Tesla Drops "Autopilot" Name in Software Update, Shifts Fully to "Full Self-Driving" Label

Tesla recently rolled out software update version 2026.2.9, officially removing the well-known but controversial "Autopilot" name. The feature formerly known as "Navigate on Autopilot" has been renamed to "Navigate with Auto Steering," while the hardware previously labeled "FSD Computer" is now called the "AI Computer." The "Autopilot" section in the main menu has also been updated to "Self-Driving." Tesla emphasized that this change is purely textual and does not alter any functional logic. However, some submenus still retain older terms like "Full Self-Driving (FSD)," which could cause user confusion. The move is widely seen as a response to regulatory pressure—California’s Department of Motor Vehicles previously accused Tesla of false advertising, warning that failure to address the issue could result in a 60-day sales ban on new vehicles in the state. Tesla has already removed the Autopilot option from new vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, offering only Traffic-Aware Cruise Control as standard equipment. Meanwhile, FSD v14 has become the standard version for subscribers, helping unify software across Tesla’s fleet and paving the way for future unsupervised autonomous driving. Despite the rebranding, Tesla’s overarching goal of building an AI-powered "robot on wheels" remains unchanged.