Smile Tesla Thieves, You’re On Camera: Model S And Model X Get Model 3’s ‘Sentry Mode’

Tesla has started to introduce Sentry Model to the Model S and Model X shortly after the security feature was made available on the entry-level Model 3.

The electric automaker designed Sentry Mode in a bid to discourage people from breaking into Tesla vehicles. A pair of recent videos have already surfaced online showing Sentry Mode in action when two Model 3s had their windows smashed.

Sentry mode has two different states of operation. The first ‘Alert’ state switches on the vehicle’s exterior cameras when it detects suspicious movement around the vehicle. In Alert state, the vehicle’s large central touchscreen will also display a written warning that the car’s cameras are recording.

Also Read: Tesla’s Sentry Mode Proves Its Worth In The Real World

If Sentry Mode detects a more severe threat, such as someone breaking a window, the system switches to an ‘Alarm’ state where the car’s alarm is triggered, the brightness of the center display is increased, and music blares out of the vehicle’s audio system at full volume.

Whereas all Tesla Model 3s can be equipped with Sentry Model, Electrek reports that only Tesla Model S and Model X vehicles built after August 2017 can receive Sentry Mode through an over-the-air- update.

Although Sentry Mode doesn’t actually stop would-be thieves from breaking into Teslas, it does discourage them from doing so. Additionally, footage captured by the vehicle’s high-definition cameras should make it easier for thieves to be tracked by authorities. It seems likely that all future Tesla vehicles built will come equipped with Sentry Mode straight from the factory.