Disable Ford Applink with spotify

[xartic1]

Is there anyway to disable spotify from having my Microsoft Sync in my Ford from being solely controlled through the car? It's entirely bothersome to try and navigate through my car to get to a different artist or playlist when I could just do it easily through my phone.

On my end, my mustang has no nav, and I cannot find any way to disable Sync from completely controlling my phone's spotify app. All it shows is the spotify logo with an arrow to a Ford logo. Super annoying.

[o-caneo]

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@stelth2k1 wrote:

Hey guys, what I tried doing is uninstalling the app and downloading an older version of spotify. I will keep you posted if this works or not. I am guessing it should

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I was thinking about that but how would you actually do it?

[stelth2k1]

This officially worked! I just tested it out.

uninstall the app, and disable auto update in the playstore. then download from this link.

https://spotify.en.uptodown.com/android/old

[o-caneo]

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@stelth2k1 wrote:

This officially worked! I just tested it out.

uninstall the app, and disable auto update in the playstore. then download from this link.

https://spotify.en.uptodown.com/android/old

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Which version should we download to avoid the applink

[stelth2k1]

I downloaded 4.9

[o-caneo]

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@stelth2k1 wrote:

This officially worked! I just tested it out.

uninstall the app, and disable auto update in the playstore. then download from this link.

https://spotify.en.uptodown.com/android/old

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Confirmed, worked for me. Thanks a lot man, you saved me a lot of headache. Maybe these **bleep**ers should hire you since you apparently can do their job a lot better than they can.

[Dethley]

This works. Good temporary solution, but Spotify needs to address this.

[xartic1]

Renaming Sync through my phone did not work, disabling the apps through Sync did not work.

I cancelled my subscription because how annoying this is. If I don't have all my apps closed and spotify running BEFORE I even start to connect to bluetooth, then I have to fully shutdown my phone to get it to connect to spotify. Otherwise it will just show the Ford logo and will just play from my music app no matter how I approach it. Even if I have control of spotify with BT disconnected, Sync wants to revert to playing from the music app on my phone and not Spotify. LAME!!!

One shouldn't have to uninstall the app and specifically download the version just to get it to work. I understand how easy that is, but that's not the point. Spotify should have tested this with a few people with Sync to ensure a matter like this wouldn't arise. 

[Dethley]

I agree 100%. Someone responded to me via their Facebook page and said they forwarded the issue to the right people... But i know how developers work. Unless someone in management demands an immediate fix this will go to the end of whatever road map they are currently working with. Everyone needs to get on facebook, twitter or whatever medium they use and post to their page. Enough people confirming the issue will get more attention.

Unfortunately these forums are not officially manned by Spotify employees or dedicated teams so we may not get results here.

[pisymbol]

I am this -->||<-- close to cancelling Spotify Premium (I've been a customer now for I think 4-5 years now) if they don't fix this in a timely fashion.

The Spotify Ford Sync is **bleep**. Plain and simple. It doesn't download all of my artists which I have reported several times with no response NOR can I select an artist outside of my saved which makes it borderline useless (I am not curating custom playlists just for my daily commute).

The generic bluetooth audio support is fine. That is what I was using up until I just updated my phone.

@Spotify: You MUST fix this NOW. And you need to understand how you get into this mess to begin with.

[travfran]

Reached out to them via Facebook and Twitter, both said it's for safety reasons. Bs- it's more hazardous, especially when the integration wasn't included in the 'app updates' in the Google play store, leaving me to have to pull over to the side of the road to try to figure it out. Using Ford's ui is way more dangerous than looking at my phone between stoplights.

[Chris__s]

Hey folks,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention!

For safety reasons, having the Spotify and Ford logos showing on your mobile device whilst connected via AppLink is currently intended. We have some info on how to control the music in your Ford car via voice commands and the car's stereo system here: https://support.spotify.com/uk/using_spotify/play_on_stereo_tv_car/ford/.

If you have a passenger who'd like to control the music, they can do so by logging into the same account on their device, and controlling the music via Connect.

Regarding the other issues raised here e.g. the logo staying on screen once you've left the car; we've made the team behind this integration aware and they're looking into it. We'd recommend keeping an eye out for future app updates.

We appreciate all of your feedback on this.

[basematti]

Looks like Spotify is about to lose me, and a whole bunch of Ford drivers. This is idiotic that you disabled my phone screen for MY SAFETY. Now I'm going to disable my 9.99 and hop over to your competitor. Tell your legal dept to stop screwing up your business. Deuces.

[protocol78]

Why when leaving the car does spotify still continue to display the Ford logo. Even sometimes after closing and reopening. This leaves you to do a force close to get control over spotify again. Oh and then the spotify app link in the ford is removed so you have to search and install it again .

Often the voice commands do not work so saying choose playlist brings up 'loading' then nothing happens

Your ford integration just plain sucks! As for safety?? What BS. Better to use BT audio and use the app normally . Spotify please stick to making a good music application , not being my nanny !!

[o-caneo]

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@Chris wrote:

Hey folks,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention! For safety reasons, this is currently intended whilst connected via AppLink. We have some info on how to control the music in your Ford car via voice commands and the car's stereo system here: https://support.spotify.com/uk/using_spotify/play_on_stereo_tv_car/ford/.

If you have a passenger who'd like to control the music, they can do so by logging into the same account on their device, and controlling the music via Connect.

We appreciate your feedback on this and are passing it all on to the team behind this integration.

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1. How do you expect the passenger to log into the same account? Are you saying we now have to share our account login information with passengers so they can control the music? This is completely illogical. 

2. This would be a viable solution if the Sync Spotify app on the Ford worked, but that doesn't even work. It does not load playlists, it does not give me any control of what music is playing. Half the time I hit play on the Sync Spotify and nothing happens.

[pisymbol]

Uh, Chris, mobile app support is DISABLED on my Sync 3 enabled Ford.

Why is Spotify enabling AppLink when it is disabled on the Sync 3 side?

I'm sorry, that is just a bug.

And no, this is not safer by any stretch of the imagination.

As many, many users have stated, the existing Spotify app on Ford is just full of bugs/missing features. It doesn't load all playlists. It doesn't even load all artists (I reported this to support several times and they gave me the run around).

Even when it does load the artist in question you can't go into what albums you saved under that artists (i.e. there should be a submenu by albums for the artist you select so you can wittle down what you want to listen to). There is no way to search for an artist you didn't save. The Presets menu seems completely useless. You don't support all voice commands on Android that you do on iOS.

I don't know who is the product manager for Spotify Sync integration, but they need to reaccess and think carefully about how people use Spotify in their vehicle.

In any case, please disable automatically using AppLink when it is disabled on the Sync side. That is just plain bogus.

[Dethley]

thats BS.  Many in car use apps offer an option to toggle control if you are the passenger.  If you really are doing it for safety reasons you would not give access to dashboard menus either.  

Unfortunately this answer is confirming that it's time to move on for me and likely other folks.  I will no longer suggest Spotify to people I know.  As soon as I find a new application I can use I will be canceling my subscription.  

I am disappointed that instead of addressing this issue Spotify is just going to let us long time adopters leave.  Going on a road trip in two weeks and I am not going to be letting my music app ruin that.  Adios Spotify.

[shanefelder]

Chris,

I appreciate the response, however the complete lack of usability of Spotify with Sync means that in effect what you're suggesting is that "for safety, we have disabled Spotify for use in vehicles." This is not an acceptable response.

I have been using/paying for Spotify for years and I would absolutely hate to have to terminate my relationship with a product that I use for ~6 hours/day every day because of this kind of decision. I have been an advocate of your product for years, and this feels like a betrayal.

I hope you reconsider. Thanks,

[BeardMaster]

We pay money every month so they can be our new parents.
Telling us what we can and can't do with our cars, radios and phones, what is safe and unsafe, and that "Daddy hears our problems, and will try and get around to it."
There's a reason there's no way to actually get somebody on the phone.
It's easier to give you the run around and easier to ignore someone you don't actually have to speak to.
Go ahead Spotify...
Hear the anger in our voices, and tell us more lies with yours.

Google is looking better and better with every day that passes where we can't use the service the way it functioned when we were duped into subscribing.

[Dethley]

If this was truly for safety you would be disabling dash board menu access and extending this lock out feature to all vehicles.  My girlfriends Altima has NO problem with spotify under this update.  Don't patronize us with these answers that are just fallacies.  

This is obviously an update that was launched without QA or proper beta testing and instead of addressing that in a timely fashion you are ultimately telling your FORD users that they cant be trusted to use the app and thats why you did what you did.  This is not only bull**bleep** its rude and condesending.   

I wonder what ford would think if they knew that spotify is hindering the use of its app within only its vehicles?  Maybe we should all reach out to Ford.

[o-caneo]

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@Dethley wrote:

If this was truly for safety you would be disabling dash board menu access and extending this lock out feature to all vehicles.  My girlfriends Altima has NO problem with spotify under this update.  Don't patronize us with these answers that are just fallacies.  

This is obviously an update that was launched without QA or proper beta testing and instead of addressing that in a timely fashion you are ultimately telling your FORD users that they cant be trusted to use the app and thats why you did what you did.  This is not only bull**bleep** its rude and condesending.   

I wonder what ford would think if they knew that spotify is hindering the use of its app within only its vehicles?  Maybe we should all reach out to Ford.

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Exactly my thoughts... why is this "safety feature" just for Ford drivers?

I have extended this to Ford Canada via Twitter, I recommend everyone here does the same. They are a lot quicker responding to Tweets than this community board that's for sure.