Tesla browser tips

Short answer: To use the Tesla browser better, save your sites as bookmarks, set things up in Park, use your phone instead of the car keyboard, go full screen and check the connection. tescast, a web app for live TV, YouTube and your own IPTV list, opens in the Tesla browser with no install.

The Tesla browser opens websites on the car's screen. Small habits make daily use easier: one-tap bookmarks, full screen and a check of the connection. tescast is a web app that plays live TV, YouTube and your own IPTV list in the Tesla browser, so it works with these tips. Menu names change with the software version, so we describe the idea, not the names.

1. Save the sites you use

Typing an address on the screen takes time. Save your regular sites as bookmarks, if your software has them. Sending an address from your phone also helps. For tescast, this is useful: the car connects once, and then tescast.app opens directly.

2. Set things up in Park

Do setup, typing and account work with the car in Park. These tasks take attention from the road. The driver keeps their eyes on the road. Do the tasks that a phone can do (payment, account, car link) on the phone.

3. Use your phone as the keyboard

Long addresses are hard to type on the car screen. tescast uses a QR code for setup:

1. Open tescast.app in the car.
2. Scan the QR code with your phone.
3. Create the account, pick a plan and link the car on the phone.

You manage the subscription, payment and car link on the phone. One car links per account.

4. Use full screen

The address bar takes space from the video. The "Tesla full screen mode" button in tescast opens it without the address bar. See full screen video in the Tesla browser.

5. Check the connection

If a page does not open or a video stutters, look at the connection first. The car can use Premium Connectivity, Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot. Tesla says that video over cellular needs Premium Connectivity, and that Wi-Fi and a hotspot work without it (Tesla connectivity page). Pages load slowly where coverage is weak.

6. Reload, then clear the cache

If a page loaded halfway, reload it. If the problem stays, clear the browser cache and site data. If it still stays, restart the car's screen. For YouTube problems, see YouTube not working on Tesla.

7. Know your data use

Video uses a lot of data. Approximate values for tescast: 360p about 0.4 GB an hour, 720p about 1.2 GB, 1080p about 2-3 GB. On a hotspot or a small plan, lower the quality. See live TV data use.

8. Know the driving limit of video sites

Tesla's Theater apps are meant for a parked car. Tesla's owner's manual says that video pauses when the car leaves Park and warns that use while driving is dangerous (Tesla owner's manual). Owners report that normal video players in the browser behave the same way. tescast keeps live TV and YouTube playing when the car moves, for passengers. The driver follows local law. For a comparison, see best Tesla TV apps.

9. Use mosaic view for news and sport

To follow several channels at once, use mosaic view. Channels play side by side. It works for the Turkish channel list. See live news on Tesla.

10. Use recently watched

tescast lists the channels you watched last. You skip the search each time you start the car.

What is the short start for live TV?

1. Open tescast.app in the car.
2. Scan the QR code and create an account.
3. Try it free in your car, no card needed. Then it is $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year.
4. Pick a channel. See watch live TV on Tesla.

A note on security

Be careful when you sign in to accounts on the car screen. If several people use the car, sign out. In tescast, account and payment steps happen on the phone, and Stripe takes the payment. You do not type card details on the car screen.

FAQ

Which sites work in the Tesla browser?

Many standard sites work. On video sites, playback can pause when the car is not in Park. tescast works in the browser and keeps playing for passengers when the car moves.

How do I enter a long address in a Tesla?

Do what a phone can do on the phone. tescast uses a QR code, so you do not type on the car screen.

What if the browser is slow?

Check the connection, reload the page and clear the cache. If the problem stays, restart the car's screen.

Do I need to install an app for tescast?

No. tescast is a web app. Open tescast.app in the browser.

Is tescast affiliated with Tesla?

No. tescast is not affiliated with Tesla, Inc.

Sources

• Tesla Model Y Owner's Manual: Theater and video streaming (Tesla): Tesla's own video apps work only in Park.
• Tesla: Connectivity (Tesla): Standard and Premium Connectivity, the car's internet connection.