Understanding the Green and Orange Dots in Your Tesla

If you own a Tesla, you may have noticed green and orange dots appearing on your display or instrument cluster. These dots are not just random design elements; they actually serve an important purpose in enhancing privacy and functionality.

Green Dot: Hands-Free Autopilot

The green dot indicates that Tesla’s hands-free Autopilot feature is active. This feature utilizes the interior camera to monitor the driver’s attention while Autopilot or FSD is engaged. The camera tracks the driver’s head and eyes to ensure they are focused on the road. If the driver becomes distracted, the vehicle will provide warnings or issue penalties.

It’s worth noting that any images or video captured by the interior camera are processed within the vehicle and do not leave the car unless explicitly permitted by the driver. Privacy settings can be adjusted in the Controls section of the software.

Orange Dot: Audio Detection

The orange dot signifies that the vehicle’s microphone is active. This feature, introduced in software update 2025.2, listens for audio cues to detect emergency vehicles and other relevant sounds. This data is used to improve the vehicle’s ability to recognize emergency vehicles before they are visible.

Drivers have the option to share audio data with Tesla to enhance detection accuracy. Any audio processing is done within the vehicle to protect driver privacy.

Both the green and orange dots play a crucial role in improving safety and functionality in Tesla vehicles while prioritizing user privacy.