Rivian Adds Pet Cam Feature to R2 Electric SUV
The feature uses the R2's RGB in-cabin camera for live views but is unavailable on R1 models due to hardware differences.
Rivian is introducing a new software feature called Pet Cam for its upcoming R2 electric SUV, allowing owners to monitor their pets remotely via the Rivian smartphone app. The feature is part of the existing Pet Comfort Mode and will be delivered through an over-the-air update.
What Happened
Pet Cam utilizes the hidden RGB camera located in the central rear-view mirror, which is typically used for driver attentiveness monitoring. When Pet Comfort Mode is active, owners can access a live video feed of the vehicle's interior through the app. Additionally, users can opt for automatic snapshots every minute, which can appear on their smartphone lock screen if a widget is configured. The feature is exclusive to the R2 because the R1S and R1T models use infrared cameras for cabin monitoring, which cannot support color video streaming.
Why It Matters
The introduction of Pet Cam highlights Rivian's strategy of differentiating its newer R2 model from the flagship R1 lineup through specific software capabilities enabled by hardware choices. Rivian's software chief, Wassym Bensaid, emphasized that privacy was a major consideration during development. To prevent potential misuse, such as spying on human occupants, the feature is disabled by default and will not activate if the camera detects a human in the cabin. This approach aims to balance convenience for pet owners with strict privacy protections.
The Bottom Line
While the feature is confirmed for the R2, Rivian has not yet announced a specific date for the software update that will enable Pet Cam. The current software version, 2026.31.40, does not include the feature, indicating it will arrive in a future release.
