Spotify Connect now dead - bring back Car Mode?

[Russbmw]

In light of the recent, unannounced, removal of Spotify Connect functionality as discussed here, which has left loads of people high and dry:

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Ongoing-Issues/Connection-issues-with-car-stereo-receivers/idi-p/53...

Will "Car Mode" now be re-enabled on the app, so that the use of basic bluetooth streaming is both safe and legal to do whilst driving; which is the only option now available for those of us that do not have android auto as an option in our vehicles -and the only thing the manufacturers of car audio equipment are advising people in light of this surprise major downgrade to all their currently on sale car audio headunits?

It made some kind of sense that as car stereos had quite often taken on board Spotify Connect as a means of browsing playlists, etc, using their equipment, that car mode would be removed - now you've done away with Spotify Connect as well, it would make a great deal of sense - and perhaps appease those users who feel utterly let down by Spotify's recent actions - if this feature on the app could be reinstated.

Please can someone confirm if this will happen? Or are Spotify going to continue their agenda of pushing their own "car thing" currently unavailable anywhere other than the US - again, stiffing everyone else worldwide?

I can't seem to set a voting option, but that might be useful here?

[Russbmw]

Just thought I'd tag a few contributors/victims of the other thread, seeing as it got locked down.

@mick46
@mjaincb
@aeroncadin
@Clothednblack
@Thatguy801
@Fixedwheelnut
@JesterK
@NoSurrender
@b747fp
@melaw
@Rob720
@JJSTRK
@snipeytje
@MaitreTeTe
@xj04
@youri_
@vackaming

[Thatguy801]

Just a heads up, rather than buying the spotify car thing you can get the motorola ma1 for wireless android auto for the same price. 

Why give Spotify money for car thing? The device is a hunk of junk, head unit app worked better than the car thing did. 

Getting a return on the carthing is also a nightmare, I ended up having to call my bank for a charge back.

[Rdubz]

We have been deprecated and so are my payments to Spotify. It was nice while it lasted. Spotify is also now Deprecated. Goodbye. Rdubz

[Mick46]

Cheers for the tag and keeping the conversation going. 

[OscarDC]

Hey folks

Thank you for your feedback. We moved your post from chats to the help boards as it's content fits better here.

We're always testing things by adding or removing features to make Spotify better overall. We’re sorry that this means you’re not able to use Spotify like you wish to do at the moment.

We're constantly aiming to improve our features so we hope you’ll continue using it and find it gets better in the future.

Once again - thanks for the feedback, we appreciate it. Let us know if we can help with anything else. We're always one reply away.

Cheers!

[Mick46]

Apprectiate that you're responsive in here, though i can't understand how removing a function many people use daily is improving your app.

I think all we can ask of you is that you pass it on to the people making these decisions.

[Rdubz]

Oscar and your people are wankers

[Thatguy801]

@OscarDC 
Removing functionality with head units is the worst possible idea spotify has ever had. almost everyone who has spotify uses it while driving in their car, and now it is difficult to select playlists / songs / recently played while driving since users will have to reach over and use their phone (while driving) to now change playlists. 
If this is what spotify is advocating for just go ahead and tell us, no need to hide it. 
As others have mentioned, no clue how removing this is a improvement to the app or its functionality, if anything, the spotify app is becoming more worthless. 
If I am going to have to use Android Auto, why should I use spotify? AA supports Tidal, PlexAmp, and many other apps that will stream music and are easier to navigate than spotify since you killed this feature. 
Again I don't see as to how this is beneficial to spotify, I have since moved on to tidal and won't be looking back. 

[NoSurrender]

There can be only one reason for removing it and I think we all know what that is.

It worked fine so there was not maintenance on you part. No overhead. So you just removed it because you could.

Maybe you needed space to put the lyrics in........ now there is a feature that I cannot understand. 

Why would I need the lyrics for every song when I can hear  them as I listen?

[NoSurrender]

Looks like Spotify closing ther other tread has stopped all the momentum 😞

No accident eh?

No matter how far back I go I cant get the integration to connect on the HU again 😞

[Mick46]

Assuming not, but did anything ever come from this or spotify stick with not giving**bleep**?

[NoSurrender]

They killed the thread that had all the interest (not a surprise).

The whole thing dies then. 

Kenwood apologised and said they could not understand it all.

Pity really. I miss integration.

I guess we could just go and download all the music illegally now - no real advantage in having spotify anymore.

[Deestar99]

I'm another user who bought a car stereo with spotify connect.  I bought it December 2021 and 1 month later spotify connect no longer worked. It's not ideal having to grab my phone to start spotify when I'm in my car. Spotify connect would automatically start,  I'd never have to touch my phone when listening to music in my car. 

Im also looking at other music apps people have suggested as I feel spotify are overlooking all android customers that are complaining. Previous threads on this issue have been stopped so no one can comment further,  despite it being a continual issue. Why not let a thread continue when the issue hasn't been resolved. 

Bluetooth connection is not the same as spotify connect

[Russbmw]

Unfortunately, Spotify do not care in the slightest. 

Why manufacturers aren't more concerned about falsely advertising their products as a result is beyond me.

The bottom line is the manufacturers have made their money so don't care, and blame it on Spotify therefore (they believe) absolving themselves of all responsibility).  Spotify equally couldn't give a flying f**k either, and hide behind the banner of "we are constantly improving our app to give everyone a better user experience"..............or read as "we're changing our app to make sure 3rd party products will become redundant, thus forcing people to buy our own integration products"

Car stereo integration via SpotifyConnect has been removed to make CarThing look more appealing.

Think we all know Car Mode won't be reinstated at this point either (was just hoping someone at Spotify would have the balls to come out and say it) because that gap needs to be filled by their CarThing as well.

I am guessing Spotify will be furiously working away in the background, trying to find ways to make Apple Carplay and Android Auto slowly become less functional, but without making it really obvious and sparking then have Apple on their case.

[Russbmw]

Oh, for anyone with a Kenwood KMM205BT, I have since changed my phone (primarily because of this spotify clusterf*ck) to an iPhone, and despite Spotify connect not working on this unit  - presumably because it was only supposed to work on Android anyway, the 305BT does iPhone and android - and have discovered that music on the iphone music app itself (ie: syncd from iTunes) works perfectly.

You can browse playlists, search songs, etc all from the headunit.

[Thatguy801]

The issue was resolved. 
The resolution was that spotify doesn't **bleep** about you or the feature you enjoyed and need a wider marketing are for their "Car Thing". 

Solution: Feature was removed. 

[Thatguy801]

Using Tidal with Motorola ma1 for wireless android auto, works just as good as the spotify feature that was removed.  

[NoSurrender]

It works on Android bluetooth but its not the same - changing playlists etc

If the Car Thing is only available in the US, it would be nice to know how big their subscriber base is there when compared to the rest of the world.

[JesterK]

Well looks like Spotify is cancelling the silly Car Thing project.

I wonder if they will revisit the option of Spotify Connect.

https://mobilesyrup.com/2022/07/27/spotify-stops-manufacturing-car-thing/