Always On Lateral keeps your car's steering active even after you turn off cruise control, so openpilot continues to hold your lane while you handle the pedals yourself. Most drivers use it for situations like stop-and-go traffic or coasting through a parking area, where you want the car to steer but not control speed. It's enabled by default on all supported cars.
What It Is
Always On Lateral makes your steering assistance persistent. It doesn't stop just because cruise control is off.
In standard openpilot, steering and gas and braking are tied together: the moment you turn off cruise control, the system stops steering entirely. This means every time you tap the brake in traffic, the system hands the wheel back to you and you have to turn it back on to get steering help again.
Always On Lateral breaks that link. It separates the steering from the gas and braking. You can turn off the gas and braking (turn off cruise) while the steering keeps holding the lane for you. It's like having a passenger who never lets go of the wheel, even when you decide to handle the pedals yourself.
Common uses:
- You are crawling through city traffic and frequently touching the brake
- You coast down a hill without cruise control and still want lane centering
- You want to control your own speed on a winding road but still want the system to center you in the lane
| Behavior | Always On Lateral Off | Always On Lateral On | Standard openpilot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cruise control must be on for steering | ✅ Required | ❌ Not required (cruise must be available) | ✅ Required |
| Steering active when braking | ❌ Stops when cruise turns off | ✅ Continues (configurable) | ❌ Stops when cruise turns off |
| Steering active when pressing gas | ❌ Stops when cruise turns off | ✅ Continues | ❌ Stops when cruise turns off |
| Steering active without cruise | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
⚠️ Warning: Always On Lateral keeps the steering wheel actively turning even when you are not using cruise control. Always keep your hands on the wheel and remain attentive. You are responsible for overriding the steering at all times. The system is an assistant, not an autopilot.
Before You Start
Once you enable Always On Lateral, it activates automatically whenever these conditions are met:
- Calibration must be at least 1% complete. The device needs to know how the camera is positioned relative to the road.
- Cruise control must be available. Your car must be in Drive and ready to use cruise, even if cruise isn't actively set.
- No critical safety alerts. If a safety alert triggers, steering is disabled so you can take full control.
- Your car must be in a driving gear. Steering won't activate in Park, Neutral, or Reverse.
⚠️ Warning: A reboot is required after enabling Always On Lateral for the first time while driving. The system will prompt you to confirm the reboot.
Settings
| Setting | Default | Range | Tuning Level | Units | What you feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always On Lateral | On | On / Off | Minimal | — | Steering stays active after cruise is turned off |
| Enable With Cruise Control | On | On / Off | Advanced | — | Steering starts as soon as cruise is available, not just when engaged |
| Enable With LKAS | On | On / Off | Advanced | — | Steering starts when Lane Keeping Assist System is toggled on (Hyundai/Kia/Genesis CAN-FD only) |
| Pause on Brake Press Below | 0 (Off) | 0–99 | Standard | mph (or 0–150 km/h) | Braking below this speed temporarily pauses steering |
Always On Lateral
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Default | On |
| Recommended | On for most drivers |
When On, your car's steering remains active even when cruise control is turned off, for example when you press the brake or gas pedal. When Off, steering follows the standard openpilot behavior and stops the moment cruise turns off.
Leave this on if you want uninterrupted lane centering during everyday driving. The default of On works well for most drivers because it eliminates the constant re-engaging cycle in traffic.
Enable With Cruise Control
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Default | On |
| Recommended | On |
Enable With Cruise Control controls when Always On Lateral activates. When On, steering starts as soon as your car's cruise control system is available (you're in Drive and the cruise system is ready to engage). You don't need to actually press the cruise button. When Off, you must first engage cruise control at least once before Always On Lateral will activate.
💡 Tip: On Hyundai/Kia/Genesis CAN-FD cars without openpilot gas and braking, you'll see Enable With LKAS instead.
Enable With LKAS
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Default | On |
| Recommended | On (if visible) |
Enable With LKAS appears only for Hyundai/Kia/Genesis CAN-FD cars that don't use openpilot gas and braking. When On, pressing the Lane Keeping Assist System button on your steering wheel toggles Always On Lateral on and off, giving you quick physical control without touching the screen. When Off, Always On Lateral only activates when cruise control is engaged.
💡 Tip: When both Always On Lateral and Enable With LKAS are enabled, the Lane Keeping Assist System button is reserved for Always On Lateral, and the separate Wheel Controls assignment for the Lane Keeping Assist System button is hidden to avoid conflicts.
Pause on Brake Press Below
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Default | 0 (Off) |
| Range | 0–99 (mph) or 0–150 (km/h) |
| Recommended | The default of 0 works well for most drivers who want uninterrupted steering |
| Units | mph or km/h (follows your metric/imperial setting) |
Sets a speed threshold for pausing steering when you press the brake. When your speed is below this threshold and the brake pedal is pressed, steering temporarily pauses. At 0, steering never pauses for braking, even at a complete standstill.
At low values (5–15 mph / 8–24 km/h), steering only pauses during very low-speed braking, useful if you want manual control when parking or making tight maneuvers. At higher values (30–50 mph / 48–80 km/h), steering pauses more often during regular braking, useful if you prefer manual steering control whenever you are actively slowing down.
Set this to a low value if you want steering to pause only during parking-speed maneuvers, or leave it at 0 if you want steering to stay active no matter what. Always On Lateral does not stop the brake pedal from canceling your cruise control; it only determines if the steering also takes a break while you are slowing down.
💡 Tip: This setting only determines if steering pauses after cruise control is deactivated by the brake. If your speed is above this threshold when you brake, steering continues uninterrupted as Always On Lateral takes over from cruise control. Steering resumes automatically as soon as the brake pedal is released.
💡 Tip: To ensure you have steering while stopped in traffic, Always On Lateral will ignore the brake pause and remain active whenever your car is at a complete standstill (0 mph/km/h), regardless of whether you are holding the brake pedal or have a pause speed configured.
💡 Tip: When you release the brake pedal to resume steering, there is a sub-second delay (approximately 0.6 second) before the system takes over. This intentional delay ensures a smooth transition and confirms the driver has finished their braking maneuver.
How It Works
Always On Lateral keeps sending steering commands even when cruise control is not actively controlling your speed.
Here's what happens every time the system checks (roughly 100 times per second):
-
Hardware check: The system confirms that always-on steering is allowed. FrogPilot enables this automatically when you turn on Always On Lateral.
-
Activation mode: Depending on your car type, one of two modes is used:
- For Hyundai/Kia/Genesis CAN-FD without openpilot gas and braking ("LKAS" mode): The system checks whether the Lane Keeping Assist System toggle is allowed (via the steering wheel button) and whether the car-specific conditions are met.
- For most cars ("Main" mode): The system checks whether cruise control is available, meaning your car is in Drive and the cruise system is ready. You don't need to have cruise actively engaged.
-
Safety checks: Regardless of mode, the system also verifies:
- No critical safety alert is active
- The brake pause speed condition is met (if configured)
- The calibration is at least 1% complete
- The speed/signal pause conditions pass (see Pause Conditions below)
- Your car is in a driving gear (not Park, Neutral, Reverse, or Unknown)
-
Steering activation: If all checks pass and cruise is off, steering activates on its own. The driving screen shows a Teal border to signal that only steering is active, not full cruise control.
-
Steering output: The system keeps steering your car in the lane, even though gas and braking are not being controlled.
Pause Conditions
A few conditions can temporarily pause steering while Always On Lateral is active:
-
Brake pause: If you set Pause on Brake Press Below to a value above 0, pressing the brake while your speed is below that threshold pauses steering. This doesn't apply at a complete standstill, steering stays active when stopped. Steering resumes automatically once the brake is released.
-
Manual pause via button: If you assign "Pause Steering" to a steering wheel button (via Wheel Controls), pressing that button toggles a manual steering pause on and off.
-
Signal pause: The Turn Signal Only option under Pause Steering Below pauses steering below the set speed only when a turn signal is active. This lets the system keep steering normally unless you are signaling a turn at low speed.
-
Speed pause: The Pause Steering Below setting (found under FrogPilot → Driving Controls → Steering → Quality of Life) pauses all steering below a set speed, regardless of whether Always On Lateral is active. Default is 0 (off).
Status Indicators
When Always On Lateral is keeping your steering active without cruise, the screen clearly shows you with a teal border and path edge color.
The system uses a distinct visual state so you always know whether full cruise is active or just steering:
| Visual Element | What it looks like | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Driving path | Narrower (75% of normal width), only when Dynamic Path Width is enabled | Only steering is active, gas/braking are manual. This visual cue requires the separate Dynamic Path Width toggle (under Model UI, default Off) to be turned on. |
| Engage button | Teal background | The on-screen button reflects the Always On Lateral state |
| Path edge color | Teal | Reinforces that Always On Lateral is providing the steering |
| Screen border | Teal | Steering is active via Always On Lateral (cruise is off) |
When cruise control is fully engaged, the border changes to Green and the path edge color returns to the standard theme, indicating that both steering and gas and braking are active.
When steering is paused (either via the brake pause, speed pause, or manual button), a Lateral Paused widget appears on the driving screen showing a dimmed turn icon with a pause overlay.
Lane Changes (Works alongside)
Lane change maneuvers still work normally when Always On Lateral is providing the steering. Since the system considers steering to be active, triggering a turn signal will initiate an automatic lane change (if Lane Changes and Automatic Lane Changes are enabled). If cruise is off and only Always On Lateral is active, lane changes will still be attempted as long as the steering system is actively controlling the wheel.
Pause Steering Below / Turn Signal Only (Works alongside)
The Pause Steering Below setting (under FrogPilot → Driving Controls → Steering → Quality of Life) creates a speed-based condition that affects all steering, including Always On Lateral. If you set a pause speed of 15 mph, steering pauses below 15 mph regardless of whether Always On Lateral is active. The Turn Signal Only sub-option limits this pause to only when a turn signal is active, so steering continues normally in straight-line low-speed driving.
Pause Steering via Wheel Controls (Works alongside)
The Wheel Controls settings (under FrogPilot → Vehicle Settings → Wheel Controls) let you assign "Pause Steering" to the distance button or the Lane Keeping Assist System button. When you press the assigned button while driving, it toggles a manual steering pause. This directly affects Always On Lateral because the system checks this pause flag before sending steering commands. Pressing the button again resumes steering.
Limitations & Known Issues
-
Critical alerts: If a critical safety alert fires (for example, a severe steering system error), Always On Lateral is immediately disabled until the alert clears.
-
Enable With LKAS only for specific cars: The LKAS activation mode is exclusively for Hyundai/Kia/Genesis CAN-FD vehicles without openpilot gas and braking. All other cars use the "Main" activation mode.
-
Interface board safety model compatibility: Although FrogPilot sets the always-on steering flag for all cars, the interface board's firmware must actually support this flag for your car's specific safety model. If your car's safety model doesn't support the flag, steering will silently stop when cruise is off. The toggle will appear enabled but have no effect. The exact list of supported safety models is determined by the interface board firmware and may vary.
-
Non-driving gears: Shifting into Park, Neutral, Reverse, or Unknown gear immediately disables Always On Lateral. This is a safety measure. The system should never steer when the car isn't in a forward driving gear.
-
Steering faults override everything: If your car reports a temporary or permanent steering fault, Always On Lateral cannot keep steering active. The system will immediately stop sending steering commands regardless of the Always On Lateral state.
-
Subaru Lane Keeping Assist System button: On Subaru vehicles, the Lane Keeping Assist System button assignment in Wheel Controls is always disabled regardless of settings. Subaru drivers cannot use the Lane Keeping Assist System button for custom functions.
Setup Recommendations
| Scenario | Always On Lateral | Enable With Cruise Control | Pause on Brake Press Below | Pause Steering Below |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cautious / new user | On | On | 15 mph / 24 km/h | 5 mph / 8 km/h |
| City-only driving | On | On | 5 mph / 8 km/h | 0 (Off) |
| Daily commute (mixed roads) | On | On | 0 (Off) | 0 (Off) |
| Prefer stock openpilot behavior | Off | — | — | — |
| Want manual control when braking | On | On | 25 mph / 40 km/h | 0 (Off) |
Q: Always On Lateral was working yesterday but stopped after a FrogPilot update. What happened?
A: Updates can sometimes change the interface board firmware or the safety flags. After an update, your car may need to re-establish the always-on steering flag. Try rebooting your device, then re-enable the Always On Lateral toggle (turning it off and back on). If the issue persists, the update may have changed the safety model support for your specific car. Check the FrogPilot release notes or community forums.
Q: Can I use Always On Lateral on my car if it doesn't support openpilot gas and braking?
A: Yes. Always On Lateral only controls steering, not gas or braking. Many cars that don't support openpilot gas and braking still support steering control, and Always On Lateral works on those cars. The key requirement is that your car supports openpilot steering and that the interface board safety model allows always-on steering commands.
Q: Does steering still work for lane changes when only Always On Lateral is active (cruise off)?
A: Yes. As long as Always On Lateral is providing steering, the system considers steering to be fully active. If you have Lane Changes and Automatic Lane Changes enabled, signaling will still initiate a lane change even without cruise control engaged.
Q: How do I use a steering wheel button to pause steering while driving?
A: Go to FrogPilot → Vehicle Settings → Wheel Controls. You can assign "Pause Steering" to the Distance button (short press, long press, or very long press) or the Lane Keeping Assist System button. Once assigned, pressing that button while driving will toggle steering on and off. Press it again to resume. Note that on Subaru vehicles, the Lane Keeping Assist System button assignment isn't available.
Q: I don't see the "Enable With LKAS" option in my settings. Where is it?
A: This option only appears for Hyundai/Kia/Genesis CAN-FD vehicles that do not use openpilot gas and braking. For all other cars, FrogPilot automatically removes this option and shows Enable With Cruise Control instead. This is expected, not a bug.
Q: My steering stops the moment I cancel cruise control, even though Always On Lateral is enabled. What's going on?
A: This usually means one of two things. First, check that cruise control is at least available. Your car must be in Drive with the cruise system ready (you should see the cruise indicator on your dashboard, even if it is not actively set). If cruise is not available, Always On Lateral cannot activate. Second, your car's interface board safety model may not fully support the always-on steering flag. Unfortunately, there's no on-screen indicator for this. If the toggle is on and cruise is available but steering still stops, your car's safety model may be the limitation.
Q: Steering pauses every time I tap the brake, even at highway speeds. How do I fix this?
A: Check the Pause on Brake Press Below setting (under FrogPilot → Driving Controls → Steering → Always On Lateral). If this is set to a high value like 70 mph, steering will pause whenever you brake below that speed. Set it to 0 to disable brake-based pausing entirely, or lower the value to only pause at very low speeds. Pause on Brake Press Below requires Standard tuning level to adjust.
Q: The "Enable With Cruise Control" option is greyed out or invisible. How do I access it?
A: Enable With Cruise Control requires Advanced tuning level to be visible. Go to FrogPilot settings and set your tuning level to "Advanced" or higher. Also note that Enable With Cruise Control is hidden for Hyundai/Kia/Genesis CAN-FD cars without openpilot gas and braking. Those cars see the LKAS option instead.
Q: The screen shows a teal border but my steering feels weaker than when cruise is fully engaged. Is this normal?
A: The steering force is the same whether Always On Lateral is active or cruise is fully engaged. The actual steering control is identical. If you have Dynamic Path Width enabled (under Model UI settings, default Off), the driving path will appear narrower (75% of normal width) as a visual cue that only steering is active, but this is purely cosmetic and doesn't affect steering strength. If you notice a genuine difference in steering feel, there may be a separate issue with your steering tune.
Q: What is the difference between 'Pause on Brake Press Below' and 'Pause Steering Below'?
A: 'Pause on Brake Press Below' only pauses steering when you are actively pressing the brake pedal at speeds below your set threshold. 'Pause Steering Below' (found in Steering settings) is a general quality-of-life setting that pauses all steering at low speeds regardless of whether you are braking, unless you have the 'Turn Signal Only' sub-option enabled.
Related Features
Always On Lateral works best when paired with features that give you physical control over steering pauses.
| Feature | Relationship | How it interacts |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic Lane Changes | Works alongside | Lane change maneuvers continue to work normally when Always On Lateral is providing steering without cruise control active. |
| Lane Changes | Works alongside | Lane change maneuvers continue to work normally when Always On Lateral is providing steering without cruise control active. |
| Pause Steering Below | Works alongside | Creates a speed-based threshold that pauses all steering, including Always On Lateral, below a set speed. The optional "Turn Signal Only" sub-option limits this to signaling scenarios. |
| Wheel Controls | Works alongside | Lets you assign "Pause Steering" to a physical steering wheel button, giving you a quick way to toggle Always On Lateral's steering on and off while driving. |
