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Why Rivian Should Focus on Promised Software Features Instead of Halloween Tricks
Rivian has built a reputation for doing things differently. Every fall we’ve seen the brand lean into Halloween fun with quirky software tricks and seasonal features that make the R1T and R1S feel alive. But this year, maybe it’s time to skip the pumpkins, ghosts, and gimmicks. What Rivian really needs to deliver are the features it has already promised.
Back in December 2024, I wrote about Rivian’s packed 2025 software roadmap, a list of updates that the company publicly committed to bringing owners this year. The promises were ambitious and exciting: basic text messaging functionality, climate hold, valet mode, Apple Watch as a key, green light notifications, and even launch mode for Gen 1 vehicles. But as we approach the end of summer 2025, many of these features are still nowhere to be found.
To Rivian’s credit, they haven’t been standing still. The company has delivered on a number of software promises this year, including SiriusXM integration, tire size adjustments for owners, manual DC fast charging preconditioning, an improved key fob, Google Maps navigation, and other smaller but meaningful updates. These improvements matter and show that Rivian is capable of listening and delivering.
The issue is that too many of the big-ticket features remain MIA. Text messaging is a safety feature, not just a convenience. Climate hold matters in extreme weather. Valet mode is a baseline feature competitors have had for years. Apple Watch as a key and green light notification make everyday driving more seamless. And Gen 1 launch mode? That’s about fairness to early adopters who have supported Rivian from the start.
Rivian is doing a lot right but software continues to be the sticking point. The company’s strength has always been vision, yet the gap between what’s promised and what’s delivered is starting to wear thin.
So this Halloween, Rivian should leave the digital spiderwebs on the shelf and double down on execution. Owners don’t need another seasonal gag. They need to see Rivian deliver the basics it promised. After all, the best trick Rivian could pull off right now is actually following through.
Don’t forget they also delivered Google integration with maps and YouTube.
Ah good catch, I’ll add it since I forgot that.
Totally agree. Green light notifications and valet mode seem so basic in 2025. Should be standard.
I agree wholeheartedly!!!
I really enjoy the holiday events. It’s not like the entire software team is working on the events.
I hope they can do both, but don’t rush features if they are going to cause more problems.
Finally Jose! You are right on the spot! As one of the first Rivian owners I said from the beginning after losing a ton of money in Rivian stock, that Halloween stuff is irrelevant to most of us. However what you are mentioning here IS indeed RELEVANT AND IMPORTANT! I hope they listen to you and us!
I doubt they’ll listen but I just want the promised features and stable software.
Maybe just employ the first Halloween (already written) software and give us a random few days of fun between the already produced Halloween annual software fun each year. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, just put the stuff you already THRILLED us will for our annual SPOOKY weeks of fun.
Honestly, I’d be happy to have the same Halloween tricks from last year!!
I agree 100%. Tired of waiting and hoping that the next software release will address my number one concern – text messaging.
Let’s hope the Halloween release is not holding back other key software features.. or they have bigger issues 😉
Would I rather continue to pull off to the side of the highway to do a reset of my gen1 on a long road trip, or get new Halloween gimmicks this year? Hmmm, That’s a tough one. Honestly, I enjoyed the Halloween features in 2023, but the 2024 were a bit over the top for me and I ignored them. So maybe rivian should get the software crashes fixed, add new features, and just redeploy the Halloween gimmicks from 2023.
I commented on your post on Threads and will comment here as well. Gen 1 is WAY now and as a Gen 1 owner I am very frustrated. The software was supposed to get better and features were to be added. Up until 6 months ago, the software was getting better. I appreciate Google Maps and some of the other features, but automatic lane change could happen with Gen 1. Software boot up of the truck could be much better. For some reason my truck will hyper sleep so hard that it will not boot up in the morning and there are times I am waiting a good 30 seconds for the truck to wake up enough that I can put it into reverse and get out of the garage. The overhead dome lights do not work if the truck is asleep and when it is awake they are inconsistent. The versoin 2 tonneau cover is a joke and we should be given verion 3. What else? Oh, when I go to plug in the truck at night and it has gone to sleep I have to open the driver door to wake up the truck just to get the charge port to open. Look I love Rivian and will sing their praises at the drop of a hat, but these small issues are starting to pile up and need to be addressed. I would rather leave Halloween mode behind and have software that is consistently better and features added as promised.
I’m with you on the hyper sleep. I’d like to see options on when and how the vehicle sleeps. Or least keep it from hyper sleeping when it’s plugged in and charging. I used to love hoping in and throwing it gear, now it takes 30 seconds, highly annoying. Regarding waking up the vehicle to open the charge port, my work around is to hit the frunk open button once. This wakes the vehicle without actually opening the frunk and lets me hit the charge port button. Still an annoyance, but maybe this trick will help?
Agreed, Cory. Focus for Gen 1 should be on these annoyances. In addition, it was a little frustrating to hear RJ tell Tosh in his recent interview to get a Gen 2. Plus, as Jose listed, Text Messaging, and I’ll add V2H, should get here in the remainder of the year.
I totally agree. I like Riivian’s UI (more than Tesla’s), and I like my R1S (gen 2), BUT they need to do some serious catch up work. Not having TEXT MESSAGING is inexcusable. Also – green light notifications, valet mode, and turn signals automatically turn off when lane change completed. Tesla has had this stuff for years. Rivian prides itself on being a software driven company – but it is really LAGGING BEHIND in some areas. I am very thankful they fixed their navigation, now they need to get these other things done. Until they do, just forget any new Halloween or Christmas stuff. LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS.
Well I understand the want for voice text message, it is not a safety feature. Texting is not at all required to operate a car safely and the safest option is to not text at all either via voice or screen.
The Halloween items are small require very little testing, although maybe a little more than last time or don’t include actual safety items like lights in the Halloween update.
Having some fun might actually help productivity more than hurt it. Let them do there thing and it is a great Brand signature and cheap publicity for them.
Disagree. We should have text messaging (even though I rarely text, how hard can it be?). And I’ll go to my grave saying we should have Microsoft Teams (use it every day for work, would be nice to not have to look down at my phone to see if it’s urgent or if somebody just broke the coffee maker again). More mapped roads for Driver+ would be nice.
But the Halloween updates get people excited. They get people talking. They allow us to show off our vehicles in front of crowds at events like “Trunk or Treat”. And they generate *a lot* of good publicity. YouTube videos, TikToks, Facebook, and other social media. Nobody’s going to excitedly share videos of “Rivian added text messaging” (yawn). And Rivian needs all the good publicity it can get.
Maybe someone should show this site to BMW. While you guys are concerned about Rivian making a Halloween or similar silly updates instead of legitimate ones. You’re all getting updated at an INSANELY fast pace compared to BMW.
2022 BMW i4s or BMWs with iDrive 8 are essentially obsolete and BMW either doesn’t know or doesn’t want to or doesn’t care to make some non-hardware limited functionality backwards compatible.
This would be like Rivian saying “sorry, first gen R1s won’t be updated moving forward”
Be glad Rivian updates you AT ALL.
Going to put my vote in the respectfully disagree hat, here.
I’m a new Gen 2 owner. I had a colleague come up to me recently upon learning that I drive a Rivian and said, “I heard you could turn the car into Kit [from Knightrider].” That’s what she knew about the vehicle.
To echo what MikeVA wrote above, the unique features are what generate the buzz. I see it as less of a gag and more of a flex on what’s possible when a bunch of really smart people (who I’ll assume love their job) get together and have a bit of fun, much to our benefit.
Love your site; I come here daily.
Healthy discussion is necessary 🙂
Spot on! My biggest beef with Rivian is the software. It’s years behind Tesla’s in every single regard. It can be fixed but needs focus and at this point I’d argue it needs a change in the SW team as this one hasn’t been doing such a great job. For the record though, you mentioned green light warning and that was added earlier this year.
Many many software updates needed before your end. I do think the Apple Watch has a key is on hold until iOS/watchOS 26 launches as Apple in there keynote included Rivian has a compatible vehicle at that point with version OS26. Hopefully Rivian has a lot in store in the coming months. The biggest nuisance to me is the user interface still being so sluggish. It’s embarrassing when somebody sits in the vehicle and sees how much wait time after touching a page on the display.
I’d like to them bring out a new version with ZERO new functions and a total commitment to improving the quality of the software. I went for over 2 years with my Gen 1 R1T receiving monthly updates that were a joy to receive. After this period of no problems I now have this instead:
– at least 3 updates (or is 4) since they completely f***éd up Amazon Music streaming, it still is filled with stops, starts and hesitations.
– recently I’ve had to re- “calibrate”my Powered Tonneau Cover multiple times
– my frunk lid has refused to latch without multiple attempts
– my center screen locked up with a partial camera view blocking the screen, which was locked up and required a soft restart.
– my drivers display frighteningly restarting while on the road
Come on Rivian – I used to look forward to every moment driving this incredible vehicle. Now it’s riddled with frustration.
I need the halloween and christmas update lol. Was upset there wasn’t a Santa Sleigh Costume for the holidays…
Plus i dont think these features prevents any other features from being rolled out to be honest…
Yes please finally bring messaging to my Rivian R1S.
Halloween is one time a year. There are 11 other months to release new software. I am hopeful for a new and exciting Halloween themed update coming soon. The rest can wait another month.
Totally agree! Not to mention that its very basic features are far inferior to traditional car makers! My previous BMW X3 has much sensitive and consistent locking and unlocking with Apple car key, it also remembers ambient lighting setting and bluetooth connection for each user profile. I can’t believe that Rivian just doesn’t figure out which mobile phone to connect with when driver switches. If BMW ditches Here map in system, I would sell my R1S immediately and switch back to BMW.