How to watch YouTube in a Tesla while driving
By Lation, Model Y owner · Updated
Tesla pauses YouTube on the center screen as soon as the car leaves Park. To keep it playing for a passenger, open gigaplay.app in the car's web browser, scan the code with your phone and approve the sign-in. Your own YouTube then plays on the center screen in up to 1080p, parked or while driving.
Why the built-in YouTube stops
YouTube in Tesla Theater and in the web browser both use the car's built-in video player. Tesla's owner's manual describes what happens when you shift: "the video pauses while audio continues to play". There's no setting to change that.
Gigaplay doesn't use that player, so the pause doesn't apply to it.
Set it up (about a minute)
- While parked, open the browser from the car's app launcher.
- Go to gigaplay.app and tap Open. Bookmark it so it's one tap next time.
- The screen shows a QR code and a short code. Scan the QR code with your phone's camera, or go to google.com/device on any phone and type the code.
- Choose your Google account and tap Allow.
- You're in. Pick a video and it plays.
You stay signed in for about a year. Signing out (Settings, then hold Sign out) also revokes access at Google.
Theater's YouTube vs Gigaplay
| YouTube in Tesla Theater | YouTube in Gigaplay | |
|---|---|---|
| Keeps playing when the car leaves Park | No, video pauses and audio continues | Yes |
| Your account | Sign in on the car screen | Approve on your phone |
| Quality | Up to 1080p from the quality menu | Up to 1080p (Settings → Quality) |
| Live streams | Yes | Not yet |
| Install | Built in | Nothing, it's a website |
Tips for the passenger seat
- Sound goes through the car speakers, so the volume wheel works as usual.
- Data: the car needs Wi-Fi, Premium Connectivity or a phone hotspot. Tesla keeps Wi-Fi connected in Drive if you turn on Remain Connected in Drive. On a hotspot, Settings → Quality → 720p roughly halves the data.
- Likes and history sync. Liking a video, saving it to Watch later or subscribing changes your real YouTube account, and what you watch shows up in your history on other devices.
What about the rear screen?
If your car has one (Model S and X from 2021, Model 3 from 2024, Model Y from 2025), the rear screen already plays Theater apps, YouTube included, while the car is moving. The rear screen doesn't have a web browser, so Gigaplay is for the center screen. More in Can passengers watch videos in a Tesla while it's moving?