April 11, 2025

What Is Tesla’s Joe Mode and Where Did It Come From?

If you’ve ever driven your Tesla with a sleeping baby (or adult!) in the back seat, you might already love this feature. Joe Mode is Tesla’s quiet solution for parents, road-trippers, and anyone who wants a more peaceful ride.

So, What Is Joe Mode?

Joe Mode is a setting in Tesla vehicles that lowers the volume of in-car alerts and chimes, especially those that aren't critical to safety. Things like seatbelt reminders, Autopilot sounds, and other system alerts get toned down—but the important ones stay loud enough for the driver to hear.

It’s a small tweak that makes a big difference when you're trying not to disturb your passengers.

The Backstory: Who’s Joe?

In true Tesla style, the feature was inspired by a real Tesla owner who reached out on Twitter in 2019. He tweeted at Elon Musk:

"Elon can we get the auto lane correction feature without sound? Young kids in car, want to keep feature on but not wake them up."

Elon replied:

Hoping to get “Joe Mode” into V10. The default, of course, is normal volume, but selecting “Joe Mode” would lower the volume of strident beeps & chimes by half.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 28, 2019

Not long after, the feature rolled out in Tesla’s Version 10 software update—named Joe Mode in honor of the request.

It’s a fun example of how Tesla often turns direct customer feedback into real features.

How Joe Mode Works

Reduces the volume of non-critical alerts and chimes
Keeps critical safety warnings clear and loud for the driver
Creates a quieter cabin—perfect for long drives, late-night trips, or kid-friendly rides