A Tesla owner who was among the first to receive an update for Sentry Mode has posted a video about optimizations that the electric car maker implemented just days after the security system was first introduced. As noted by the Model 3 owner, it appears that Tesla has effectively addressed some areas of improvement that emerged during the new feature’s initial rollout.
It did not take long before the Tesla community started testing out the features of the recently-released features, which were introduced as part of the 2019.5.1 update. In an extensive review of Sentry Mode after its initial release, for example, YouTuber Tesla Raj noted that push notifications to his mobile phone were absent when his car entered the “Alarm” state. He also observed that some of Sentry Mode’s features, such as the car’s audio alarms, did not kick in after repeated break-in attempts.
Dog Mode’s use with Sentry Mode also had some areas of improvement. The two new features could be used side by side, which is great, but when Sentry Mode engaged while Dog Mode was active, the display would shift to HAL 9000’s daunting “eye” and Tesla’s warning screen, then turn off after 1 minute. Dog Mode’s display, which informs passersby that pets are safe inside the vehicle, did not turn back on even after Sentry Mode passed the 1-minute mark.
Fortunately, the Model 3 owner was able to receive an update (2019.5.3) that Tesla immediately rolled out following the initial Sentry Mode release. With this update, the Tesla owner opted to test the new features again. As could be seen in a recent YouTube upload, it appears that Tesla has addressed Sentry Mode’s alarms during multiple break-in attempts. This results in the vehicle being able to take advantage of Sentry Mode’s full array of “Alarm” state features multiple times in a row. For vehicles that are parked on the side of the road, such a system would definitely prove useful.
Dog Mode and Sentry Mode’s synthesis was also smoothed out, with the pet-friendly feature seemingly overwriting the security system when engaged. This results in Dog Mode retaining its display. Dog Mode’s fonts are larger and more readable with 2019.5.3 as well. Nevertheless, some of the 2019.5.1 update’s areas of improvement remain, such as push notifications on the Tesla mobile app, which are still absent. Similar to the Model 3 owner’s observations with 2019.5.1, the blind spot chime also appeared to be absent in 2019.5.3.
Tesla’s Sentry Mode comes as a way to help owners keep their vehicles safe after reports of break-ins against the company’s electric cars started seeing a rise. In the San Francisco Bay Area alone, police reports studied by Teslarati involving the company’s electric vehicles revealed that some thieves had been rewarded with generous spoils, including some luxury watches and premium gadgets.
Watch a review of Tesla’s 2019.5.3 update to Sentry Mode in the video below.
Here’s Tesla Raj’s initial review of Sentry Mode as rolled out in 2019.5.1.
