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Setting up TessCast takes about five minutes, once.

What you need

An Android phone with Android 11 or newer, with Waze installed.
Mobile data on the phone. TessCast uses about 350–450 MB per hour of driving.
A Tesla whose browser has internet (Premium Connectivity, or the car on Wi-Fi or your phone's hotspot).
While TessCast is in testing: an invite code, which you get from us.

1. Install the app

On your phone, open tesscast.com/download. The app isn't in the Play Store yet, so the file comes straight from us.
If Chrome warns that the file may be harmful, choose Download anyway.
Open the downloaded file. If Android says it can't install apps from this source, tap Settings, turn on Allow from this source and go back.
If Google Play Protect asks about the app, choose More details → Install anyway.

Later versions install from inside the app: it shows Update available when there's one.

2. Create your account

Open TessCast, choose Create account, and enter your email, a password (8 or more characters) and your invite code. Use the same email and password in the car.

3. Set up Waze (one time)

Waze only shows its screen on official car systems. This one-time change in Waze lets TessCast act as your car. The app's Waze setup guide (on its home screen) has the same steps, with copy buttons.

Open Waze.
Turn on debug mode: tap the search bar (“Where to?”), enter 2##2 and search.
Confirm: Waze shows a debug-mode message. Tap OK.
Open Waze's settings list: search again, this time for ##@config.
Turn the setting off: find CAR_LIB_VALIDATE_HOST_CONNECTIONS and set it to false.
Come back to TessCast. The checklist turns green once Waze accepts TessCast.

This only changes which apps may show Waze's car screen; your Waze account, routes and settings aren't affected. To undo it, set the same setting back to true.

4. Drive

In TessCast, allow location access when asked, then tap Start Waze. The phone can stay in your pocket; keep it charging on longer drives.
In your Tesla, open the browser and go to tesscast.com.
Sign in with your TessCast email and password. The car stays signed in: next time it connects by itself.
When you arrive, tap Stop in the app (or in its notification).

Drive safely

Set your destination before you drive or while stopped, and keep your eyes on the road. The picture can freeze when mobile coverage drops, so always follow road signs and actual road conditions.

Problems

Waze doesn't appear in the car

Check the TessCast app: every item on its checklist should be green.
If the app still says Waze isn't set up yet after the setup, close Waze fully (swipe it away from recent apps), open TessCast again and tap Start Waze.
Make sure the car's browser is signed in with the same account as the phone.

The picture freezes or says it's reconnecting

Usually the phone or the car lost mobile coverage for a moment. TessCast reconnects by itself within a few seconds once coverage is back; you don't need to restart anything.

Forgot your password

Email support@tesscast.com from your account's email address. We'll send you a temporary password; change it in the app under Account → Change password.

Something else

In the app, open Account → Report a problem. It sends us the app's diagnostic log (no passwords), which is usually what we need. Add a note by email if it helps.