Tesla cars offer a wide array of state-of-the-art technology features. This includes Sentry Mode, which provides an extra layer of security and protection against vandals and thieves. Recently, Tesla updated Sentry Mode with a cool new feature. You can use the “dark side of the force” with a voice like Darth Vader and freak out people near your car.

What does Tesla Sentry Mode Live Camera Access do?

Tesla provided a new update for Sentry mode with a feature called Tesla Sentry Mode Live Camera Access. The new feature enables you to remotely view in real-time on your smartphone what’s going on around the car, as detailed by EVANNEX. In addition to the remote viewing capabilities, Tesla Sentry Mode Live Camera Access enables you to give verbal commands.

With the verbal commands, you can lower and alter your voice in a dark, Darth Vader-like style. You give the verbal commands in your smartphone, and then your voice will project from a speaker underneath a Tesla car. All Tesla models built after 2019 have a speaker for its pedestrian warning system. This is a requirment mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Scare away thieves and vandals with Darth Vader voice in Tesla Sentry Mode

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There are many fun possibilities for the new voice alternation feature for Tesla Sentry Mode Live Camera Access. You can use a low Darth Vader voice or make it high-pitched, like a sinister helium balloon-filled voice — and get some interesting reactions from people passing by your car.

However, the new voice alteration feature for Tesla Sentry Mode has a practical purpose. Vehicle theft and vandalism continue to be a significant problem in the United States. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), in the U.S., an average of one car was stolen every 36 seconds in 2020. Also, that figure doesn’t even include the number of break-ins throughout the country. Luxury vehicles like Teslas are a particularly inviting target. With the voice alternation feature, you can scare away potential thieves and vandals.

How does Tesla Sentry Mode work?

In addition to the voice alteration and Live Camera Access features, Tesla Sentry Model works like an automatic security system. Tesla Sentry Mode is available for all Tesla models, including the Model 3, Model S, and Model Y, as well as the upcoming Cybertruck. 

When you activate Sentry Mode, it enters a “Standby” status. In “Standby,” Sentry Mode utilizes the external cameras of a Tesla to detect potential threats. If the system detects a threat, it will switch to “Alert” status, which results in a warning message on the touchscreen stating that the cameras are recording. 

If Tesla Sentry Mode detects an even more severe threat, such as someone keying the car or breaking a window, it will switch to “Alarm” status. For “Alarm” status, Sentry Mode will activate an alarm, play loud music from the audio system, and increase the brightness of the center display. Also, the system will send the owner an alert via the Tesla Mobile App. From there, owners can download the video recording of the incident. 

To activate Sentry Mode on your Tesla vehicle, follow this path on the Tesla Mobile App: Controls > Safety & Security > Sentry Mode. The Sentry Mode needs to be activated every time that you use it. Soon you’ll be able to freak out thieves, vandals, and unwitting pedestrians in a sinister Darth Vader voice.