Last month we told about over 100 commands that the latest version of Grok can handle inside your Tesla. One capability missing from the list is being able to send text messages, but according to the latest version of the owner’s manual, that is changing soon.
The unreleased feature appears in the Model 3/Y owner’s manual, where it lists a series of capabilities that Grok can handle when the ‘Assistant’ personality is selected. With the latest update to the manual, spotted by Not A Tesla App, drivers will be able to ask Grok to send a message to one of their contacts without having to reach for their phone.
Tesla’s existing voice-to-text system has frequently been criticized for being slow to respond, occasionally glitching, and missing or incorrectly transcribing words. Bringing text messaging into Grok could make the experience more reliable and conversational.
Tesla Feature Request: Grok STT For In-Car Messages App
— Dan Burkland (@DBurkland) September 10, 2026
For whatever reason, voice transcription in the Tesla Messages app has been really unreliable for a while now. With Grok now taking a bigger role within the vehicle infotainment stack, I would love it if Tesla could add… pic.twitter.com/1ynGppsILf
Although the feature is already documented in the manual, it has not yet been activated in Tesla vehicles. The company has also not provided a timeline for its release, but its inclusion in the owner’s manual specific for the 2026.26 software vresion suggests it could be turned on soon through a server-side switch.
What Grok Can Already Do
Grok can already make phone calls, search for destinations, modify navigation routes, and find media using conversational voice commands. Tesla has also been gradually connecting the xAI chatbot to more of the vehicle itself.
As part of the 2026 Summer Update that rolled out last month, the automaker added support for controlling features such as cabin temperature, seat heating and ventilation, steering-wheel heating and the glovebox. Grok can also locate settings within the Controls menu and answer vehicle-related questions using information from the owner’s manual.
Tesla originally introduced Grok in software update 2025.26, initially limiting it to vehicles in the United States. It later expanded to Canada with the 2025.38 software update.
The integration is expected to go even further and incorporate Full Self-Driving (FSD). Elon Musk has previously said you will be able to use conversational voice commands through Grok to tell the vehicle to avoid a particular intersection, take a different entrance, stop at a preferred pickup location, or make other route adjustments, and more.
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