tumbly

Tumbly in a Tesla

RoadStory plays its stories through your phone and the car speakers. The pictures, read-along words and quiz buttons can go on a screen in the back. Here are the ways that work today, best first.

Good to know: Tesla doesn't let anyone install apps on its screens, so there's no "Tumbly app" in the car menu. Everything below uses the browser or a tablet. Grown-ups set it up, and only when the car is parked.

1. A tablet on the headrest (most reliable)

  1. Mount any tablet or old phone on the back of a front headrest.
  2. Open tumbly.ai/t on it.
  3. On your phone, open RoadStory. Type the 4-digit code shown on the phone into the tablet.
  4. Drive. Pictures, words and quiz buttons follow the story on your phone.

2. The rear touchscreen (Model 3, Model Y, Model S, Model X, Cybertruck)

The rear screen has no web browser, but its YouTube app can open web pages through a link at the bottom of YouTube's privacy policy. Kids love it. It's unofficial, so Tesla could change it, and you'll repeat it each trip.

  1. On the rear screen, open Theater → YouTube.
  2. Open the menu, tap Privacy Policy, scroll to the bottom and tap the Google link.
  3. Search for tumbly.ai/t and open it.
  4. Type the 4-digit code from your phone. Done!

If your car has "Lock Rear Display" turned on, unlock it from the front screen first.

3. The front screen (when parked)

Tesla's front browser opens any website. Go to tumbly.ai/t at a Supercharger stop or while you wait, and the whole family can do quizzes and replay stories on the big screen. Moving video is blocked while driving, so use the back seat options on the road.

Coming soon: connect your Tesla

We're working on an optional "Connect your Tesla" button for the parent app. With your permission, RoadStory would use the car's own location and route to time stories perfectly, show the next story stop on the car's map, and lower the music when a story starts. You'd approve it in the Tesla app and could remove it anytime.

Open the back-seat screen