Being a Tesla owner, do you want to enhance the security of your vehicle and want to enjoy peace of mind when it is parked or locked? Well, who doesn’t? Fortunately, Tesla introduced an additional layer of protection to its vehicles called Sentry mode, which protects against suspicious activities and theft around the car when it is parked. Moreover, let’s deep dive into this article and discover the Tesla sentry mode, how it works, how to turn it on, and many more things that convince you to try it!

What is Tesla Sentry Mode?

The sentry mode in Tesla is intended to provide its electric vehicles an extra layer of protection compared to other cars. This feature allows Tesla owners to continuously monitor the environment around the Tesla vehicle when it is locked and parked. It uses the car’s external cameras to detect potential threats and record incidents around the car. Whenever any suspicious activity is detected, your vehicle will react depending on the severity of the danger.

The Tesla sentry mode gathers all the evidence in case of any damage by recording the surroundings and keeps the vehicle’s camera and computer powered on. When sentry mode records movements around the car, it does not send any notification, but if it detects anything doubtful, then it will.

How Does Tesla Sentry Mode Work?

The sentry mode on Tesla comes with the Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y. It works with a vehicle’s built-in cameras and proximity sensors activated to record the events near the car. Sentry mode works like a home alarm system. Whenever suspicious activity is detected in the 360-degree area, it will notify the Tesla owners by sounding an alarm, pulsing the headlights, displaying a message on the touchscreen to inform individuals outside the car that the camera is recording, alerting you via the mobile app, and save footage of the event via USB (If inserted). Still, the footage will only be saved from a few minutes before a perceived threat.

Also, Dashcam should be enabled for sentry mode to work. You can easily allow the Dashcam by navigating to controls > Safety> Dashcam.

How to Set Up Tesla Sentry Mode?

To set up Sentry mode, you first need to insert a compatible USB drive because, in Tesla, some features require a proper USB format drive inserted in your vehicle’s USB port to work, such as Dashcam, Tesla Track mode, and Sentry mode. However, not all Teslas have data-compatible USB ports, so you should use the glove box. The USB is where the dashcam and other recordings are stored, and you can also use another USB stick or hard drive for greater storage capacity.

Moreover, Tesla recommends using a high-quality USB drive to record and play the sentry videos smoothly. Once the storage is full, the new recordings will automatically overwrite the old videos. You must save your desired footage to view it; otherwise, it will be deleted and overwritten.

How to Turn on Tesla Sentry Mode?

Tesla sentry mode is off by default; it needs to be manually activated. Follow the steps below to easily enable sentry mode in Tesla.

• Select the controls tab on your Tesla touchscreen.
• Choose the Safety option.
• Tap on the on option under sentry mode settings.

After parking your vehicle, you can automatically turn on sentry mode in Tesla by the voice commands on the Tesla app like:

• Keep Tesla safe
• Keep my car safe
• Sentry on
• Enable Sentry

Note: The Tesla dog mode and sentry mode cannot be activated simultaneously. You have to disable one of them to make the other one work.

How Long Does Tesla Sentry Mode Stay On?

After turning on the Sentry mode, it will remain on until you turn it off. However, it will automatically be turned off when the battery level reaches 20%, and you will receive a notification via the Tesla app. Tesla’s sentry mode increases power consumption, so it is turned off automatically to ensure enough energy to reach your destination.

How to Watch Tesla Sentry Mode Recordings?

Use the dashcam app in your vehicle to watch the dashcam or sentry mode videos. Touch the dashcam icon located in the app launcher. Here, you will find a list of videos organized by time and location, and some events are tagged with a red dot, making it easier to locate and review the footage quickly. Moreover, you can also watch the recording on the computer; for this, insert the USB drive into the computer and go to Tesla cam; you will have the recent, saved, and sentry clips options. However, Tesla does not contain any external microphones, so all sentry mode videos are silent.

How to Use Tesla Sentry Mode Live Access?

The sentry mode live access lets one view the vehicle camera in real time via the mobile app. Still, this feature requires Tesla owners to have the Tesla’s premium connectivity. When you use the live camera, your vehicle will flash its exterior lights and display a notification on a touchscreen to notify others that the area’s surroundings are being viewed through cameras. To enable the view live camera feature, Safety > Sentry mode > View Live Camera in the Tesla app. However, the live camera access is limited to around 1 hour or 15 minutes in some regions. Meanwhile, live access to the sentry mode is widely available.

Does Tesla Sentry Mode Battery Drain?

Sentry mode needs to be on even if you are not in the car, so it requires extra power to run the feature. However, the battery consumption depends upon the recorded events. According to our resources, Tesla loses 1% of its battery charge every 2-3 hours when sentry mode is activated. But, the actual battery consumption depends upon the vehicle’s hardware.

Tesla’s sentry mode consumes a lot of energy and can also affect the battery life. Therefore, it is better to use this feature only when needed. Also, do not leave your vehicle parked for long, as sentry mode will quickly drain the battery.

4 Options for Tesla Sentry Mode

Sentry mode allows you to customize the settings to meet the user’s preferences and requirements. You can also arrange the settings for specific locations. Below, we have mentioned the available features you can play around with.

1. Disable Sounds: You can quickly turn off the sound notifications when the alarm is triggered, including the security and audio system. To do this, go to the controls tab > Safety > Disable Sentry sound. Now, it will save the last 10 minutes of footage of any event that occurred and still send you notifications through the mobile app.
2. Disabling Camera Detection: Tesla owners can disable the camera detection so that the sentry mode only activates when the car senses a physical interruption. This option can be handy to reduce unnecessary recordings and false alarms.
3. Adjust the Video Length: Tesla owners can select the length of the Tesla sentry mode video clips, which allows them to decide how much footage is saved during an event. However, this feature does not work in the US and Canada.
4. Excluding Specific Locations: You can easily customize the settings for specific locations where you don’t want sentry mode, such as your home, work, favorite, or safe destination.

FAQs

Q: Does sentry mode share recordings with Tesla that are captured on my vehicle?
A: To protect the user’s privacy, Tesla has fully encrypted the camera feed and does not share any recordings with Tesla or anyone else. 

Q: Are there any legal aspects and privacy concerns about using sentry mode?
A: Yes, Tesla’s sentry mode raises many privacy concerns because it can invade the privacy of passersby who are being recorded without their permission and knowledge. Therefore, there are legal regulations in some countries that limit the use of this feature.

Q: Which mobile phone does Tesla sentry mode send notifications?
A: Currently, the sentry mode video notifications are limited to iPhone and iPad, but it will likely bring support to Android in the future.

Wrap Up

Tesla Sentry mode is an important feature that gives Tesla owners peace of mind, knowing that Tesla is actively monitoring its surroundings for potential threats. However, nothing can ensure complete security; the sentry mode is just an added layer of protection that helps to detect criminals and keep your Tesla safe.