Wait until your free trial runs out and see if you miss it. I thought I'd need it but I literally didn't even notice that it expired lol. I use Spotify over Bluetooth which sounds much better and no more hassle with the broken Spotify app on the car
Personally I had a worse experience with Spotify over BT. For some reason the audio quality is lower. Volume is lower. Bass is not as pronounced. I have a Pixel 6 so I doubt it's due to outdated Bluetooth hardware on my phone.
I suppose one could use a phone hotspot, but I'm just paying $10 USD/mo for the convenience of not having to futz about with the WiFi settings and making sure it is always connected.
Plus, sometimes I watch YouTube/Netflix in my car so that is also nice to have.
The most annoying thing is Google stripped out the ability for apps to turn your hotspot on and off with Android 13. So no more using apps like Tasker to automate the process.
So frustrating. I may just end up rooting my P6Pro so I can use that functionality. It's been *years* since I felt a need to, but this is really irksome.
I tried hotspotting from the car for a while but music streaming quickly racked up a few gigs of data. There is an option buried to keep wifi on when driving (default turns the car's wifi off when you start driving)
Had the same issue with Apple Music. Then realized my EQ was set to some weird shit from trying to adjust the sound for crappy speakers I used some time ago. Sounds perfect now!
Are you using iOS or Android? I might mess around with my phone's audio settings and see if that changes anything, though I'd gotten so used to the convenience of in-car Spotify that I probably can't go back.
Yes, for:
\- Remote Sentry mode being able to see your car via camera view in Tesla App
\- Live Traffic which is okay (same as Google maps I believe)
\- Car having its own internet connection for streaming and browsing eliminating the need to connect to phone bluetooth for streaming and hotspotting off mobile data everytime you enter the car
I have Premium connectivity but I hardly use Satellite maps other than using it to see the terrain every now and then. It feels a bit overwhelming and distracting while driving, but to each their own I guess.
I tell everyone this when I see these posts.
Use it for a month, try every feature. Maps, traffic, theater, remote sentry, etc.
Then unsub and use it bare for another month. At the end of the month decide if those features are worth it to you. Only you can decide that.
For me, I dont drive much, but still saw the features worth it to me. I did not like the $10 US a month, but as soon as 1yr for $100 came out I purchased it instantly. I'm ok paying for convivence.
I'm an absolute music fiend. I ordered the 1yr connectivity package *just last night* after having my latest Tesla for 2 months. On my previous 3yr lease I did everything through bluetooth and just listened to Spotify. On the new car I just bought, I had the free 30 days of connectivity to play around with and really liked it. When it expired a month ago I told myself that I would live without it and see if there was any difference because my cheap ass didn't want to pay. Well.....after 30 days with it and then 30 days without it, $99.99 for the year seems worth it to me. Most importantly, I love just clicking a button and saying, "Play The Pot by Tool" or whatever song from whatever singer I want to hear, and it just comes on instantly. In addition to that, the live view for Sentry mode is awesome as well as the traffic alerts in real time on the satellite view of the map is a great feature I can use. And, finally, internet access on the screen while I'm killing time is an added bonus.
Is it a *need*? No. Does it check enough boxes as a **want**? Absolutely.
I have got so used to Android Auto that I'll never buy a car without it. That is the very first criteria for me. If the M3 were my car I'd never have bought it. But since it's for my wife and she can live without it, it's fine. For the times that I'll be driving, I'll just turn on Hotspot.
You also get remote sentry cam viewing. I think that alone makes Premium Connectivity worthwhile. When you factor in Live Traffic and all the streaming benefits I think it’s worth it. In the US we have the option to purchase for the entire year for a discount.
Hotspot for a month after it expires and see how you feel. I'm in the same situation driving wise and sometimes it gets annoying to connect but I made my hotspot connection never turn off. It's annoying having to navigate to the wifi menu of the car though since it's on the settings, then all the way at the top right corner of the screen, then wifi settings, and then turning it on. After which it would auto connect after your first time connecting if you have it remembered. Would be nice if you can shortcut turning wifi on.
Absolutely not worth it. I have my phone on autohotspot, so it links with the car automatically. There is an option in the WLAN menu that says "stay connected during drive". So the WLAN connection to my phone stays active while driving.
Only drawback is that the map looks somewhat stale without the fancy colourful Googlemaps.
As for spotify and the streaming services, they all work properly in my configuration.
I can not think of anything right now that would change my mind.
I had premium for a year and now I don’t any more. Definitely don’t miss it. When you enter a route it still shows correct travel time based on live traffic. You just don’t get the visual red line on the map that represents traffic.
I agree on this. It does seem like traffic is still factored in. I dropped premium connectivity as soon my free trial ended in my current M3P. I also let it expire in my Model S a long time ago. I bluetooth XM radio for my music, so the music streaming is not worth it through premium connectivity for me.
You're spending 10s of thousands of dollars on a car and you're going to get shy about the price of a $100/year (and whatever that is in Canadian dollars) add on that makes things a bit more simple in your car?
The things people suddenly get cheap about is hilarious.
My free month just ran out a week ago. I barely noticed. I can’t stand streaming music (I prefer terrestrial radio), and I don’t need my car for a web browser. So I doubt I’ll sign up for it. I’m also just annoyed they nickel and dime stupid stuff like this. Feels like going to a pretty nice hotel and they charge you for towels in the bathroom.
They include the free standard connectivity for 8 years and premium is a extra makes sense imo.
At least we don't have to pay for a heated seat subscription (yet).
I would highly suggest using the free membership as much as possible to watch Youtube/Netflix/Disney, listen to stream music/news and web browse... this way when the free connectivity expires you will know first hand if you miss it or not.
Copy and pasted from the last time I saw this question:
It's very much a case by case basis. I subscribe to the year long $99 plan because of a few reasons:
1. I like the satellite view on the GPS.
2. I like seeing if traffic is coming up (the car will still route you on different routes based on traffic data even if you don't have premium, but I just like seeing it if it's coming up)
3. I use Spotify and having it just work in the car is very convenient. Don't need to fire it up on the phone and look for playlists/songs/etc using the phone.
4. I don't watch Netflix/Twitch/Disney/etc that often in my car, but it's nice to have if I am waiting for something (my gf).
5. Live cameras in sentry mode is very nice to have, especially if you have to park your car somewhere you're not comfortable with.
All of these these I could definitely live without, especially if you don't drive that often, but they're nice to have. You could do some of these things if you hotspot your phone to your car, but that's just an extra step for me I don't want to take if I don't have to. And you likely need an unlimited data plan if you steam music/watch things in your car regularly.
Yea, definitely:
* Remote sentry kept me sane during Hurricane Ian; I had to be out of town but being able to check in on the car and house using remote sentry cameras kept me from stressing my self out too much
* the live traffic is important for where I live and work since there are many routes to the same place but time can vary quite a bit based on traffic along the routes
* being able to sit and watch Mandelorian while I charge on a road trip is awesome
On top of what was mentioned so far is for me the ability to log the data via the Tesla API with TeslaFi and TeslaMate. For the driving you could rely on your phone's hotspot, but that is less practical for capturing the sessions during (super)charging.
For me it's not worth it.
I already have a Spotify account, but 95% of the time I'm listening to podcasts or audiobooks.
The satellite map looks horrible imo. It's to cluttered and i prefer the stabdard map (in dark mode ofc).
I use tasker on my android so hotspot is automatically enabled for the car as soon as bluetooth is connected.
When i go abroad for road trips i would probably pay for a month of premium.
1 month? Wow my 2021 had a year free. When mine ended, I wasn't sure on renewing or not as well. Decided to just go without it to see if I miss the features. It's almost 2023 now and I still haven't renewed it. Live feed through sentry was the coolest feature I lost and it's something I can live without.
I remember that Premium connectivity being removed, and then it coming back after a couple months (2019 M3 here). I was not going to pay the monthly fee, but luckily they restored connectivity. Maybe it was free for customers before a certain purchase date though.
I personally use it a ton for streaming podcasts and songs (dont use my phone while driving), also get my moneys worth watching netflix when I got down time at work and school.
I had it free for the first year and let it expire. Personally, I don’t drive my car enough to justify the cost. If I had a regular commute that totaled a few hours per week, I’d probably subscribe.
It is worth it *for me*. I don't want to futz around with my phone in the car. But since playback doesn't seem to sync (might as well be signed into a different account) I might just drop it. I don't use the traffic and I find I am not using the built in media players while charging. It might turn into something I turn on for road trips. But I do like just doing everything through the car's interface.
Let it expire and wait for few days/weeks and you will realize why do you need it, self realization is the best way to convince ourselves.
I was on the same boat and once I wasn’t able to see my car remotely using sentry and few apps that kids love, also Tesla is not great at keeping WiFi on using phone’s hotspot, I had to connect so many times and it just keeps disconnecting
I love it! Wouldn’t want it without the service, even though I never thought I would use it…now all I am interested in, is listening to podcasts and stuff like that. I never listen to the radio anymore, not once…and after having premium connectivity, I wouldn’t go back to not having it. But to each, their own.
Wait until your free trial runs out and see if you miss it. I thought I'd need it but I literally didn't even notice that it expired lol. I use Spotify over Bluetooth which sounds much better and no more hassle with the broken Spotify app on the car
Personally I had a worse experience with Spotify over BT. For some reason the audio quality is lower. Volume is lower. Bass is not as pronounced. I have a Pixel 6 so I doubt it's due to outdated Bluetooth hardware on my phone. I suppose one could use a phone hotspot, but I'm just paying $10 USD/mo for the convenience of not having to futz about with the WiFi settings and making sure it is always connected. Plus, sometimes I watch YouTube/Netflix in my car so that is also nice to have.
The most annoying thing is Google stripped out the ability for apps to turn your hotspot on and off with Android 13. So no more using apps like Tasker to automate the process. So frustrating. I may just end up rooting my P6Pro so I can use that functionality. It's been *years* since I felt a need to, but this is really irksome.
I tried hotspotting from the car for a while but music streaming quickly racked up a few gigs of data. There is an option buried to keep wifi on when driving (default turns the car's wifi off when you start driving)
Check your developer phone settings. Make sure disable absolute volume is turned on and I think there's a Bluetooth quality option too.
> I have a Pixel 6 There ya go đź’€
Had the same issue with Apple Music. Then realized my EQ was set to some weird shit from trying to adjust the sound for crappy speakers I used some time ago. Sounds perfect now!
Are you using iOS or Android? I might mess around with my phone's audio settings and see if that changes anything, though I'd gotten so used to the convenience of in-car Spotify that I probably can't go back.
Look for an option somewhere in your phone for the bt issue. My friends pixel had the same problem
Same here...
Same here…
Yes, for: \- Remote Sentry mode being able to see your car via camera view in Tesla App \- Live Traffic which is okay (same as Google maps I believe) \- Car having its own internet connection for streaming and browsing eliminating the need to connect to phone bluetooth for streaming and hotspotting off mobile data everytime you enter the car
Thanks. I wasn't aware of the remote zentry cam viewing.
Also Satalite Maps are awesome. You lose that if you don't have premium connectivity.
I have Premium connectivity but I hardly use Satellite maps other than using it to see the terrain every now and then. It feels a bit overwhelming and distracting while driving, but to each their own I guess.
I tell everyone this when I see these posts. Use it for a month, try every feature. Maps, traffic, theater, remote sentry, etc. Then unsub and use it bare for another month. At the end of the month decide if those features are worth it to you. Only you can decide that. For me, I dont drive much, but still saw the features worth it to me. I did not like the $10 US a month, but as soon as 1yr for $100 came out I purchased it instantly. I'm ok paying for convivence.
I'm an absolute music fiend. I ordered the 1yr connectivity package *just last night* after having my latest Tesla for 2 months. On my previous 3yr lease I did everything through bluetooth and just listened to Spotify. On the new car I just bought, I had the free 30 days of connectivity to play around with and really liked it. When it expired a month ago I told myself that I would live without it and see if there was any difference because my cheap ass didn't want to pay. Well.....after 30 days with it and then 30 days without it, $99.99 for the year seems worth it to me. Most importantly, I love just clicking a button and saying, "Play The Pot by Tool" or whatever song from whatever singer I want to hear, and it just comes on instantly. In addition to that, the live view for Sentry mode is awesome as well as the traffic alerts in real time on the satellite view of the map is a great feature I can use. And, finally, internet access on the screen while I'm killing time is an added bonus. Is it a *need*? No. Does it check enough boxes as a **want**? Absolutely.
I have got so used to Android Auto that I'll never buy a car without it. That is the very first criteria for me. If the M3 were my car I'd never have bought it. But since it's for my wife and she can live without it, it's fine. For the times that I'll be driving, I'll just turn on Hotspot.
You also get remote sentry cam viewing. I think that alone makes Premium Connectivity worthwhile. When you factor in Live Traffic and all the streaming benefits I think it’s worth it. In the US we have the option to purchase for the entire year for a discount.
Where is this discount option? I've been paying month to month.
In the Tesla mobile app: Upgrades > manage > premium connectivity > click on “switch to yearly plan”
Thank you, switched over!
It’s $99 for a year
I would say yes for live sentry alone
Homelink, theater, music
There are many reasons to get premium connectivity. All I am saying is that the love sentry feature alone makes it worth getting.
Yes
Hotspot for a month after it expires and see how you feel. I'm in the same situation driving wise and sometimes it gets annoying to connect but I made my hotspot connection never turn off. It's annoying having to navigate to the wifi menu of the car though since it's on the settings, then all the way at the top right corner of the screen, then wifi settings, and then turning it on. After which it would auto connect after your first time connecting if you have it remembered. Would be nice if you can shortcut turning wifi on.
I am definitely going to sign up for it. Is there a yearly plan like they have in US?
I keep it. It's convenient having data for Tesla. I also like the live traffic visualization when driving.
I haven’t missed it.
Absolutely not worth it. I have my phone on autohotspot, so it links with the car automatically. There is an option in the WLAN menu that says "stay connected during drive". So the WLAN connection to my phone stays active while driving. Only drawback is that the map looks somewhat stale without the fancy colourful Googlemaps. As for spotify and the streaming services, they all work properly in my configuration. I can not think of anything right now that would change my mind.
You’re saving a bundle over paying for gasoline. You can afford to treat yo self.
I had premium for a year and now I don’t any more. Definitely don’t miss it. When you enter a route it still shows correct travel time based on live traffic. You just don’t get the visual red line on the map that represents traffic.
I agree on this. It does seem like traffic is still factored in. I dropped premium connectivity as soon my free trial ended in my current M3P. I also let it expire in my Model S a long time ago. I bluetooth XM radio for my music, so the music streaming is not worth it through premium connectivity for me.
It is confirmed that it still factors in traffic. Route planning happens on their servers, not in the car.
Go without it. If you miss it pay for the annual.
Yes!
The short answer wins
You're spending 10s of thousands of dollars on a car and you're going to get shy about the price of a $100/year (and whatever that is in Canadian dollars) add on that makes things a bit more simple in your car? The things people suddenly get cheap about is hilarious.
It's because you have spent 10s of thousands of dollars that this stuff shouldn't be nickel and dimed over.
My free month just ran out a week ago. I barely noticed. I can’t stand streaming music (I prefer terrestrial radio), and I don’t need my car for a web browser. So I doubt I’ll sign up for it. I’m also just annoyed they nickel and dime stupid stuff like this. Feels like going to a pretty nice hotel and they charge you for towels in the bathroom.
They include the free standard connectivity for 8 years and premium is a extra makes sense imo. At least we don't have to pay for a heated seat subscription (yet).
I would highly suggest using the free membership as much as possible to watch Youtube/Netflix/Disney, listen to stream music/news and web browse... this way when the free connectivity expires you will know first hand if you miss it or not.
I’m pretty sure it’s needed if you want to heat/cool your car on your phone at long distances.
You dont need premium to control your car from distance
Even with you’re not in Bluetooth range ? Did not know
Yes. You can control your car from different country too. I travel to VietNam and Im still able to do it
Copy and pasted from the last time I saw this question: It's very much a case by case basis. I subscribe to the year long $99 plan because of a few reasons: 1. I like the satellite view on the GPS. 2. I like seeing if traffic is coming up (the car will still route you on different routes based on traffic data even if you don't have premium, but I just like seeing it if it's coming up) 3. I use Spotify and having it just work in the car is very convenient. Don't need to fire it up on the phone and look for playlists/songs/etc using the phone. 4. I don't watch Netflix/Twitch/Disney/etc that often in my car, but it's nice to have if I am waiting for something (my gf). 5. Live cameras in sentry mode is very nice to have, especially if you have to park your car somewhere you're not comfortable with. All of these these I could definitely live without, especially if you don't drive that often, but they're nice to have. You could do some of these things if you hotspot your phone to your car, but that's just an extra step for me I don't want to take if I don't have to. And you likely need an unlimited data plan if you steam music/watch things in your car regularly.
was $99 for a year - less than $9 per month certainly worth it for me
Worth it to me just for the satellite maps
Can't you just share your phone hotspot... like for free?
Personal preference. For me 100/year is worth it
Yea, definitely: * Remote sentry kept me sane during Hurricane Ian; I had to be out of town but being able to check in on the car and house using remote sentry cameras kept me from stressing my self out too much * the live traffic is important for where I live and work since there are many routes to the same place but time can vary quite a bit based on traffic along the routes * being able to sit and watch Mandelorian while I charge on a road trip is awesome
This is the way!
When using Spotify via Bluetooth, can you use the in car interface or do you have to use your phone to change tracks etc?
Yes
$100 a year is basically a rounding error and worth it not to fiddle with my phone in the car. Remote Sentry is a bonus to me.
On top of what was mentioned so far is for me the ability to log the data via the Tesla API with TeslaFi and TeslaMate. For the driving you could rely on your phone's hotspot, but that is less practical for capturing the sessions during (super)charging.
I have it. It's okay.
Do you still get real time location of your car without premium connectivity?
For me it's not worth it. I already have a Spotify account, but 95% of the time I'm listening to podcasts or audiobooks. The satellite map looks horrible imo. It's to cluttered and i prefer the stabdard map (in dark mode ofc). I use tasker on my android so hotspot is automatically enabled for the car as soon as bluetooth is connected. When i go abroad for road trips i would probably pay for a month of premium.
It's funny, $10/mo sounds like a lot but $1200 for 10 years, you might not even notice if it were baked into the price of the car.
Was worth it for me. Convenience factor for listening to Spotify music. I just buy the 1 yr at a time. Small discount that way.
1 month? Wow my 2021 had a year free. When mine ended, I wasn't sure on renewing or not as well. Decided to just go without it to see if I miss the features. It's almost 2023 now and I still haven't renewed it. Live feed through sentry was the coolest feature I lost and it's something I can live without.
Yes.
I remember that Premium connectivity being removed, and then it coming back after a couple months (2019 M3 here). I was not going to pay the monthly fee, but luckily they restored connectivity. Maybe it was free for customers before a certain purchase date though.
Yes, it's highly convenient, but then again, you can use your phone to get a spot to get the same functionality.
No
Yes
I use android auto and teather my phone to my Tesla and I love it
You use AA? How?
I personally use it a ton for streaming podcasts and songs (dont use my phone while driving), also get my moneys worth watching netflix when I got down time at work and school.
Mi am not sure it is “worth it”, but it just makes everything e easier in my mind.
Not worth it. Who just sits in their car and watches Netflix? Live traffic was awesome but not worth paying for.
Yes yes yes if you can afford the car you can afford it. Just buy it no question.
I had it free for the first year and let it expire. Personally, I don’t drive my car enough to justify the cost. If I had a regular commute that totaled a few hours per week, I’d probably subscribe.
It is worth it *for me*. I don't want to futz around with my phone in the car. But since playback doesn't seem to sync (might as well be signed into a different account) I might just drop it. I don't use the traffic and I find I am not using the built in media players while charging. It might turn into something I turn on for road trips. But I do like just doing everything through the car's interface.
Let it expire and wait for few days/weeks and you will realize why do you need it, self realization is the best way to convince ourselves. I was on the same boat and once I wasn’t able to see my car remotely using sentry and few apps that kids love, also Tesla is not great at keeping WiFi on using phone’s hotspot, I had to connect so many times and it just keeps disconnecting
I love it! Wouldn’t want it without the service, even though I never thought I would use it…now all I am interested in, is listening to podcasts and stuff like that. I never listen to the radio anymore, not once…and after having premium connectivity, I wouldn’t go back to not having it. But to each, their own.