Tesla Keep Mode:
Preserve Cabin Climate While You Run Errands
Tesla’s Keep Climate On (‘Keep Mode’) helps maintain a selected cabin temperature while the vehicle is parked, which can be useful for groceries and personal items in hot or cold weather. It can stop at the Low Power Mode threshold or because of a climate-system problem. Never leave a child unattended in the vehicle.
Tesla Keep Mode: Climate Control When Parked
Whether you’re leaving groceries in the car during extreme temperatures or need to step out briefly while your passengers stay inside the vehicle, Keep Climate On (Keep Mode) is one of Tesla’s climate control features we love to use.
EVehicle Pro shows you how to activate Keep Mode from your touchscreen, and helps you decide when to use Keep Mode over other climate control options like Dog Mode or Camp Mode.
What is Tesla Keep Mode?
Keep Climate On (Keep Mode) is a Tesla climate-control feature that can maintain cabin temperature while parked. It can help with groceries, electronics and personal items, but cannot guarantee protection because climate control can shut off. Many Tesla owners call this setting ‘Keep Mode’.
When to Use Tesla Keep Mode
Keep Mode is useful when you need to maintain a consistent cabin temperature in extreme hot or cold weather conditions, while parked. Use Keep Mode:
- When leaving groceries in your Tesla while you run other errands (no more melted ice cream or frozen eggs)!
- To keep sensitive electronics from overheating e.g. leaving an iPad in the vehicle while you step out
- To keep personal items from melting or freezing (remember our melted lipstick story?)
- When adult passengers remain in a parked vehicle briefly; never leave a child unattended
EVPro Tip: Don’t rely on Keep Climate On for pets. Tesla’s Dog Mode (called Pet Mode in current manuals) is intended for brief stops while you stay nearby, frequently monitor your pet and the cabin temperature, and follow local laws.
How to Turn On Tesla Keep Mode
To activate Tesla ‘Keep Climate On’ Mode:
- Make sure your vehicle is not in Low Power Mode and avoid using Keep Mode when the battery is low
- Place your vehicle in Park
- On your Tesla touchscreen, navigate to the Climate settings by tapping the fan icon located at the bottom of the screen
- In the Climate settings, on the right hand side of the screen, turn on the ‘Keep’ option.
That’s it! Your vehicle will now maintain the current climate setting until you shift out of Park or manually turn off the feature.
How to Turn Off Tesla Keep Mode
To turn off Keep Mode, simply shift out of Park.
Alternatively, use your touchscreen and select Climate. Then toggle off ‘Keep’
Important Tips and Considerations
When using Tesla Keep Mode, keep these things in mind:
- Battery charge level: Avoid using Keep Mode when the battery is low. On current Model Y vehicles, Keep Mode and Camp Mode can stop when Low Power Mode starts, while Dog Mode has a separate battery limit. The app may notify you if climate control turns off. Check your vehicle’s manual for its limits.
- Software updates: You cannot perform software updates when ‘Keep Climate On’ is active.
- Dog Mode: Keep Climate On can help maintain cabin temperature but is not a guarantee of safety. If you travel with a pet, follow Tesla’s Dog Mode instructions and monitor your pet and the cabin temperature closely. Never leave children unattended.
Here are the Differences between Keep Mode and Dog Mode:
If you’re like most of us at EVehiclePro, we travel with our pets as much as possible! We want all pet parents to feel safe and secure by using the best climate control option for their fur kids. Should you use Keep Mode or Dog Mode to keep your fur pet comfortable?
When Should You Use Keep Mode?
Keep Mode (Keep Climate On) can help maintain cabin temperature when adult passengers or personal items remain in a parked vehicle in hot or cold weather conditions. Climate control can stop unexpectedly; never leave a child unattended.
Use Keep Mode:
- to help adult passengers remain comfortable in a parked vehicle; never leave a child unattended
- to prevent groceries from spoiling in the heat or freezing in cold temperatures
- to prevent sensitive electronics (like iPads, phones) from overheating (or rapid battery drain)
- to keep personal items (and your vehicle) from getting ruined (never leave lipstick in a hot car, trust us)
When Should You Use Dog Mode?
Dog Mode (called Pet Mode in current Tesla manuals) is intended to maintain a comfortable cabin temperature for your pet during a brief stop. If you use it, follow local laws, stay nearby, and frequently monitor your pet and the cabin temperature. It is not a guarantee of safety. Here are some of its features:
- Dog Mode lets you actively (and frequently) monitor the cabin temperature using the Tesla mobile app
- Dog Mode sends you notifications through your app if your battery drops to 20%
- Dog Mode allows you to use your app to view your pets through the in-cabin cameras – but only if you subscribe to Premium Connectivity
- Depending on the vehicle and software, Sentry Mode and camera features may work differently with climate settings. Check Tesla’s current manual rather than assuming Keep Mode disables Sentry Mode.
EVPro Tip: Dog Mode is not intended for people or personal items, and should be used only when you’re in close proximity to your vehicle (so you can get to your pet in an emergency). Check out our team’s tips and hints for using Dog Mode here.
Keep Mode vs Camp Mode
In addition to maintaining a comfortable interior temperature, Camp Mode:
- allows access to music and Tesla’s entertainment system through the touchscreen
- allows passengers to charge devices through USB ports and low voltage outlets
- keeps the vehicle’s interior lighting on when needed
When Should You Use Camp Mode?
Camp Mode is a feature designed for Tesla owners who want to use their vehicle as a temporary living space, such as during camping trips or long road trips. When using Camp Mode, the vehicle’s auto-locking and Sentry Mode features are disabled.
Comparing Keep Mode vs Dog Mode vs Camp Mode
Your Tesla has so many climate control options – which one should you use and when? Our EVehicle Pro experts are here to help you decide when to use each of these options. We’ve summarized the differences between Keep Mode, Dog Mode and Camp Mode.
Learn more about other climate control features like Cabin Over Protection or defrost.
When to Use Keep Mode, Dog Mode and Camp Mode
| Keep Climate On ‘Keep Mode’ | Dog Mode | Camp Mode | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to Activate | Touchscreen only | Touchscreen or app | Touchscreen or app |
| When to Use | To maintain cabin temperature for items or adult passengers while parked; never leave children unattended | To keep pets in a comfortable temperature for a short time (while driver is nearby) | When camping/sleeping in your vehicle |
| How Long Setting Lasts | Attempts to maintain the temperature until turned off or shifted out of Park; may stop at Low Power Mode or due to a climate-system issue | Attempts to maintain temperature until turned off or shifted out of Park; may stop at low battery or due to a climate-system issue | Attempts to maintain temperature until turned off or shifted out of Park; may stop at low battery or due to a climate-system issue |
| Touchscreen Usability | Not useable | Not usable. Touchscreen displays current interior temperature & assures passersby your pet is safe | Useable. Remains on and active for streaming, entertainment features, etc |
| Interior Camera Viewing (with Premium Connectivity) | Disabled | Active | Disabled |
| Sentry Mode | Check your vehicle’s manual | Availability varies by vehicle and software | Disabled |
| Efficiency & Battery Preservation | Highly efficient | Less efficient | Less efficient |
| Autolock Feature | Enabled | Enabled | Disabled (need to manually lock vehicle) |
| USB ports/Outlets Remain Powered | No | No | Yes (can charge devices) |
| Low-Battery Shutoff | Low Power Mode threshold | Below 20% | Low Power Mode threshold |
| Ability to Perform OTA Software Upgrades | No | No | No |
| Notifications | App may notify when climate turns off | App may notify when climate turns off; cellular connectivity required. | App may notify when climate turns off |
FAQ
Does Keep Mode automatically shut off?
Keep Mode attempts to maintain the selected temperature until you turn it off or shift out of Park. It may stop sooner if the vehicle enters Low Power Mode or climate control has a problem. Check your model’s manual for its limits.
Will Keep Mode affect my range?
Keep Climate On (Keep Mode) uses battery power and can reduce your driving range. On current Model Y vehicles, it can stop when the car enters Low Power Mode; check your model’s settings for the threshold.
Will my phone send me notifications before it turns off Keep Mode?
Tesla’s app can notify you if Keep Climate On, Dog Mode or Camp Mode turns off. Keep Mode and Camp Mode can stop at the Low Power Mode threshold, while Dog Mode has a separate battery limit. Do not rely on app notifications alone to protect anyone in the vehicle.
What Tesla models have the ‘Keep Climate On’ feature?
The Keep Climate On feature (also known as Tesla Keep Mode), is available in Tesla Models 3, Y, S and X. Check your vehicle’s manual because availability and controls can vary by model year and software.
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