Spotify is retiring Car Mode due to poor in-car user experience

For many Spotify users, the app’s Car Mode feature was a godsend. It automatically switched to a simplified interface when connected to Bluetooth, ensuring safer driving by minimizing distractions. But over the past few months, a dark cloud has been looming over Car Mode. User reports flooded online forums, expressing confusion and frustration as the feature mysteriously vanished from their Spotify apps.

Initially, the silence from Spotify fueled speculation. Was this a temporary glitch? Was Car Mode being revamped? But the truth, as confirmed by Spotify support on X, is far more definitive: Car Mode has been officially retired.

This news has left many users feeling frustrated and even a little unsafe. Car Mode wasn’t just convenient; it was a safety feature. According to the CDC, distracted driving claims nine lives every day in the US alone, and using your phone for any reason while driving, including music management, contributes to this tragic statistic. While Car Mode wasn’t a foolproof solution, it significantly reduced the need to fiddle with the Spotify app, keeping users’ focus on the road.

Below is how one Spotify user words their problem with Car Mode missing in the app:

Is there a way to get car mode back with downloading an older version? i drive a lot and have an older car so having car mode is really just a safety feature for me. preferably, i’d like the older version that had the ability to turn on and off car mode via a button on the main screen, but i’m not too picky as long as it works

Another adds that:

So I had car mode set to always on for maybe a year now, and today when I went on Spotify and opened up the player, it was set to the regular listening mode. I went to my settings, but now all there is is an option to manage Car Thing and an option to keep the app open when I’m in car mode . . . but there isn’t even anywhere to activate car mode anymore. I don’t have a car with Bluetooth either, so am I just not able to use car mode anymore??

Below is a screenshot of what I see when I check the Car settings in Spotify on my Android phone. As you can see, Car Mode is missing. Prior to this change, the option would be right above Car Thing.

User testimonials paint a clear picture of the impact. One user laments, “Without Car Mode, the phone reverts to the lock screen… I am so very tired of this.” Another expresses the convenience Car Mode offered beyond just driving, “I would use it while working out, and while dying my hair or doing makeup.”

But perhaps the most concerning aspect of Spotify removing Car Mode is the lack of a clear alternative. While Spotify claims to be actively exploring a variety of new ways to deliver the best in-car listening experience, their official explanation for retiring Car Mode is that it “doesn’t offer a better in-car user experience.” This reasoning leaves users wondering what exactly constitutes a better experience, especially when a safety-focused feature like Car Mode is sacrificed.

The removal comes nearly two years after the discontinuation of Spotify’s Car Thing, a physical device meant for in-car music control. While some might argue Car Thing offers a dedicated solution, it also comes with a $90 price tag, leaving many users feeling like they’re being forced to pay for a feature they previously had for free.

The removal of Car Mode has sparked a wave of discontent among Spotify users who valued the safety and convenience it provided. While Spotify promises future innovations, the current void left by Car Mode is undeniable. It remains to be seen whether Spotify will deliver a true replacement that prioritizes both safety and user experience, or if it will revert this decision.

Featured image: Mr. Mew Tech (YouTube)