Music streaming service Spotify is reportedly letting some Android users test a new, voice-focused car mode after it removed Car View last year without any obvious replacement.
Car Mode is less like the hyper-simplified Car View that came before it and more like a version of Spotify’s usual interface that’s tweaked to make quick actions easier, citing 9to5Google, The Verge reported.
While the current version of Car Mode that Spotify’s testing does have a tab that lets you access your recently played music, the search screen has been replaced by a voice control feature.
The interface for controlling what’s currently playing has a similar layout to Spotify’s regular mode, which should let you use muscle memory (without a lot of the visual distractions that are on the standard screen).
The similarity to the regular interface solves a problem that some users had with the previous Car View – when Spotify “retired” it, many commenters wished it good riddance, saying it required more of their attention to use since it was so unfamiliar.
According to 9To5Google, the player view of Spotify’s Car Mode is extremely simple, with only play/pause, skip, shuffle, and like buttons, along with an easy access microphone button for voice controls.
The voice controls, also accessible from the middle tab, are your way to search Spotify’s library of music and podcasts while in Car Mode. And the Library tab offers quick access to the music you’ve listened to most recently.
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