how to reset tesla screen

Several ways to reset your Tesla screen for the Model S, X, 3 and Y

Is your Tesla screen messed up? Why isn’t Spotify showing up, or auto-pilot engaging, or touch screen registration? Between a buggy screen and bad car software, there are a number of things you can do to fix this. This wikiHow covers the most common resets so you can fix that glitchy Tesla screen.

[Edit]things you should know

The easiest way to reset your touchscreen involves pressing and holding the scroll wheels on the steering wheel.
If resetting the touchscreen doesn’t work, try power cycling your Tesla.
Try removing all USB connected devices and turning off Bluetooth when you restart the car to see if that helps fix things. If not, you may have to visit a Tesla service center.

[Edit]step

[Edit]soft reboot (resetting the touchscreen)

Press and hold both scroll wheels on your steering wheel. These should be put down at the same time.
- This reset will work on the Model S, X, 3 and Y.
- This is a soft reset, which means power won’t be interrupted between any of your electronics, so you can do this while driving, although it’s not recommended.
When your screen goes dark, let go of the scroll wheel. If you have an MS or MX, you will see the airbag icon light up on the dashboard.^[1]
- Your touchscreen will take about 30 seconds to reload and then you can test to see if it fixed it. If not, continue to the next method which requires you to turn off your car.

[Edit]Full Soft Reboot (Power Cycling)

Make sure the car is in park and all doors are locked. You don’t want any electronics that could prevent the car from closing like an open door.
- This method requires you to use the touchscreen to cycle your car, so if it’s not working at all, skip this method and continue on to the next method.
Use the touchscreen to navigate. To do this, tap Control > Safety and Security > Power off,
- Do not touch anything including the brakes, doors, steering wheel, or touchscreen for at least 5 minutes before your car will completely shut down.
- If you are in an area where you can hear your car, you can wait until you hear that your Tesla is all quiet, which indicates that it has stopped.
Press the brake pedal to start the car back. When it’s completely off, turn it on again. The software will restart, which may fix your Tesla screen problems.

[Edit]Full soft reboot (pre 2021 MS and MX only)

Make sure the car is in park and all doors are locked. You don’t want to be driving with your screen resetting like this because you need to press the brake pedal.
- This only works for pre-2021 MS and MX models.
- Some people call this a “four-finger reset” and others know it as a “top button reboot”.
Hold down the brake pedal. Keep holding it while you go to the next step.
Press and hold both buttons above the scroll wheel on either side of your steering wheel. Keep these buttons and the brake pedal pressed for about 10 seconds.
- After 10 seconds, the screen will turn off and come back on. You can release the buttons and brake pedal when the screen turns on again.

[Edit]more troubleshooting steps

Disconnect any connected USBs. The USB may have corrupted data that is causing your car to glitch, so removing it may solve your problem.
Turn off Bluetooth on your phone. Your Tesla may be trying to connect to your phone when it restarts, and a failed attempt may cause your car to behave strangely. Turning off bluetooth may help.
Clear data from trip computer. If you have a lot of data, this could be the source of your glitch! To clean the computer, go to Control > Trips > Reset,
- You may also want to free up some memory room by deleting saved locations you no longer use. To do this, go to navigate And to remove a location, swipe right on it.
Contact a Tesla service center. If nothing works for you, you may need a trip to a service center.
- Doing anything like a hard reset that requires you to disconnect the battery can either shock you, injure you, void your car’s warranty, or damage it. Unless you are a Tesla technician, you should never attempt to disconnect the battery yourself.