Car View missing

[jordypeatpeat]

Plan

Premium

Country

New Zealand

Device

Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G

Operating System

Android 11 

My Question or Issue

As of today the 'Car Mode' is missing from my settings. I have it on all the time for driving before and after work, but when I started playing music this morning it defaulted to the main play view with no sign of the setting.

Is this feature removed or is it a bug? Does anyone else have this problem?

Thanks!

[jordypeatpeat]

Hey @jordypeatpeat,

Thanks for posting here.

We can confirm that we're retiring the car view feature. This however doesn't mean we don't want to improve on how our users listen to Spotify while driving. On the contrary, we're actively exploring a variety of new ways to deliver the best in-car listening experience. Think of retiring car-view as something that needs to happen in an effort to make way for new innovations coming down the track.

Please bear with us for the time being. While we work backstage on improving the experience, one alternative would be to listen hands-free via Google Assistant. This feature also works with Google Maps so you can navigate while listening to Spotify. In order to do that, you can link your accounts and say ‘Hey Google, play Spotify’.

If available to you, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay both have Spotify integrations that you can link to your phone and a specifically designed for a driving environment.

We hope you understand. Stay tuned for further developments!

All the best and safe driving.

[catedesmonica]

1. Removing car mode has made the use of spotify unsafe for driving. I need to run my phone on a charging cord therefore the screen locks & has to be unlocked to select or change music. Why remove a feature when there's no replacement. Car thing is not even available in my country, but I wouldn't buy it on principle now. I a premium subscriber and this change will force me to look for a alternative. Very disappointing that you remove one of your most user friendly modes. I'd like to reiterate how unsafe spotify is for driving now.

[Deadzmonkey]

Why remove something that works when it's replacement isn't ready...

We're paying for a service... not to be your beta tester...

[NandoEstevez]

I have the same issue. My car doesn't have Android Auto, just bluetooth connection and I was happy while "Car mode" was available. I listen Spotify through my phone when I'm driving and erasing this very useful option, in my opinion, is a great mistake and a step back. I guess Spotify is working on a better "Car mode",but please, while you are doing that, keep the old "Car mode" on.

Thanks for all.

[Darren23]

I've only just heard of this "car mode" device, disgraceful, taking away a very handy built in feature just to force us to buy a poxy useless device which will probably flop btw and I hope it does. The worst thing is its not even available in my country yet, at least keep the car veiw feature until, you know, car mode is actually available to buy so we can stay safe on the road. Unfortunately car view is being "retired" well so will my premium subscription. 

[RogerAS]

Taking away Car View is extremely disappointing and very shoddy treatment of your customers.

[joshksamuels]

BRING BACK CAR VIEW!!!

HAVING TO TURN ON MY SCREEN AND ENTER MY PASSWORD WHILE DRIVING JUST TO SWITCH SONGS IS WAY MORE UNSAFE.

[gadeas]

Let me guess, removing such a useful feature to have us buy a physical device and then in the near future even increase the premium service cost? 

Can't wait for the price increase... This is such a bad decision, I just hope it flops hard.

[LeKaido]

Hey, I was using this feature A LOT. And it worked well too! Very disappointed that you have decided to ruin my main mode of Spotify usage!

[Lukasz666]

Bring back CAR VIEW MODE!!! You sold us premium SPOTIFY with this feature and you deleted it. We have been deceived. Scary and stupid move SPOTIFY. And unsafe for car drivers. Time to change the streaming platform.

[Lukasz666]

Are you joking on your clients Spotify?

[Lukasz666]

Playing with drivers safety Spotify?!

[pudeldoodle]

(┛◉Д◉)┛彡┻━┻

[catedesmonica]

Retiring car mode is not a solution!!

[DeBiskop]

Well at least I have my answer. Who's dumb idea was this? You go to the car view setting now, and it says pay full attention to the road... but now that that we don't have the nice simple car view we have to PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE APP because it's now too small ?!?!??!??!!

Ever since you pushed out the Car thing ad I've never had the car view mode work. A freaking scam replacement for a software feature that was perfectly fine

[AndyB87]

Bring back Car View, I don't have media control buttons. And I don't intend on getting the car thing. I, as well as many others here like having one device to deal with in the car. Now I have to unlock phone to skip songs while driving which is hazardous instead of a simple swipe while it sits in a cradle and google assist doesn't always pick up voice commands when you have you music playing. Whoever thought this was a great idea to remove a crucial feature to help quality of life needs to rethink this change. Bad move spotify.

[Denis29]

I gather one of the KPI's the Spotify boffins (programmers) have is to improve this media for our listening pleasure but what they have done when they designed CAR VIEW out, they have increased the chances of motor vehicle accidents, with the possibility of serious injuries because the driver took his/her eyes of the road to squint at that tiny display of the song that's playing. I'll bet when they were questioned about the possibility of accidents with the removal of CAR VIEW the answer was there's a slight chance, if they put in a warning stating "Always pay full attention to the road and abide with all traffic regulations" they'll be in the clear in the case of an accident, sorry guys, you noting this says that you expect this to happen because of the change. look out if someone hires a no win no pay lawyer.
DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR, KEEP CAR THING IF YOU MUST BUT RE-INSTATE CAR VIEW
I'll feel safer

[Korvin]

I agree with pretty much everyone in this forum.  Don't remove the old feature without replacing it first.  By the way, let's make sure that the replacement fits the need of your customers before doing so.  I don't want you to replace Car View with something ridiculous that not everyone can even use (Android Auto for example).  Give us an option again to enable a method to play from the phone, to keep the screen always on!

[jammerz]

A few months ago, I opted in to get on the list for Car Thing because I thought it might be neat (and they were being given out free at the time). Today, I received an email inviting me to buy a Car Thing for $80.

If it weren't for the ridiculous way Spotify has handled this Car Mode/Car View fiasco, I probably would have purchased one just for the novelty of it and for the sake of trying it out. However, under the circumstances, I am definitely not  going to spend any money on a Car Thing. Just posting here so Spotify knows they lost at least one sale over this.

[Eroide20]

Ok I am now going to leave Spotify for Deezer.

Car view remove for new feature... ok ? Why just not let car view like this and remove it when new feature is ready ?

That's pure nonsense. You're losing one customer. I'm done.

[Monikato]

Thanks for not letting spotify premium users know about this change. I thought there was something wrong with my app when I couldnt find car view. And I don't want to spend money to purchase an attachment for my phone to use car thing only to have it "retired" once you decide to improve the service. And what use is car thing if it isn't available outside of the US?