Wondering how to format your USB drive to work with Dashcam and Sentry Mode? Tesla’s latest 2020.16 software update will now do it for you

Tesla’s next software update will now take care of one of the more frustrating experiences for new Tesla owners with some big Dashcam improvements in 2020.16.

According to Teslascope, the latest software update has just been released and so far appears on just 2 vehicles in their database.

The release notes detail a few improvements, and while they seem minor at first glance, they’re not once you take a closer look.

Tesla ToyBox

Ok, this one is pretty minor. The ToyBox has been redesigned, giving you easier access to your favourite games.

Nearby Charging Sites

Tesla has now improved the map, allowing drivers to filter nearby charging stations using three lightning bolt icons to signify the available power.

Dashcam Improvements

In order for Dashcam and Sentry Mode to work, your USB drive has to be correctly formatted, and have the associated folders for each mode to record and save videos to your drive.

Now all you need to do is plug in your USB drive, go to the appropriate menu setting, and hit “Format USB Device”, and your Tesla will do all the work for you by correctly formatting and creating the associated folders.

Thanks to the great work by Tesla, it will literally be as easy as 1-2-3.

If you’re looking for a USB drive, we recommend the Samsung T5 500GB SSD available on Amazon. We also recommend the Jeda USB Hub to store your USB drive and de-clutter your center console.

Backgammon Improvements

There’s probably a large chunk of the Tesla population that has never even opened the Backgammon game in their Tesla. But for those that have, there is a big update for the game, and it marks an important first for a Tesla game too.

According to the release notes, the game is now more difficult thanks to what it has learned from people who have been playing it in their vehicle. Surprisingly, that amounts to more than 20 million games played.

The important thing to note here is this is the first time there is a difficulty level that has been trained on the actions of Tesla users. Just like Deep Blue learning to play chess and beating the world champion, this could mark the beginning of your Tesla vehicle getting smarter and beating you every…single…time.

Here are the full release notes:

The Tesla Toybox has been redesigned to make it easier to view and play. Simply scroll through the toys and adjust the associated controls. As before, to access the Tesla Toybox, tap the Toybox icon from the Application Launcher.

The charging list has been improved to easily filter nearby charging sites based on max power. Simply tap the charging icon on the map and filter by selecting the associated lighting bolt icons.

Dashcam is now easier to setup or erase. After plugging in a USB drive, tap Controls > Safety & Security > FORMAT USB DEVICE to format and create the associated folders for Dashcam. Note: Formatting the USB drive will also delete any existing clips.

Playing Backgammon against your Tesla has now become more difficult. The most difficult level has now been trained with 20+ million games. Challenge your Tesla to a game by tapping the Application Launcher, then tap Entertainment > Arcade > Backgammon. Note: As usual, the Tesla Arcade is only available when your car is in PARK.

This release contains minor improvements and bug fixes.