it! You touch the dashcam icon in the bottom then touch the 3 lines on top.

[@TM-tw1py]

Thanks! Very helpful.

[@Kazeshini6]

I Already know about sentry mode that shows me everything on my console but I've never seen my dashcam footage showed on my consoles I'm guessing I just need to plug the flash drive into my computer?

[@KilowattAuto]

You can view dashcam footage on your center screen as well. In the dashcam viewer app you need to toggle from sentry mode to dashcam. You could also plug the drive into a computer to view any saved sentry or dashcam footage.

[@Kazeshini6]

@@KilowattAuto thanks I'll try to give it a try tomorrow

[@sleepwalkingonthinice__48]

Is the external camera system ON by default?

[@KilowattAuto]

Yes. The cameras are on anytime the vehicle is on.

[@joeop-z2186]

I also have a 2020 LR, but my DashCam only is activated when I hit the button on the screen, It is set to Auto an on Honk, but if I don't hit the record button it will not automatically record my drive for some reason. Also I have no live video option on my app like you do, that would be nice. Tried updating but no luck. Great Video

[@KilowattAuto]

There is a setting in the security menu in the car that needs to be turned on to view the live camera feed. I’d check that out and then see if it lets you view the cameras in the app.

[@joeop-z2186]

@@KilowattAuto I think you mean the safety menu but I don't see anything there as I'm looking right now maybe I'll get an update soon I hope? Thanks for the reply

[@KilowattAuto]

Sure thing. And yes it’s under the safety menu. I scrolled down a bit to the sentry mode section and there is a toggle for “View Live Camera via Mobile App”

[@joeop-z2186]

Not available yet for me I check everyday that sure would be nice. Also automatic dash cam would be nice too, most of the time I forget to push the button every Drive.

[@KilowattAuto]

Hmmm your dashcam not being automatic seems like a software glitch. My understanding is that it should always be recording and overwriting itself and then you have to hit the button if you want to save anything permanently to your memory device.

[@MorboDDestroyer]

Helpful, important video, thanks! If I replace the Tesla glovebox thumb drive with something much bigger, like your 512GB SSD, then would the time before Tesla overwrites the footage be greater than that 1 hr you mentioned or would it still be 1 hr? Are both Sentry and Dashcam footage saved to the same USB in the glovebox? Update: saw your reply in the comments that the Dashcam will still idiotically overwrite after 1 hr, even with a bigger drive attached. That's pretty pathetic in 2024, Tesla. Any cheap dashcam you find on Amazon would do better than that. They need to re-assign engineers working on useless crap like ambient lighting, light shows and fart sounds to fix that ASAP. A bigger drive should at least let me store a lot more Sentry clips before running out of space at least, yes??

[@MidWesti]

so if someone breaks your window and then steals the flashdrive that holds the footage you are SOL?

[@KilowattAuto]

The flash drive on 2021 or later models is in the glove box which you can lock with a code. But if someone were to smash the window, pry open the glove box, and take the drive you would be out of luck.

[@PamphileJonathan]

The glove box has a code. Why don’t you lock it? That’s a stupid question.

[@kenliu1105]

Thanks for the video. What about the onboard recording that is not saved on USB? How does that recording get updated or activated?

[@KilowattAuto]

I believe the passive dashcam recording is automatically saved to the usb and then overwritten. When you hit the dashcam button a portion of that footage is automatically saved as a separate file.

[@insaneExtrapilot]

I just got a new Model 3, 2022. All my ports are USB 3, and despite not having a drive, it's still recording. How?? Is there an internal drive I don't know about???

[@KilowattAuto]

Take a look in your glove box. There should be a drive in there.

[@insaneExtrapilot]

@@KilowattAuto found it, thank you!! Sure would be nice if Tesla would have a document or something with a "summary of changes" lol does one exist that i don't know about? I went from a 2020 M3P to a 2022 M3P... so far had to figure out differences myself (such as vision autopilot vs whatever it was before, which makes wipers be in "auto" despite having ceramic coating on the windshield...so that's annoying)

[@KilowattAuto]

I have not seen such a document but I can’t say that I have read too extensively through the user manual. You should be able to turn off the auto wipers when you are driving. I believe autopilot probably locks them on when it is active. I know for FSD beta it also turns on the auto high beams which I’m not a big fan of.

[@emilianocipriano9252]

You did not explain how to access the videos

[@theeternalnightmare2630]

Hey guys and gals I’m 22 currently considering buying a Tesla in the next 4 years snd buy it outright after my Air Force debut. Any insight or suggestions for i will be 27 and hopefully not feeling too old.

[@DanielladeMaria]

You could definitely buy it right now I bought one i am former active duty but wish i bought one sooner

[@theeternalnightmare2630]

@@DanielladeMaria I don’t have all the cash in hand yet but I will when I complete my time. Trying to avoid financing for I know what the potential issues could arise with that

[@choongta]

Instead of looping only 60 minutes, Tesla should loop whenever the storage runs out of space. Why just 60 minutes so that drivers need to be mindful of doing the saving action or else it'll get overwritten.

[@cristalm.4756]

THIS! A teenager backed up and hit my Tesla (I just had it for 5 days! 😭) and the camera caught it and LUCKILY I grabbed my phone and recorded over the touchscreen to send recording to my partner. However, as I was waiting for police to arrive, the whole conversation and back and forth between the other driver, by the time I got home, more than an hour had passed and I noticed the video of him hitting me was GONE from the Tesla “recents.” Luckily I had recording on phone, but I was frustrated that if I didn’t, evidence would be gone. When he hit me, the car was on park BUT my partner was in the back seat. Not sure if this affected anything but when I looked for the video, the hit was recording on the dashcam from the 1 loop and NOT from sensory mode recording. (I figured sensory mode wasn’t activated because I had just gotten out of car when he hit me and my partner was in back seat).

[@badgambit1807]

are there any sounds from dashcam or sentry mode?

[@KilowattAuto]

No it does not record audio.

[@EvilKitty_01]

if I hear quotes like hey! where are you? or no hard feelings I'm okay with that cuz it's a apurture military sentry!

[@rodj7477]

Also your narrative about seeing live footage from your iPhone is not accurate - you forgot to mention that you have to subscribe and pay $9.99 per month for that feature to work.

[@ant_picard]

It's also a feature not available in all markets. I'm based in Australia and this isn't a feature that is enabled here for any Tesla owner., premium connectivity subscription or otherwise.

[@staceyrichmond3551]

Picked my 2020 Model Y up from the Tesla service center today and they are useless! I will never buy another Tesla! My car was serviced for this issue three times and the problem has come back hours after picking my car up today. No one to call when you have issues like this. All I can do is schedule service 6 weeks from now and they will still not fix it! I am tiered of Tesla! I love the car but its not worth keeping with the poor service that hey offer.

[@maxianoacosta]

Tesla sentry mode sucks ass.... sometimes people can walk up to the car amd scratch it and nothing gets noticed by dashcam and wen you beep the horn to catch something its like a 10 min video but the action part is near the end of saved video

[@zaidpatel8695]

This is the feature that separates tesla from other cars.

[@mark3158274]

Saved me $4,000 from a hit and run driver that I caught from my dashcam and social media

[@banrg1]

I wish it didn’t flash the lights anytime someone is walking by the car. It’s drawing more attention and might even piss off some people. Totally unnecessary

[@DanielladeMaria]

I wish my car did that I got my tesla recently keyed do you know how to turn it in?

[@BlitzSixx]

yes people get pissed off when they are peacefully walking by a car and it records them and make clips for the owner to view later because it's fucking weird. the flashing alerts them, yes, and it's annoying, yes but those are secondary to being recorded in general. Even if it doesn't flash lights that's not really the point. people don't like being recorded for no reason because they had the misfortune of parking next to a tesla and are just walking to their car, not touching it or coming close to doing so...

[@ms1007901]

@@BlitzSixx I don't know that until i have my tesla recently. I think most people don't know that yet.

[@Jade-vi1do]

Your intro is to long if its over one second.