Siri who? Tesla introduces 'Hey, Tesla' wake word for its voice assistant in China
Published on Aug 27, 2025 at 10:18 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Aug 27, 2025 at 11:55 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Tesla has begun rolling out a voice-activated ‘Hey, Tesla’ wake word for its in-car voice assistant in China.
Currently, Tesla drivers who want to activate the in-car voice assistant need to long-press the voice command button or long-press the right scroll wheel, depending on what they have.
However, in China, a new wake word feature has been spotted on the Tesla Model YL.
Motorists also have the option of using a custom wake word, rather than ‘Hey, Tesla’.
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‘Hey, Tesla’ wake word coincides with new Model Y L
The introduction of the ‘Hey, Tesla’ wake word in China, neatly coincides with the launch of the Model Y L – a vehicle that Tesla boss Elon Musk recently revealed may never come to the United States unless certain conditions changed.
Images taken inside a showroom in China reveal a Model Y L running on software version 2025.28.803 has the ability to ‘wake up’ the voice assistant by simply saying ‘Hey, Tesla’.
The voice command also features spatial awareness, so the ‘Hey, Tesla’ wake word will work from any of the EV’s six seats.
But don’t worry, parents, Tesla’s got you covered.
Reports claim the driver will be able to configure the system to only accept commands from pre-selected seats – ideal if you’re traveling with little ones who want to listen to the Lilo & Stitch soundtrack for the hundredth time.
The function also means that passengers would be unable to activate the voice assistant by accident, which would be useful for Tesla drivers who use their vehicle as a taxi.
In China, Teslas do not come with a Grok-powered voice assistant, but it is still AI-based, meaning it wouldn’t be too difficult to introduce it to other regions.
The feature is reportedly heading to the US
For now, the wake word feature is only available on the Chinese Tesla Model Y L, but Elon Musk has previously said that a ‘Hey, Grok’ wake word would be introduced at some point.
In response to a post last month from a follower suggesting an optional wake word would be ‘cool’, Musk replied simply, ‘coming’, but didn’t reveal any further details or timeline.
So, only time will tell when a wake word feature will be released outside of China.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
