Tesla has started rolling out a new over-the-air (OTA) software update that revises the naming of several Autopilot-related features. Rather than adding new functionality, the update focuses solely on terminology — a move that comes just weeks after the California DMV ordered the company to adjust how it markets its driver-assistance technology.
According to the release notes for software version 2026.2.9, which began reaching vehicles over the weekend, the release is labeled an “Autopilot Naming Update.” As part of the change, Navigate on Autopilot (NoA) has been renamed to Navigate on Autosteer. In addition, the FSD Computer is now referred to as AI Computer.
While not included in the release notes, Tesla also made some changes to other references of Autopilot. In the software menu inside the vehicles, the ‘Autopilot’ tab has been renamed to ‘Self Driving. Additionally, if a user disengages FSD, the phrase “Autopilot Disengaged. What Happened?” has been replaced with “Self-Driving Disengaged. What Happened?”
Importantly, Tesla emphasizes that these are purely terminology changes and that the functionality remains exactly the same.
The update follows a recent ruling by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which determined that Tesla’s use of the terms “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” could be considered misleading. Regulators argued that the branding may imply capabilities beyond what the systems can legally and technically deliver.
As part of the ruling, Tesla was given the option to revise its language or face a potential 30-day suspension of vehicle sales in California — one of its largest U.S. markets. Rather than risk disruption, Tesla has agreed to adjust the terminology it uses.
This naming adjustment is not the only recent adjustment to Autopilot. Last month, Tesla stopped including basic Autopilot as a standard feature on new vehicle orders. That move surprised many, not only because Autopilot had long been bundled with every new Tesla, but because the company was not replacing it with an equivalent suite of features.
Instead, customers must now pay $99 per month for FSD just to get access to some of the basic features that were included in Autopilot, like Autosteer and lane centering.
While Tesla has made these changes to comply with the DMV’s ruling, the company is taking the agency to court. As we reported last week, the automaker filed a lawsuit seeking to reverse the ruling that deemed the automaker’s use of the terms “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” were misleading.
