Spotify adds ‘Car View’ mode on Android, automatically activates when paired to a vehicle

Ben Schoon | Jan 16 2019 - 11:18 am PT

Listening to music in the car is something most of us do, and Spotify is trying to make that a bit easier for its users. In a new addition to the Spotify app on Android, Car View has arrived.

Spotify already ties into a few other apps to ensure you can safely control your music while driving. That includes Google Maps, Waze, and of course Android Auto. This new Car View, though, integrates directly into the Spotify app on Android.

Car View on Spotify seems to be available in a limited capacity right now, but I’ve got it up and running on my own Pixel 3 XL right now. If this is live on your device, drop a comment below and let us know.

By default, Car View enables itself automatically when you are paired with a vehicle over Bluetooth. There are no manual settings here, so it’s unclear if it would work differently with a third-party stereo system versus something like my Subaru Impreza.

As for the interface of Car View, it’s definitely well-suited for driving. The text of the track title and artists are larger, there’s no album art to distract users, and all of the buttons are huge. Notably, though, a lot of functionality from the standard Now Playing screen simply isn’t available. You can only skip tracks, play/pause, shuffle, or favorite tracks.