Tesla Hacker Discovers Secret “Alone Mode” for Hands-Free Full Self-Driving

Tesla CEO Elon Musk may have his own supersecret Driver Mode that enables hands-free driving in Tesla vehicles.

The hidden feature, aptly named “Alone Mode,” was discovered by a Tesla software hacker known online as @greentheonly. The anonymous hacker has dug deep into the vehicle code for years and uncovered things like how Tesla can block you from using your power seat or the center camera in the Model 3 before it’s officially activated.

After discovering and enabling Alone Mode, GreenTheOnly ventured out to test the system and posted some rough footage Of effort He didn’t share the literal “alone mode” setting on screen, but maintained that it is real.

The hackers found that the car required no attention from them when using Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. FSD is Tesla’s vision-based advanced driver-assistance system that’s in beta but currently available to anyone who pays $15,000 for the option. The software was the subject of an internally leaked report last month that indicated FSD had received thousands of customer complaints of sudden braking and sudden acceleration.

Tesla’s Autopilot system, the automaker’s first-generation driver-assistance system for the highway, requires you to nudge the steering wheel to confirm you’re attentive during use. Owners often complain about the frequency of the system’s checks, leading some to refer to it as “nagging”. FSD users are also subject to frequent pushback, and at times it seems to require enough force that it can inadvertently shut down the system.

In addition to the existing hands-on-steering confirmation, vehicles that have a center interior camera (above the rearview mirror) will inspect drivers to make sure they’re looking ahead — but it’s also very nuanced. For example, I’ve found that I’m unable to wear a baseball cap when the system is constantly nagging me to “pay attention to the road”, unable to tell that my eyes are looking ahead. It even disabled it at some point and said if I do it four more times I’ll lose my FSD privileges.

but for greentheonly approx 600 mile test On Alone mode, he found no such complaints. The hacker claimed the vehicle was a company-owned vehicle, based on his comment that he “couldn’t find a non-Tesla car” to try out Alone mode. In the video, it looks like Greentheonly is driving an early Model X, which may be so old especially that it doesn’t have an internal camera. It’s unclear whether this model has a camera or how GreenTheOnly got access to the car.

Greentheonly provides in notes twitter thread, the hacker says the system still randomly changes lanes and slow driving on the highway. Whether this version of the FSD will be available to regular owners is unknown. In December, Kasturi pointed out That nag-free driving is coming.

Greentheonly says Tesla’s software is more secure than it was in 2017, when hackers first began inspecting it. Despite their ability to constantly get around Tesla’s safety, only Greenthenely tweets The care Tesla has put into its software is rare to see compared to other cars, and it’s a “nice puzzle that just keeps getting better.”