Rivian Pet Mode HeroIf you don't want to watch it, you can also get status photos periodically sent to your phone.You'll soon be able to watch your dogs in your Rivian R2 with Pet Cam.It also brings updates to Pet Mode shared with R1T and R1S owners.The over-the-air update will also bring Rivian Assistant to R2.Rivian says that more than 60% of its owners travel with their furry friends. It's one of the reasons that the company offers a pet mode in its cars, and a statistic that the company is using to help decide what new features to build into its EVs.That's precisely what it's done with the newest over-the-air update for Rivian vehicles. Its new software brings another pet-friendly feature to its newest truck: Pet Cam.Rivian Pet Mode InlineThe new Pet Cam mode is exclusive to R2 (sorry R1T and R1S owners) and uses the interior camera tucked behind the glass of its rearview mirror to display a full-color, high-definition view of the R2's cabin. Owners can start up a live stream through Gear Guard, which also displays the cabin temperature for the extra peace of mind knowing that your good boy is staying comfortable.(Editor's Note: Rivian also told me at the R2 launch that the system can detect if it is a person, not a dog, in the car, and deny monitoring. So this isn't for snooping or babies.)And if you can't keep your eye on the live stream, the app will also push fresh snapshots to your phone's lock screen for a quick glance.Pet Mode also gets a few extra features that extend to R1 through the Rivian App. The cars will now allow for remote activation and deactivation of Pet Mode from the app—just in case you forgot to turn it on before walking away—plus, there's now in-app protection to keep you from accidentally switching Pet Mode on or off.Now, the new feature does come with an asterisk. You'll need to subscribe to Rivian's $14.99 per month Connect+ plan to have access to the live streaming. Gear Guard Live Cam is limited to one hour of streaming per day, and if you happen to activate it while a person is sitting in the cabin, they can deactivate it from the touch screen with just a tap.The update also brings Rivian Assistant to R2. This AI-powered voice system has been a feature on R1 for some time, but now R2 owners will have access to it as well. Anyone in the car can control climate or media, navigation, and ask general questions with a simple "Hey, Rivian," or by using the Halo Wheel on the car's steering wheel.Tesla expats coming to Rivian might not see any of these features as groundbreaking. After all, Tesla vehicles have had similar abilities for quite some time via its own cabin camera and Grok integration.But rather than compare who did it first, it's worth appreciating that more companies are continually improving vehicles with age rather than just updating them as a feature in the next generation. And that's one of the coolest things about connected cars—it might still look the same as it did yesterday, but it feels new and refreshed on the screen. And, hey, now it can send you pics of your dog, too.More Rivian R2 NewsRivian's Big R2 Bet Is Already Paying OffYou Won't Be Able To Buy A Rivian R2 With Lidar This Year After AllThe Rivian R2 Just Got Its First RecallRivian Says The R2 Has Half The Carbon Footprint Of An R1S