Tesla Lock Sound Quiet After an Update? How to Make It Louder

If your custom lock sound seems quieter after a software update, there are a few things worth checking and one fix you control: the level of the file itself. This guide covers both, and says plainly what we do and don't know about why it happens.

What we know, and what we don't

Owners do report lock sounds getting quieter after updates. One example: in a Cybertruck Owners Club thread from June to August 2024, an owner said the locking sound was much quieter after a software update, another said Tesla seemed to raise the volume in one update and lower it in the next, and a third said the exterior speaker volume used to be adjustable but the lock sound no longer is. Nobody from Tesla replied in the thread, and it is about a 2024 update, not a 2025 one.

We have not found a Tesla release note that describes a lock sound volume change in 2025.45. The 2025.45.32.1 release notes (8 February 2026) list a new Light Cycle lock sound from Tron Mode in Boombox, and no volume change. An earlier version of this page said the 2025.45.x update lowered external speaker output and blamed noise regulations. We could not source either claim, so both are gone.

We have no published decibel figure for the lock sound, so any "it dropped by X dB" number you read elsewhere is not something we can confirm. If yours sounds quieter, it is a by-ear difference, and the checks below separate a file or setup problem from a car problem.

Check your software version

1. Sit in your Tesla
2. Tap Controls on the touchscreen
3. Tap Software
4. Note the version number at the top

Custom lock sounds need software 2023.44 or later on a car with the external speaker. If you don't see the Lock Sound option, update your software from Controls → Software.

Checks before you change the file

1. Confirm the car is still using your file. Open Toybox → Boombox → Lock Sound and check that USB is selected. If the car fell back to the factory chime, re-select USB.
2. Check the file name and path. The file must be a WAV named exactly LockChime.wav, inside a folder named Boombox on the USB drive. If the car does not pick it up from Boombox/, try putting LockChime.wav at the top level of the drive instead. Both locations work.
3. Check the drive and port. Use a FAT32 or exFAT drive in a USB port that carries data (the glovebox port on newer cars; rear ports only charge).
4. Compare with a second sound. Install a different file from the library. If the new one is clearly louder, the first file was just recorded or exported at a low level. If both seem quiet, it is more likely the car or the surroundings.
5. Try the volume control during playback. In a Cybertruck Owners Club thread from December 2024, one owner suggested playing a sound from Boombox and adjusting the touchscreen volume while it plays, saying it may also affect the lock sound. The original poster could not confirm it worked, and we have not verified it on every model, so treat it as something to try, not a guaranteed fix.

The fix you control: raise the level of your file

Our audio converter runs in your browser, so your audio is not uploaded to a server. It accepts MP3, WAV, OGG, M4A and WebM files.

1. Open the converter and upload your current lock sound
2. Trim it to 5 seconds or less (Tesla's recommended range is 1–5 seconds)
3. Set the loudness preset to Loud
4. If you want more, raise the fine-tune gain. The slider goes up to +6 dB
5. Export. You get a LockChime.wav at 44.1 kHz, 16-bit

The converter keeps peaks at or below -1 dBFS, so it will not clip. The flip side is that a very short, peaky sound may not get much louder, because its peak is already near the ceiling. If a sound is still quiet after the Loud preset, pick a different one.

Or start from a different sound

Sounds in the Tesla lock sound library differ in level and character, and you can preview each before you download. Every file is a LockChime.wav ready for the USB drive. Compare a few from the same spot you normally lock the car, rather than judging by ear indoors.

How to install the new file

1. Get a USB drive (any size works, formatted to FAT32 or exFAT)
2. Create a folder called "Boombox"
3. Put your WAV file inside, named LockChime.wav (our converter names it for you automatically)
4. Plug the USB into a USB port that carries data (the glovebox port on newer cars)
5. Go to Toybox → Boombox → Lock Sound
6. Select your custom sound

Full step-by-step guide with pictures is here.

> Opposite problem? If your lock sound is too loud, see how to lower the volume. Want it gone entirely? See how to disable the Tesla lock sound. If the sound stopped playing altogether, see lock sound muted after an update.

>Need a replacement sound? Our 25 best Tesla lock sounds for 2026 ranks the sounds by download count with inline audio previews.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Tesla lock sound quiet after an update?

Owners report this after some updates, for example in the 2024 Cybertruck thread linked above, but we have not found a Tesla statement explaining it or a release note that lists a volume change for 2025.45. Run through the checks above first: USB selected, file name and path, drive and port. Then raise the level of the file with the converter.

Does the quiet lock sound affect every Tesla model?

We can't say. The reports we found are from Cybertruck owners, and we found no source covering other models. Custom lock sounds work on cars with the external speaker: Model 3 built from September 2019 on, Model Y, Model S and Model X from the 2021 refresh on, and Cybertruck.

How do I make my Tesla lock sound louder?

Re-export your file with the converter: choose the Loud preset and add fine-tune gain if needed, then copy the new LockChime.wav to Boombox/ on your USB drive.

Will Tesla fix it?

We found no Tesla statement either way. Raising the level of your own file works regardless, and you can redo it whenever you like.

Is the default Tesla lock sound also affected?

We don't know. You can only change the level of a custom file; Tesla's built-in chime is not a file you can edit.