Tesla Model Y Owner’s Manual Reveals Grok to Support Voice-Based Text Messaging

On September 13, users discovered a forthcoming feature in the updated owner’s manual for the Tesla Model Y: after switching Grok to Assistant mode, it will be able to send text messages to contacts or phone numbers. Tesla has not yet announced the official release date for this functionality. According to annotations in the owner’s manual, Grok’s current capabilities include: searching for locations via navigation and adding or removing destinations; calling contacts or dialing numbers; searching for and playing media content; retrieving vehicle settings from the control panel; issuing vehicle control commands such as adjusting cabin temperature, seat heating and ventilation, steering wheel heating, and opening the glove compartment; and referencing the owner’s manual to answer vehicle-related questions. While Grok already supports making phone calls, it does not yet support sending text messages. Tesla first introduced Grok in the 2025.26 software update. The feature initially launched in the United States and was later expanded to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with recent availability extended to Europe and several Asian countries. Following this rollout, Tesla released a Grok-powered location reminder feature. In early summer, Tesla added vehicle control commands to Grok, integrating it with onboard systems including climate control, defrosters, and settings menu toggles. Additionally, the owner’s manual documents an automatic collision avoidance feature powered by Full Self-Driving (FSD), which was officially rolled out earlier this week. Elon Musk previously confirmed that future software updates will enable Grok to control FSD.