Tesla's Automations App: A Timeline of What Exists, What Is Rumored, and What Nobody Can Confirm
By EV Bandit | Updated October 13, 2026
Tesla has built an app that lets a car run its own "if this, then that" routines, and as of October 12 the interface has turned up inside recent firmware. What Tesla has not done is say when, or whether, North American owners will get it. Drive Tesla Canada reported the sighting; Not a Tesla App documented the original China release notes in January.
At a glance. Confirmed by Tesla's own release notes: an "Automations" app exists in a China build. Reported by one outlet, with video: the interface is hidden behind a feature flag in recent firmware. Not confirmed by anyone: a North American date, supported models, hardware requirements, or the final list of triggers and actions.
The timeline
January 27-28, 2026: the China build. Software 2025.45.32.1, a China-specific build, carries release notes that read "Use the new “Automations” app to create a personalized vehicle experience," according to Not a Tesla App. Tesla's own example: when the driver's door opens and someone is detected in the driver's seat, play a voice reminder to take personal belongings. Both Drive Tesla Canada and Not a Tesla App described it as in internal testing at that point.
Spring 2026: the update that did not include it. Drive Tesla Canada says the feature was expected in the 2026 Spring Update and was absent. The outlet does not say who set that expectation, so treat it as the outlet's framing rather than a Tesla promise.
October 12, 2026: the demo. Drive Tesla Canada published a video of the interface running, spotted by X user Maciej P. Wilczyński with help from @CoilShift in enabling it. The outlet says the interface sits "hidden behind a feature flag in recent firmware versions" and that "Tesla has not confirmed when it will become available to owners."
The logic is "if this, then that." What is missing is the part where Tesla tells owners when.
What the demo reportedly shows
Per Drive Tesla Canada's write-up of the video, triggers include time of day, sunrise and sunset, outside temperature, seat occupancy, seatbelts, doors, driving status, and charging activity. Actions include climate controls, seat heating and cooling, navigation, media, lighting, windows, and charging. Owners can add conditions that must be met before an action runs. Demonstrated examples include a "Child Mode" voice command that activates child locks and window locks, and a spoken announcement when the car shifts gears.
Tesla has not published any of that list. It comes from one outlet's reading of a feature-flagged interface, and Drive Tesla Canada itself says it is unclear whether every demonstrated function will ship at launch.
Claims ledger
| Claim | Status | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| An Automations app exists in a China build | Confirmed | Release-note text quoted by Not a Tesla App, Jan 28; Drive Tesla Canada, Jan 27 |
| Tesla's own example: door opens, driver seated, voice reminder plays | Confirmed (China build) | Same release notes |
| The interface is in recent firmware behind a feature flag | Reported, single outlet | Drive Tesla Canada, Oct 12, with video; not confirmed by Tesla |
| Full trigger and action list | Reported, unconfirmed | Drawn from the demo video only |
| It was expected in the Spring Update | Reported, unconfirmed | Drive Tesla Canada's framing; no Tesla statement found |
| Release in North America | Unconfirmed | Tesla has given no date |
| Which models or computers will support it | Unknown | Neither outlet names vehicles or hardware |
What we could not confirm
We could not find a second outlet independently reporting the October 12 firmware sighting, so the claim rests on Drive Tesla Canada and its sources on X. We could not find a Tesla statement, owner's-manual page or release note describing Automations for North America. We did not verify the X posts themselves because they cannot be opened from our research tools, so we link none as proof. Nothing here tells you whether your own car will get it.
Plain-language FAQ
Is this the same as scheduled departure or preconditioning?
Those are existing, separate Tesla features. Nothing we found says Automations replaces them; the reported design is a general rule builder with triggers, conditions and actions.
Can I turn it on with a hidden flag?
The demo reportedly required help enabling a flag. We are not going to walk anyone through modifying their car; wait for an official release.
Will my Model 3 or Model Y get it?
Unknown. No source names vehicles or hardware.
For reporters and researchers. Suggested citation: "Tesla's Automations App: A Timeline of What Exists, What Is Rumored, and What Nobody Can Confirm," EV Bandit, October 13, 2026. We update this page when a primary source appears. If you hold a Tesla release note, a screenshot with a verifiable version string, or an on-record statement, post it in the Facebook group linked below or message EV Bandit there and we will add it with credit.
Related reading
For another software feature with a thin public record, see our Track Mode claims ledger and our Intel versus Ryzen feature ledger.
Sources
- Drive Tesla Canada, Oct 12, 2026: Tesla's Automations App Appears Ready for Release in Latest Software
- Drive Tesla Canada, Jan 27, 2026: Automations in China, 2025.45.32.1
- Not a Tesla App, Jan 28, 2026: Tesla to Introduce New Automations App
What would you automate first? Tell us in the 170,000-member Tesla Model Y Owners group. A written-down owner wish list is worth having on the record.