First things to set up on your new RAV4: 15 settings to change in week one

The 15 RAV4 settings at a glance

So here's the whole list in one table. Each number matches the steps further down the page.

Before you change any RAV4 settings

So park, shift to P and set the parking brake. Then leave the RAV4 on while you change settings. On a Hybrid or Prime, that means the READY light is on in the gauges.

Basically, Toyota's manual says to keep the RAV4 running while you customize settings, so the small 12-volt battery doesn't drain. And Toyota also warns not to change settings with the RAV4 running in a closed garage, because of the exhaust.

Now here's how to get to the settings on each screen. The gauge screen is the screen behind the steering wheel, and the touchscreen is the big screen in the middle of the dash. If you're not sure which gauge screen you have, my digital speedometer guide shows how to tell.

• 2019 to 2022 touchscreen: press MENU, then tap Setup, then Vehicle, then Vehicle Customization.
• 2023 to 2025 touchscreen: tap the gear icon on the main menu, then Vehicle customize.
• 2019 to 2022 4.2-inch and 2019 to 2025 7-inch gauge screens: use the arrow buttons on the steering wheel to reach the gear icon. Then press up or down to the setting and press OK to switch it on or off. Press and hold OK for more detailed settings.
• 2023 to 2025 12.3-inch gauge screen: press and hold OK on the steering wheel to bring up the cursor in the middle of the screen. Then pick the gear icon, then the setting.
• 2026 touchscreen: tap the gear icon, then Vehicle or Driving Assist. The 2026 gauge screen also keeps a smaller Vehicle Settings menu.

And keep in mind that some RAV4 settings can only be changed by a Toyota dealer. My hidden features guide and beeps guide list which ones.

The 15 settings, step by step

1. Deal with the Toyota welcome screen, and decide on the Toyota app

Years: 2023 to 2025 and 2026. The 2019 to 2022 Entune system works differently.

So the screen that pops up every time you start the RAV4 is asking you to link the car to the free Toyota app (iPhone, Android). The welcome screen gives you three choices.

• Scanning the QR code links the RAV4 to the Toyota app.
• "Set up later" brings the welcome screen back every time you start the RAV4.
• "Do not show setup again" makes the welcome screen stop for good. You can still link later from Settings, then Get Started.

Now something to note is that the free SOS button and crash notification need the RAV4 linked. Remote start from your phone and some other features are a free trial, then a paid plan. Toyota's connected services plans page listed the Remote Connect plan at $8 a month on October 15, 2026. Check the Shop screen in the Toyota app for the current price. So if you link the RAV4, check each trial's end date in the Toyota app, so nothing bills you by surprise. And on a 2026, you need the Toyota app and a Toyota account to make a driver profile.

More detail: how to stop the Toyota welcome screen and what's free and what costs money in the Toyota app.

2. Connect your phone to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto

Years: 2019 to 2026. The 2019 to 2022 RAV4 needs a USB cable, and the 2019 has no Android Auto in the US. The 2023 to 2026 RAV4 works wirelessly or with a cable on every trim.

With a cable: plug your phone into the USB media port. On a 2019 to 2025 RAV4, that's in the front tray. On a 2026, it's the USB-C media port in the center console. Keep in mind the charge-only ports don't carry CarPlay.

Wirelessly on a 2023 to 2025:

1. Turn on your phone's Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. On an iPhone, turn Siri on too.
2. On the touchscreen, tap the gear icon, then Bluetooth & Devices, then Add another device.
3. Tap Search for devices, and pick your phone.
4. Check that the PIN on your phone matches the PIN on the touchscreen.
5. When the touchscreen asks about CarPlay or Android Auto, tap Yes.

And you don't need to link the Toyota app to use CarPlay or Android Auto. More detail, including the 2019 to 2022 and 2026 steps and fixes for disconnects: my CarPlay and Android Auto guide.

3. Save your seat, and on a 2026, set up your driver profile first

Years: the memory seat is on some trims from 2019 to 2026. The driver profile is on the 2026. My memory seat guide has the table of which trims have the memory seat in each year.

Saving your seat on a 2019 to 2025:

1. Shift to P and turn the power on.
2. Move the driver's seat where you like it.
3. Hold the SET button on the driver's door and press 1 (or 2) until you hear a beep.

To link a key fob to your seat, have only that fob in the car. Press 1 and keep holding 1. Then press and hold the door lock switch on the armrest until you hear one beep.

Setting up a driver profile on a 2026:

1. On the touchscreen, tap the gear icon, then Profile, and create a profile.
2. Scan the QR code with the Toyota app on your phone, and set a 6-digit PIN.
3. Then tap Profile, then Profile recognition, then Key, which is the option Toyota recommends. Have only that driver's key in the car while you set up Profile recognition.

Something to note is that on a 2026, deleting one key registration deletes all of them. The 2026 multimedia manual says the RAV4 holds up to 3 profiles, picks a profile automatically from the driver's phone, and uses guest mode otherwise. And the 2026 driver's seat slides back when you get out, which Toyota calls Power Easy Access. You can turn Power Easy Access off on the touchscreen.

More detail: my memory seat guide.

4. Set the clock

Years: 2019 to 2026. On every year, the clock is set on the touchscreen, not on the gauge screen. Toyota's 2019 to 2022 manual says "the clocks can be adjusted on the audio system screen."

2019 to 2022:

1. Press MENU, then tap Setup, then General, then Clock. You can also tap the clock on the MENU screen to open the clock settings.
2. Pick your Time Zone, and turn Daylight Saving Time on or off.
3. To set the time by hand, turn "Auto Adjust by GPS" off. Then use + and - to set the hours and minutes.

There's also a button that rounds to the nearest hour. Basically, 1:00 to 1:29 becomes 1:00, and 1:30 to 1:59 becomes 2:00. You can switch to 24-hour time on the same screen. Keep in mind that the base "Audio" unit on some 2019 to 2022 trims has its own clock steps on page 415 of the owner's manual. Toyota doesn't say separately whether the base "Audio" unit uses the same Setup, General, Clock path.

2023 to 2025: the clock sets itself from GPS. Toyota calls this the GPS clock. To change the clock:

1. Tap the gear icon on the main menu, then General.
2. Open the date and time settings.
3. "Set date & time by GPS" is on from the factory. Turn "Set date & time by GPS" off if you want to set the time zone and time by hand.

The same screen has 24-hour time, Time zone, and Daylight savings, which you can set to Auto, On or Off.

2026: tap the gear icon, then General, then Date and time. You get the same choices as the 2023 to 2025, plus a date format. And the calendar on the 2026 gauge screen can only be set if GPS clock calibration is off.

And on a 2026, the drive recorder keeps its own clock. After a 12-volt battery replacement, the drive recorder's date can go back to January 1, 2019 or January 1, 2020. To reset the drive recorder's clock, drive somewhere with a GPS signal. Turn the power on and wait 90 seconds. Then turn the power off and wait 90 seconds.

5. Quiet the lock beep, and make one press unlock every door

Years: 2019 to 2026. From the factory, the RAV4 beeps once when you lock and twice when you unlock. You can change the beep volume or turn the beep off yourself.

• 2019 to 2022: press MENU, then tap Setup, Vehicle, Vehicle Customization. One 2021 Hybrid owner found the beep under Door Lock Settings, then Lock/Unlock Feedback Tone. You can set the volume from 1 to 7, or turn the beep off.
• 2023 to 2025: tap the gear icon, then Vehicle customize, then Door control. Slide "Feedback tone" all the way down.
• 2026: set "Operation buzzer volume" to 0 on the touchscreen.

Now the 5-second beep when you lock with a door still open is a different beep. Toyota's manuals list the door-open lock beep as a dealer-only setting on every year, called "Open door reminder buzzer" on 2019 to 2025 and "Half-Door Warning Buzzer Function" on the 2026. There's also a touchscreen setting with the key fob settings called "Locking operation when door opened" ("Locking operation when the door is open" on the 2026) that you can switch on or off yourself. But Toyota's manuals don't say whether that touchscreen setting stops the door-open lock beep, so the dealer is the sure way to turn the door-open lock beep off. My beeps guide has more on the lock beeps. And if your RAV4 honks the horn when you lock, owners say that's usually an alarm the dealer added, not a Toyota setting.

Make one press of the key fob unlock every door: from the factory, the first press of unlock opens only the driver's door. To change the first press, go to the wireless remote settings in the touchscreen's vehicle settings. Then set "Unlocking operation" to unlock all doors on the first press. Unlocking operation is on every RAV4 with the smart key from 2019 to 2026. Basically, unlocking every door on the first press is handy when you're getting kids in the car.

How the door handles unlock on a 2019 to 2026 RAV4 with the smart key: from the factory, a quick grab of the driver's door handle unlocks only the driver's door. Keep holding the driver's door handle for about 2 seconds and every door unlocks. Grabbing the front passenger's door handle unlocks every door right away.

Make a quick grab of the driver's door handle unlock every door, on a 2019 to 2026:

1. Turn the RAV4 off, and check that the light on the key fob isn't on. On a 2026, Toyota says to do this inside the RAV4 or within about 3 feet of the RAV4.
2. Press and hold LOCK on the key fob. Then also press and hold UNLOCK for about 5 seconds.
3. Listen for the beeps. 2 beeps means any door handle now unlocks every door. 3 beeps means the driver's door handle is back to unlocking only the driver's door.

If your RAV4 has an alarm, unlock the RAV4 with the fob and open and close a door once afterward. The same door handle setting is also on the touchscreen, called "Smart door unlocking."

Auto lock: from the factory, the doors lock when you shift out of P and unlock when you shift into P. You can change auto lock to lock at about 12 mph, unlock when you open the driver's door, or turn auto lock off. The 2023 to 2025 also has a relock timer of 30, 60 or 120 seconds, and the hazard lights can flash when you lock.

More detail: my RAV4 beeps guide and my hidden features guide.

6. Decide on the rear seat reminder

Years: the rear seat reminder is in the 2022 Hybrid manual and every RAV4 manual after it. It isn't in the 2020 manuals.

So the rear seat reminder is the "check rear seat" message and beep when you turn the RAV4 off. Basically, opening a back door sets the rear seat reminder off. The rear seat reminder doesn't sense a child or a dog. So if you open a back door just to put a bag on the seat, the rear seat reminder goes off too.

• 2022 to 2025: on the gauge screen, go to the gear icon. On the 12.3-inch screen, press and hold OK first. Then pick Vehicle Settings and press and hold OK. Pick Rear Seat Reminder and press OK to switch it on or off.
• 2026: the rear seat reminder is in the gauge screen's Vehicle Settings and on the touchscreen. Keep in mind the 2026 also beeps 5 or 6 times when you lock, if a back door was opened during the trip.

Now if you ever have a baby in the back, I'd leave the rear seat reminder on. Toyota explains how the reminder works on its rear seat reminder support page. More detail: my RAV4 beeps guide.

7. Set up the lane departure alert and steering assist

Years: 2019 to 2026. Basically, the lane departure alert beeps when the RAV4 drifts out of its lane, and steering assist gently turns the wheel to keep you in the lane. That gentle turning is the "wheel keeps pulling" feeling owners ask about.

• 2019 to 2022, and the 2021 to 2022 Prime: the LTA button on the steering wheel turns the whole system off. Or you can turn just Steering Assist off in the gauge screen settings and keep the beep.
• 2023 to 2025 gas and Hybrid: the LTA button on the steering wheel is the only off switch, because Toyota removed the Steering Assist setting. Setting the sensitivity to Standard makes the beep come later.
• 2023 to 2025 Prime: Some guides and owners say the beep can be switched to a steering wheel vibration. The exact menu isn't confirmed.
• 2026: on the touchscreen, you can turn the lane departure alert (LDA) off, set Departure prevention mode to Alert or Steering assist, and set Alert options to Vibration.

So the middle ground on most years is to keep the lane departure alert on and set the sensitivity to Standard. More detail, including whether the setting stays off after a restart: how to turn off lane departure on a RAV4.

8. Check the speed limit beep

Years: 2019 to 2026. Basically, Road Sign Assist (RSA) reads speed limit signs and shows the limit on the gauge screen. RSA can also warn you when you go over the limit. Toyota's manuals list RSA as "if equipped," and the Toyota Safety Sense packages on the RAV4 (2.0, 2.5 and 4.0) include RSA.

• 2019 to 2022: the RSA settings are on the gauge screen. The factory setting for "Excess speed notification method" is Display only, so the RAV4 doesn't beep unless someone changed the notification method. The warning comes 1 mph over the limit from the factory, and you can change that to 3 or 5 mph.
• 2023 to 2025: on the gauge screen, go to the gear icon, then RSA, and press and hold OK. Pick Notification method, then Over speed limit. The choices are No notification, Display only, or Display and buzzer. The warning level is 1, 3 or 5 mph over. Toyota's 2023 to 2025 settings table doesn't print the factory setting.
• 2026: on the touchscreen, "Speed Limit Caution" can be Visual, Visual and Audible, or Off. "Speed Limit Caution Timing" can be +1, +3 or +5 mph. The 2026 saves both to each driver profile.

More detail: my RAV4 beeps guide.

9. Turn on the auto high beams, and know how to take over

Years: 2019 to 2026, every trim, including the Prime and the 2026 Plug-in Hybrid. Toyota lists Automatic High Beams (AHB) as standard on every trim as part of Toyota Safety Sense.

So auto high beams switch between high and low beams for you at night. Basically, a camera behind the windshield decides when to switch. The AHB button is low on the dash to the left of the steering wheel, in the same group as the de-icer, heated steering wheel and power liftgate buttons. My heated steering wheel and de-icer guide shows where that group of buttons is.

Now the steps to turn auto high beams on are different by year, and a lot of generic Toyota guides only give one version.

• 2019 to 2022: press the AHB button. Then push the headlight lever away from you, into the high beam position, with the headlight switch on AUTO or on. The AHB light comes on in the gauges.
• 2023 to 2025: press the AHB button. Then turn the headlight switch to AUTO or on. The lever stays in its normal center position.
• 2026: press the AHB button, turn the headlight switch to AUTO or on, and leave the lever in its normal position. On the 2026, the AHB light is white when auto high beams are waiting and green when they're in control.

When the high beams switch: on a 2019 to 2025, the high beams come on above about 21 mph and drop to low beams below about 17 mph. On a 2026, the high beams come on above about 24 mph and drop to low beams at about 21 mph or lower. The high beams come on about 1 second after the conditions are right.

To take over:

• For low beams for a moment, pull the lever toward you and let go. On the 2026, the low beams stay on for a while, then auto high beams take over again.
• For steady high beams, push the lever away from you. On a 2023 to 2026, pull the lever back to center to hand control back to auto high beams. On a 2019 to 2022, press the AHB button to switch back.
• To turn auto high beams off, press the AHB button again.

10. Show the big digital speed number on the gauge screen

Years: 2019 to 2026. You have to be parked to change the gauge screen layout.

• 2019 to 2022 4.2-inch screen: go to the first tab, the leaf icon, and press up or down to "Speedometer display/Distance to empty."
• 2019 to 2025 7-inch screen: go to the gear icon, press and hold OK on Settings, then pick Meter Type, then Digital.
• 2023 to 2025 12.3-inch screen: press and hold OK, pick the gear icon, then Meter Settings, then Meter Type. The three layouts show as pictures.
• 2026: press left or right on the steering wheel pad to step through six layouts: Simple, 1 dial, 2 dials, Navigation, Driving support and ECO. You can hide the ones you don't use under the gear icon, then Meter Setting, then Meter Type.

And if you track your mpg, the 7-inch screen can show Tank Average, which resets at every fill-up. The 12.3-inch screen can show average mpg "after starting" or "since reset."

More detail, including brightness and the blank screen recall on the 12.3-inch screen: my digital speedometer guide.

11. Stop the 360 camera from popping up

Years: 2019 to 2026, on trims with the 360 camera.

• 2019 to 2025: in D, press the VIEW button. Then tap the A (AUTO) button in the lower left of the touchscreen so its light goes off.
• 2026: in D, press the VIEW button, then tap the automatic display mode switching button.

Keep in mind that the 360 camera still pops up when the bumper sensors see something close. More detail: my 360 camera guide.

12. Set the power liftgate opening height

Years: 2019 to 2026, on trims with a power liftgate. The opening height matters if you have a low garage, or if you're on the shorter side.

1. Open the power liftgate to the height you want.
2. Press and hold the close button on the inside bottom edge of the liftgate for about 2 seconds.
3. 4 beeps means the new height is saved.

To go back to the full height, hold the same close button for about 7 seconds. You can also pick a preset height, and turn the kick sensor on or off, in the power liftgate settings on the touchscreen. More detail: my power liftgate guide.

13. Set the headlight and interior light timers

Years: 2019 to 2026, in the touchscreen's vehicle settings, under the lights.

• Interior lights stay on 15 seconds from the factory. You can change that to 7.5 seconds, 30 seconds or off.
• Headlights on AUTO stay on 30 seconds after the doors close. You can change that to 60 seconds, 90 seconds or off.
• The light sensor sensitivity is in the same menu. Basically, it changes how dark it has to be before the headlights come on.
• Daytime running lights can be turned off by the owner on a 2019 to 2022, under Light Settings, then Headlights. Toyota's table says turning the daytime running lights off isn't available in Canada.
• The 2026 adds welcome and goodbye lighting and the overall interior brightness.

More detail: my hidden features guide.

14. Pick Eco or Normal once, because the RAV4 remembers your choice

Years: 2019 to 2026. So on a 2019 to 2025, Eco and Normal stay selected after you turn the RAV4 off. But Sport goes back to Normal. On a 2026, Normal and Eco stay, and Sport and Custom go back to Normal when you turn the power off.

Keep in mind that Eco mode also softens the climate control. So if you want more heat or cooling in Eco, turn off eco A/C mode or turn the fan up.

And on a 2023 to 2025 Hybrid, there's a setting called Predictive efficient drive. Basically, Predictive efficient drive uses route data from the navigation to save fuel, and it only works in the mainland U.S. Predictive efficient drive is on from the factory, and I'd just leave that setting alone.

More detail: my RAV4 Hybrid mpg guide.

15. On a 2026, turn on the drive recorder, because the drive recorder ships turned off

Years: 2026 only. Every 2026 RAV4 trim has a built-in drive recorder, which is basically a dash camera built into the car.

Now Toyota's 2026 multimedia manual says "the default value for the drive recorder setting is OFF, so recording will not start." The drive recorder also needs a driver profile before you can turn it on. So do number 3 first.

1. On the touchscreen, tap the gear icon, then Drive Recorder.
2. Tap Preferences, then Enable Drive Recorder.

The same Preferences screen has automatic clip storage, manual recording overwrite, and incident sensitivity. Incident sensitivity can be High, Normal, Low or Off, and each one is set per driver profile.

A few more things to know in your first week

• Automatic braking at the car wash: know where the Parking Support Brake (PKSB) switch is before your first car wash. My car wash checklist and guide to turning off automatic braking have the steps.
• The seat belt chime can't be turned off on any year. More detail: my RAV4 beeps guide.
• Garage door opener (HomeLink): on trims with the digital rearview mirror, the HomeLink steps are in my digital rearview mirror guide. Toyota's manual says the plain auto-dimming mirror with HomeLink programs the same way.
• Rain-sensing wipers: on trims with rain-sensing wipers, set the wiper stalk to AUTO and pick the sensitivity once. More detail: my rain-sensing wipers guide.
• New warning lights: my warning lights guide explains what each light on the gauge screen means.

Common problems in the first week, and the fixes

• A 2019 RAV4 won't save the auto lock setting. Toyota's bulletin MC-10169425 says door lock customization may not work on some 2019 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid models. A Toyota dealer can fix the door lock customization, so ask the dealer about bulletin MC-10169425.
• The back seat belt chime goes off when you open a back door. The back seat belt chime comes up often in owner posts, and some owners had a dealer change the chime. But I wouldn't turn off a seat belt warning, and my beeps guide explains when the back seat chime actually sounds.
• The 2026 touchscreen goes blank. Owners say holding the power and volume knob for about 3 seconds restarts the touchscreen.
• The 2026 Driver Monitor alert keeps coming back. Owners report that the Driver Monitor, the camera alert that watches the driver, goes back to High and On at every start. Owners change the alert under Settings, Driving Assist, Notifications. Toyota's 2026 manual lists three Driver Monitor settings you can change yourself on the touchscreen: the Driver Monitor camera (On or Off), Warning sensitivity (High, Low or Off), and Driver break suggestion (On or Off). The manual doesn't say the Driver Monitor settings go back to High and On at every start. The manual also says turning Warning sensitivity off stops only the alert, while turning the Driver Monitor camera off turns off every feature that uses the driver camera.
• A 2026 Plug-in Hybrid lost the charging view in the Toyota app after adding a guest driver. One owner got the charging view back by switching the profile back in the Toyota app.

Videos that walk through RAV4 setup

And if you'd rather watch someone go through the settings menus, here are the clearest videos. You can play each video right here on the page, and YouTube's usual controls work, including skipping ahead, changing the speed and going full screen. Under each video is a quick summary of what the video covers.