Image: Rivian
Rivian is closing out the year with one of its most meaningful over-the-air software updates yet. Software version 2025.46 is now rolling out to R1 owners, bringing major upgrades to assisted driving, vehicle access, and off-road capability — many of which are now available to drivers in Canada.
Rivian says the headline feature is Universal Hands-Free driving, a significant update to its assisted driving system that dramatically expands where drivers can take their hands off the wheel. The feature expands hands-free operation from roughly 135,000 miles of highways to more than 3.5 million miles of roads across the U.S. and Canada. As long as lane lines are clearly marked, Gen 2 R1 vehicles can engage Universal Hands-Free on both highways and surface streets.
Rivian first teased the feature during its inaugural Autonomy & AI Day last week, where the company outlined its long-term plans for autonomy and in-house silicon. While Universal Hands-Free is not full self-driving — it won’t stop at traffic lights, stop signs, or make turns — it’s a notable step forward for Rivian’s driver assistance ambitions and a meaningful improvement for Canadian owners.
Another big addition in 2025.46 is Autonomy Drive Styles, which lets drivers choose how assertive Rivian’s assisted driving behaves. Owners can now select between Mild, Medium, and Spicy presets when using Universal Hands-Free, Highway Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, or Lane Change on Command. The idea is to better emulate human driving while still giving drivers control over comfort and responsiveness.
Image: Rivian
The update also delivers a long-awaited convenience feature: Rivian Digital Key. Gen 2 R1 owners can now add their vehicle key to Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch, as well as Google Pixel and Samsung devices. Built on the Car Connectivity Consortium standard, the feature supports passive entry, smartwatch access, and easy key sharing with family and friends — something Rivian confirmed earlier this month.
Beyond autonomy and keys, Rivian has refreshed the Driver Display, giving both Gen 1 and Gen 2 drivers more flexibility in how navigation and autonomy visuals are shown. For Gen 2 Quad-Motor owners, the update goes even further with Kick Turn and the new RAD Tuner, unlocking advanced off-road manoeuvrability and deep customization of driving dynamics.
Altogether, software update 2025.46 underscores Rivian’s software-first approach, bringing tangible new capabilities to existing vehicles while laying the groundwork for future models like R2 and R3.
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