Grok in Tesla EVs Gains Texting Ability in Manuals

Updated owner’s manuals for the Model 3 and Model Y show that Tesla’s Grok assistant will be able to send text messages on a driver’s behalf, though the function is not yet active. The capability appears in the latest manual variants and was first flagged by Not a Tesla App; the discovery was reported on 14 Sep 2026 by Cristian Agatie.

The manuals describe natural-language messaging commands such as "Text Mom saying on my way," and state that Grok can send a message to a contact or a phone number. Today Grok can already place calls and set navigation, but texting is listed separately and has not been exposed in Tesla vehicles at the time of publication.

The timing fits a broader expansion of Grok’s role in the car. The 2026 Summer Update, identified as 2026.26, made Grok a more active in-car assistant: when the "Assistant" personality is selected, Grok can adjust climate temperature, fold or unfold mirrors, open the glovebox and perform other common vehicle controls using conversational language.

Grok’s functionality grew rapidly after its first appearance with the 2025.26 release, when it began as a chatbot and added navigation waypoints and location-based reminders. The 2026.26 update pushed those capabilities further, replacing many traditional voice commands with natural-language interactions for vehicle controls.

Because the texting feature already appears in owner documentation, Tesla could activate it through a server-side switch or include it in an upcoming software update. Until the company flips that switch or ships the code, the manuals are the clearest sign that messaging support is on the roadmap, not a present capability.

Tesla’s move follows increased competition over in-vehicle assistants. Rivian Assistant, for example, can log into third-party services to extract information or book events while using vehicle data for context. That contrast appears to have encouraged faster feature development at Tesla.

Elon Musk has also discussed deeper Grok integration, including plans to connect Grok Bot with external AI agents and to allow certain FSD-related commands by voice. Automating tasks for external agents while a vehicle operates autonomously is presented as a potential future use case, but manufacturers and documentation distinguish announced plans from deployed features.

For now the practical takeaway is straightforward: the Model 3 and Model Y owner’s manuals list messaging as a forthcoming Grok capability, but the feature is not yet available and remains subject to a future activation or update.