I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Rivian has rolled out its RivianOS 2 software update to all R1S and R1T vehicles via OTA. This major upgrade brings the same infotainment system, redesigned interface, and features found in the new R2 model to the older fleet. The update aims to unify the software stack across the lineup, offering faster performance, improved graphics, and enhanced navigation tools like Google Maps integration.
- Rivian is rolling out its RivianOS 2 update to its fleet.
- This brings the newest version of the software to R1S and R1T owners.
- The OTA update brings a ton of new features across the fleet, which breathes new life into aging cars.
Rivian's brand new R2 is a hell of a machine. Its flashy features and new hardware represent the very latest that CEO RJ Scaringe and his team have to offer.But that new tech may also have R1S and R1T owners feeling a bit, well, left behind.
On Friday, Rivian reminded R1 owners that it still cares about them by dropping the biggest in-car software update for the R1 ever. The 2026.31 update rolling out now upgrades all R1 vehicles to RivianOS 2, the same infotainment underpinnings found in the R2.Both Gen 1 and Gen 2 R1 vehicles get the update.
Rivian said in a blog post that the overhaul should make the interface in R1S SUVs and R1T trucks "faster" and "more intuitive."
Rivian OS 2 is rolling out to both Gen 1 and Gen 2 R1S and R1T vehicles, bringing them up to the same level as the R2.
"We've rebuilt the entire R1 experience on RivianOS 2—an AI-defined platform designed from the ground up—bringing state-of-the-art graphics, a redesigned interface layout, and deep compute integration directly to the cabin," the EV startup said.
The R2 has been running the software since its launch, but R1 was using an older version of the system. Rivian software chief Wassym Bensaid was transparent that the software would come to R1—the goal being to unify the fleet as much as possible.
It features a redesigned infotainment interface to match the R2, complete with updated controls, a new settings menu, and even a universal search field (which anyone with a Tesla knows can be a dream in a touchscreen-heavy car).
Gen 2 R1s and R2 now use Unreal Engine 5 for vehicle and environment graphics, which should add some extra visual flair. Gen 1 vehicles, meanwhile, will remain on Unreal Engine 4 to "preserve screen responsiveness," Rivian said.
And while Apple CarPlay is still absent from the experience, Rivian has updated the infotainment system to integrate Google Maps and Waze alerts for police presence, speed cameras, and other alerts that might occur on their routed trips. There's also a new dedicated weather app and the ability to manipulate trip routing directly from the Rivian mobile app.
The individual features are nice (and there are a handful more with the new software rollout than Rivian announced on its blog), but what R1 owners on Reddit are celebrating the most is not feeling left behind.
Tesla popularized the idea that a car's feature set doesn't necessarily have to freeze the second somebody drives it off the lot. No more driving to the dealer just to apply a software patch, but rather a constantly changing in-car experience that can be kept fresh with seamless over-the-air updates. That's the tactic that Rivian has picked up here by bringing its OG platform up to speed with what you see in its younger, newer brother.
There are limits, though. Rivian can't download a faster computer or fit new sensors into the car with an update (which is why some prospective R2 owners are waiting for the automaker's new RAP1 architecture before buying). But by sharing the software stack across cars, it means future improvements can spread across R1 and R2 rather than arrive in separate evolutionary branches.
"RivianOS 2 now powers the entire Rivian lineup with R1 and R2 on one unified software stack," the company said. "That means every improvement lands everywhere: continuous feature updates, shared UI enhancements and new capabilities tailored to each vehicle’s hardware setup."
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