What to Know About Taking a Zoom Call in a Tesla

Care to video chat while you charge? Here's how.

Beth Nichols | 

Jun 13, 2024 | 3 min read

Tesla

From the center screen of a Tesla, owners can stream movies, play games, make obnoxious sounds, and even take Zoom calls. The last one is nice for when you're at a public charging station and need to attend a work meeting — or if you decide now's a good time to try, yet again, to explain video calling to your tech-shy friends. Here's what you need to know to get yourself Zooming, electric vehicle style.

Not Every Tesla Supports Zoom

To use Zoom in a Tesla, your car must have:

• A horizontal center screen — sorry, early Model S and X owners
• Relatively recent software (anything from version 2022.44.25 or later, though exact compatibility is subject to change)
• The AMD Ryzen infotainment processor, which you can check via Controls, then Software, then Additional Vehicle Information in your Tesla
• Tesla's premium connectivity service

Log In for the Smoothest Experience

Based on my experience, Tesla owners will find the Zoom app — a blue box with a white camera — in the three-dots menu. Just as on the computer, you don't have to sign in to attend a meeting. It may be easier if you do, however, as any upcoming calls linked to your account will appear on the Zoom homepage when you launch the app.

If you use the calendar function in your Tesla, all scheduled meetings will likely show up there as well. Just tap on the little blue square next to the appointment, and your car will do the rest. Same goes for if you've set up phone messaging on your Tesla and someone sends you a meeting link via text.

Alternatively, you can hit the Join button from the Zoom homepage and type in the meeting ID and password. It's a bit tedious but useful if, say, you don't own the car and have privacy concerns.

The Camera Placement Can Make Things Weird

Zoom uses the in-car camera and microphone to relay your image and voice to others on the call. If you wish to see and be seen, you'll need to put the car in park, as the video functions won't work while you’re driving — for obvious reasons. The call doesn't drop when you shift into drive, but it will switch to audio only. If you're the host, Zoom will temporarily hand over the reins to someone else, in case you go through a tunnel and lose connection.

The mute/unmute button should remain on your screen as you drive, but if it disappears while you're fiddling with other functions, simply tap on the Zoom icon at the top of the display to bring back the controls.

It's not a perfect experience. Tesla locates the in-car camera above the rearview mirror, which — no matter how you adjust it, in our experience (at least in the Model Y) — blocks some portion of the lens and shows up on the edge of your Zoom box. The placement also means you have to decide between watching your audience on the center screen while they view the top of your head or looking up into the camera and forgoing seeing others' reactions. If you wish to meet anyone's gaze — with your eyes on theirs and theirs on yours — you're better off using your phone.

That's why Zooming in your Tesla is perhaps best for meetings where you need to be present but don't need to participate. It can be superior to the phone when someone's giving a presentation, as the car's screen is larger. But you won't be able to share your screen, see the chat, or mute others, even if you're the host and your Tesla is in park.

Beth Nichols

After graduating from the University of Michigan, Beth Nichols stumbled into automotive journalism and found her footing, jumping between a few car magazines before going freelance. Her head, once full of useless facts about literature and art history, now holds useless facts about vehicles. She edits, checks, and occasionally creates content for Capital One, and though she understands it’s customary to write a bio in the third person, I don’t like it.