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.

[bmchandler2]

To all the people canceling subscriptions over this, it literally takes 2 minutes to uninstall your current Spotify, download 5.4 (I can also confirm this works fine in my car), reinstall, and click "use offline" on your library which is still there when you log back in after reinstalling. I can understand the frustration, but why dump a darn good music app instead of quickly downgrading?

[amrothnimrodel]

I agree I love Spotify but they really messed up their app with this Ford
**bleep**. I'm going to miss it. Im Making all my playlist from Spotify on g
play right now.

[rob_bennett85]

I shouldnt have to work around something I pay for to use in my car.

[travfran]

Because of the principle of the matter. The permanent workaround should not be downgrading and avoiding updating the app so that it works on Bluetooth. If people don't cancel their subscription, who's to say Spotify would actually remove this feature? They're already getting our money, and if we hold onto our subscription then why would they spend the time and resources looking into this problem and testing? If that happens, we'd be missing out on any future updates just because we don't want to be locked out of our app.

I say, cancel the subscription and move to another streaking service that has their **bleep** together. Then Spotify will begin to care, because they're losing money to competitors.

[user-removed]

I use Spotify every day. Not since this bad update. If this is not changed soon, I'm going to cancel my subscription because I essentially can't even use it anymore. Lame. Revert ASAP!

[VincentV1977]

Same here, app is unusable since update. Very disappointing. Looking for alternative.

[mpdesormeaux]

---

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/.

---

So, for safety reasons, you've neutered your app on half your customers' devices while in a Ford car. You don't think Android customers want to browse or search?

What if I'm sitting in my car on my lunch break? What if I want to quickly change artists or playlists at a long stop light?

It is not your responsibility to keep me safe. It's mine. Please make this an optional feature that you can opt out of in app settings. Otherwise I'll have to keep force-closing the app and restarting it to get around this nuisance "feature".

[user-removed]

Deuces to Spotify I guess.

[Jeteroni]

Is there any point other than hands free driving? 

Why can't my passenger have the ease of use from my phone to select songs and navigate the app anymore? 

Spotify Please roll this back or make an option to disable it. It is TERRIBLE.

-Long time premium customer

[kanuuker1]

Spotify, you've actually made the app far more dangerous for me. I live in an area with no cell service so I need to use an offline playlist when I leave the house, however, I often forget to do change it when I'm in a rush to leave in the morning so after I leave the house my music drops out I have to go to kill my bluetooth, go to app settings, kill the app, load the app, reconnect bluetooth, and lastly restart my music, all while driving. On top of that, it's totally buggy now too. Your overbearing nanniness has resulted in not only a product that is more dangerous than it was before, but also far more annoying and frustrating. I'm very disappointed. Please roll this disasterous update back and recognize that some of us are adults and are able to take responsiblity for our own behavior.

[samcrawford2010]

Just wanted to echo everyone else's views that this is a real step backwards in functionality, and probably does more harm than good from a safety perspective. I'm downgrading to 4.9.

[CarlCCryMoar]

Sadly, this response is not good enough from Spotify.  Spotify, you've got solid competitors now that can provide me with the ability to use my phone's interface when I am in my car.  This is a feature which is extremely important to me.  Even though I like the interface and have been member since 2012, I will have to leave for Google Play.  While there are workarounds in this thread, the fact remains that this is a service I pay for, and I should not have to work around "features" just to make it work in my car.  Google Play can provide me with this feature still.

Sorry to have to go.  Bye, Spotify.

[bartuszekj]

I believe the breaking change has been introduced in version 5.5. I think 5.4 should be "safe". If anyone can confirm this, at least we can use a more recent version.

Here's the archive:

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

[Jemang]

I don't think for the service that I paid, I have to come up with a workaround to use such service. Hence, no, I refused to downgrading Spotify version.

But yes, I have canceled my subscription of premium, and happy to take it to somewhere else!

[blamex]

Is there any official reply to this issue beside the twitter comment?

Don't we get official replies here in the forums?

Regards,

[travfran]

The official reply has been the same generically recycled message of "This is implemented for safety", and "We have no news on this, but have been passing feedback regarding this issue to the appropriate parties".

I've downgraded, but still cancelled my subscription and will use my downgraded Spotify until my paid subscription is expired, then will switch to Google Play. Spotify has two weeks, for me, to push another release that'll dump this "feature".

[mExcl]

Same problem with my 2015 Ford Ranger. The downgrade to 4.9 did not work on my phone. I hope there will be a solution in the next few days. 

[tmr22]

Just about ready to cancel my subscription.

Listening to music during my commute - and during the workday - were the two primary reasons I purchased a preimum membership. I now sit in my office at work, nearly two hours after getting out of my car, and I'm still stuck at the Spotify/Ford screen. While hard-closing the application and restarting may fix this, the premise is absurd. I'm picturing a meeting where nobody has any bright ideas, and then suddenly someone pipes up: "Let's completely hamstring user's control of our application if they drive a Ford!" to a rousing applause.

It's pathetic, and as a software developer, it's actually hilarious how poor both their QA department, and whichever PM greenlit this, are performing.

Goodbye Spotify.

[pisymbol]

Are you sure you are running 4.9? Check the app version number. 4.9 definitely does not have this "AppLink or Bust" feature.

@Spotify: C'mon support, I think you owe us a little status report of if engineering is looking at it and what is the current game plan.

[rob_bennett85]

Same boat as you I commute for a total of 3 hours everyday and then listen through headphones while at work. I started using Google play music and have really enjoyed it so far. Spotify is gone for me as soon as the month is up.