Note: Dashcam is a BETA feature. In addition to supporting Autopilot features, the cameras can record and store video footage on a USB flash drive. This can be convenient in situations where you want a video recording of a particular incident, such as a collision. You can pause, resume, or save video recordings directly from your vehicle's touchscreen. Note: Dashcam only works when Model 3 is powered on. Dashcam does not record video when your vehicle is powered off. Using Dashcam Dashcam requires the use of a properly formatted USB flash drive to store and retrieve footage. Once a properly formatted USB flash drive has been inserted into one of your vehicle's front USB ports, a dashcam icon appears at the top of the touchscreen. Touch the dashcam icon to control dashcam: These saved video recordings are not overwritten by new recordings. Note: Dashcam automatically begins recording when you insert a properly configured USB flash drive into one of the front USB ports. USB Flash Drive Requirements for Videos and Recording Flash drives used to store video from your vehicle's cameras must meet these requirements: Although not a comprehensive list, Tesla has confirmed through testing that the following flash drives meet the requirements for Dashcam and Sentry Mode use: Formatting the USB Flash Drive To correctly save and retrieve video footage, your vehicle requires a properly formatted USB flash drive containing a base-level folder called "TeslaCam" (without quotation marks). In addition, the flash drive must be formatted as FAT 32 (for Windows), MS-DOS FAT (for Mac), ext3, or ext4 in order to save videos. NTFS and exFAT are not currently supported. For MacOS: Note: Selecting Erase completely erases all content on your flash drive. If you have other content stored on the flash drive, migrate it to a different device before erasing it. This folder will contain all recent and saved clips from Sentry Mode and dashcam. For Windows: Note: You can also name your USB (under Volume Label) for easier recognition. Once you have created the "TeslaCam" folder in your USB flash drive and ejected it from your personal computer, insert the flash drive into one of the front USB ports in Model 3. Do not use the rear USB ports, as they are solely meant for charging devices. It may take your vehicle up to 15 seconds to recognize the flash drive. When recognized, icons for dashcam and Sentry Mode appear at the top of your touchscreen (note that you may need to enable to Sentry Mode by going to Controls > Safety & Security > Sentry Mode). Your vehicle is ready to record video. To retrieve video footage from the flash drive, remove the flash drive from the front USB port and use a personal computer or other device to access the files. Navigate to the "TeslaCam" folder on the flash drive. Within the "TeslaCam" folder, there are three sub-folders: Recent Clips, Saved Clips, and Sentry Clips. The footage in Recent Clips constantly loops in a 60-minute cycle when the cameras are activated. Therefore, the footage is constantly being overwritten every hour unless the footage is saved. When an event is recorded, one video is recorded for each of the front, rear, left, and right cameras. Saved footage is located in either the Saved Clips or Sentry Clips folder. Footage in the Saved Clips folder contains all saved recordings from dashcam, which have been manually saved by touching the dashcam icon on the touchscreen. Sentry Clips contains all saved footage from Sentry Mode events, which have been automatically saved when the Alert or Alarm state was triggered. Once footage of a particular event is saved, the latest 10 minutes of video is archived in your flash drive labeled with a unique timestamp. Note: As your USB flash drive runs out of available space, the oldest footage in Sentry Clips are deleted to make room for new footage. Once the old footage is deleted, you will be unable to retrieve them. When the flash drive is full, Sentry Mode and dashcam can no longer save video footage. Note: To prevent the flash drive from getting full, move saved videos to another device as soon as possible. Note: You are responsible for complying with all local laws, regulations, and property restrictions regarding video recordings. Note: The cameras do not record audio. Save Clips on Honk Once a properly formatted USB flash drive is inserted in one of the vehicle's front USB ports, you can choose to save dashcam clips while driving when you honk the horn on your steering wheel. Navigate to Controls > Safety and Security > Save Clips on Honk > ON to enable. The most recent ten minutes of footage is saved. You can also save dashcam footage by touching the dashcam icon at the top of the touchscreen. Pedestrian Warning System The Pedestrian Warning System causes Model 3 to emit sound when driving below 20 mph (32 km/h). Electric vehicles operate quietly and this sound helps to alert pedestrians of your oncoming vehicle. The sound, which activates whenever Model 3 is shifted out of Park, and gets louder as speed increases. Note: The Pedestrian Warning System is not available in vehicles manufactured prior to September 1, 2019. Warning: If sound cannot be heard, pedestrians may not be aware of your oncoming vehicle, which may increase the likelihood of a collision resulting in serious injury or death. If the Pedestrian Warning System is not operating, immediately contact Tesla.About Dashcam
RECORDING. Tap the dashcam
icon, when dashcam is paused, to start recording video on the flash drive.PAUSED. Press and hold the
dashcam icon, when recording, to pause recording. Ensure that dashcam is paused before removing the flash drive to avoid losing camera footage. SAVED. Tap the dashcam icon,
when recording, to archive the most recent ten minutes of video.
Retrieving Footage
The touchscreen displays this
indicator when the Pedestrian Warning System is not active.