Tesla improves Parental Controls in update 2026.20. Tesla is broadening its safety tools for younger drivers in its latest release. With software update 2026.20, owners can now block access to the in-car Web Browser, Tesla Theater, and Tesla Arcade directly from vehicle settings. New toggles in Parental Controls. Earlier this month, these options were identified in the source code for version 4.57.0 of the Tesla app. They have now started rolling out to owners with firmware version 2026.20, which began reaching vehicles this week. After installing the latest software, new toggles for Browser, Theater, and Arcade appear under Controls > Safety > Parental Controls while the vehicle is in Park. Here's what the app drawer looks like with all three apps blocked: These additions build on existing restrictions designed to reduce distraction and promote safer habits among newer drivers. Parental Controls already let parents cap maximum speed, reduce acceleration, require that active safety features remain enabled, and receive mobile alerts for late-night driving. Track Mode is also automatically disabled whenever Parental Controls are active. By enabling parents to lock down the Browser, Theater, and Arcade apps, Tesla removes potential digital distractions. Blocking the web browser, in particular, helps prevent the use of web-based workarounds to play third-party games or stream unauthorized content while driving. A focus on fleet safety and privacy. These blocks function on a per-profile basis, so when a parent enters the car using their own Tesla account, entertainment apps remain fully available on their profile. Update 2026.20 also emphasizes vehicle security. Alongside the new parental restrictions, the same release automatically encrypts all video footage recorded by the vehicle's dashcam and Sentry Mode, preventing unauthorized users or devices from viewing files directly from the physical USB drive. Together, these updates continue to refine the software to protect both the driver and in-vehicle data. Future updates may introduce even more granular app controls, such as restricting certain apps only while the car is moving, and could allow parents to block additional apps beyond a predefined list.

Watch Tesla's Cybercab drive itself out of the factory [VIDEO]. Tesla is demonstrating the integration of its manufacturing and AI pipelines as its next-generation fleet takes shape. In a video shared by CEO Elon Musk, the company's purpose-built autonomous vehicle operates without assistance within an active factory environment. The footage was posted on X by Musk, who captioned it, "Cybercab driving itself out of the GigaTexas factory". The clip shows a couple of gold-painted Cybercabs leaving the factory and navigating outdoor logistics areas, executing tight turns and stopping appropriately alongside ongoing factory traffic. Building on end-to-end factory autonomy. Seeing an unmanned vehicle move through a production facility builds on the company's longstanding automation strategy. Over several years, Tesla has developed the software infrastructure that enables vehicles to manage end-to-end logistics. At Gigafactory Texas, Model Y vehicles have driven themselves off the production line for some time, a capability that enabled a world-first autonomous customer delivery from the factory floor to a local doorstep last year. A similar process is active internationally, where vehicles drive themselves off the line at Giga Berlin to improve outbound tracking. Extending this framework to the Cybercab demonstrates how an automation-first fleet can handle its own distribution from the start. Ramping production ahead of a Texas rollout. The software showcase comes as the autonomy program enters a pivotal phase. Tesla officially kicked off mass production of the Cybercab last month with no initial capacity caps, and fleets of steering wheel-less Cybercabs have been seen assembling in outbound staging areas. After Musk's post, Ashok Elluswamy, the company's AI Chief, hinted at where these units will deploy first, writing: "Soon it'll be driving itself in to Austin city, reporting for duty!" The vehicle is already undergoing extensive public-road testing, and the broader ride-hailing rollout is accelerating. The company recently expanded its unsupervised Robotaxi service to Dallas and Houston. Introducing the Cybercab into these active markets should enable faster scaling than relying solely on passenger vehicles such as the Model Y. Navigating the regulatory landscape. Although early promotional material highlights Cybercab prototypes without steering wheels or pedals, the company is following a multi-layered regulatory plan for commercial deployment. Tesla has also confirmed a contingency to add steering wheels and pedals if state regulations require them. The path appears clearer in Texas after Tesla self-certified its FSD-driven vehicles as SAE Level 4-compliant under a newly enacted state autonomous vehicle statute. By using state-level self-certification in place of federal approvals, Austin is positioned to serve as the initial hub for driverless commercial operations.