On September 4, 2026, Rivian began distributing the RivianOS 2 update, version 2026.31, to eligible R1 and R2 vehicles. The update represents the largest rebuild of cabin software since the launch of the R1 vehicles, moving R1 generations and the new R2 to a shared software foundation for the first time.
A unified foundation with hardware-imposed differences
First-generation R1 vehicles, second-generation R1 vehicles, and R2 had been running software versions that diverged over time. RivianOS 2 brings these products together under a single architecture, but unification does not mean an entirely identical experience.
Rivian uses Unreal Engine 5 to create real-time three-dimensional visualizations of the vehicle and its surroundings in the R2 and second-generation R1. First-generation R1 vehicles remain on Unreal Engine 4 to preserve screen responsiveness with older computing hardware. As a result, the software foundation becomes more unified, while some capabilities remain tied to the capabilities of each generation.
A new interface and more detailed navigation features
The update rebuilds the home interface. Quick controls and the media player can be placed on either side of the screen, while a vertical status bar adds continuous access to core vehicle functions. Rivian has also completely redesigned the settings menu under the name Settings 2, with context-aware controls and a universal search feature.
Navigation gains the Real-Time Route Alerts feature, which displays police presence and speed cameras on the map through Google Maps. Rivian says the data comes from local authorities, third-party sources, and community contributions, making the nature and accuracy of coverage dependent on these sources.
Connect+ subscription and the artificial intelligence layer
Two features require a Connect+ subscription, which costs $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year. The first is a dedicated weather app that displays current conditions, air quality, and ten-day forecasts. The second is Mobile Live Trips, which allows users to start, view, and update the active trip from the Rivian mobile app.
RivianOS 2 relies on the Unified Intelligence layer, the same foundation that supports the Hey Rivian voice assistant, which can directly control the vehicle. The R2 and second-generation R1 use hybrid in-vehicle processing to reduce response times, while first- and second-generation R1 vehicles receive expanded voice capabilities with cloud assistance.
Why does this update matter?
The significance of RivianOS 2 is not limited to changing the appearance of the screen; moving to a shared foundation could reduce the divergence between software experiences across the company’s models and give Rivian a more consistent way to distribute features across a lineup containing different hardware generations. At the same time, the continued use of Unreal Engine 4 in the first-generation R1 shows that software updates cannot completely remove computing limitations.
The update also gives vehicle owners greater control over their data, as they can enable or disable listening for wake words, restrict location sharing, and modify the driver profile data retained by the vehicle. Questions such as feature availability by vehicle and region, and the performance of alerts relying on multiple sources, remain tied to what appears when the update actually reaches each vehicle.