Spotify looks to be retiring its simplified UI for drivers. The Car View mode was initially announced in 2019 as a way to prevent drivers from being distracted while driving. Spotify’s approach was to strip away most of the superfluous elements on the UI giving users a simplified UI. The UI basically only allowed users to do basic actions like skip, pause and rewind when activated.

However, it looks like Car View is being removed from the app. Android users will realise that Car View no longer launches when connected to a Bluetooth speaker. The removal of Car View from the Spotify app was confirmed by a support thread moderator. In the statement, the moderator said that the feature is being retired to “make way for new innovations” and that they are “actively exploring a variety of new ways to deliver the best in-car listening experience”.

While the retiring of the feature seems counter-intuitive, it isn’t really a handicap to the app as users are also able to interact with app via Google Assistant or, if you have a car with CarPlay or Android Auto, you can simply use the app in the dash. However, the timing of Spotify’s move to silently retire the feature is a little sus. The company only just recently released “Car Thing” a display device meant for older vehicles. The device delivers a similar experience to users who can’t use in-dash apps. That said, the USD$80 device is currently only available in the U.S. and Canada.

We’ll just have to wait and see whether a new version of Car View is in the works.