Musk Confirms Bigger Tesla UI Text; 48-Point Option Requested

Tesla plans to offer larger text on its touchscreen. After a post on X described an elderly driver struggling to read the display, Elon Musk replied, “We will add a large font option to the UI.”

The post originated from Stephen Fleming, who demonstrated Full Self-Driving (Supervised) to an elderly neighbor. He said she lives alone, avoids night driving due to poor vision, and would consider buying a Tesla except the screen text is too small, “even with the display adjusted to large print.” He proposed a more accessible UI with a “minimum 48-point type.”

Tesla’s Current Text Size Options

Tesla already includes a larger text setting. A Large text size was added in 2023, and with software update 2023.20 it became available in all supported languages. To change font size, go to Controls > Display > Text Size and choose between Normal and Large. The vehicle must reboot each time you switch.

The current Large setting still has trade-offs. In some parts of the interface the bigger text barely fits, and, as Fleming noted, it remains insufficient for some older drivers.

Why Accessibility Matters for FSD

Older drivers are a strong use case for FSD (Supervised) and Tesla’s future unsupervised capabilities. People who can no longer drive, or prefer not to—especially at night—stand to benefit most. Tesla continues working toward unsupervised nighttime driving for its Robotaxi fleet, with Musk recently citing the main challenge as spotting and avoiding pets in the dark.

If text size is deterring those customers, that’s a drawback for Tesla. Accessibility has been emphasized elsewhere as well: the Cybercab features wheelchair-height seats and Braille markings on cabin buttons.

More Than Just Bigger Text

A truly accessible interface for low-vision drivers would likely require more than a larger font. Bigger touch targets and bolder text in key areas could help, similar to accessibility-focused options proposed for UI themes on Tesla’s touchscreen.

Accommodating much larger text may call for layout changes. Tesla could be developing a more responsive UI that adjusts dynamically with the selected font size. It’s unclear whether that would apply universally or only when an accessibility setting such as the larger font is enabled.

Musk did not provide timing. With Tesla’s Holiday Update expected in a couple of months, the feature could align with that release.