Spotify Discontinues Car Thing Music Playback Devices: What This Means for Users

In a recent announcement, Spotify has confirmed that it will discontinue support for its Car Thing music playback devices. This means that the device will cease to function on December 9, 2024, for all users. The Car Thing was designed to be used in cars, allowing users to listen to Spotify content through their car speakers and control the application through voice recognition, a touch screen, and preset buttons. The device was tested in 2022 for users with older cars that did not have Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

However, due to low demand forecasts and supply chain problems, Spotify has decided to discontinue the Car Thing device. Existing units are currently on sale but will no longer be supported after December 9th. The company stated that this decision is part of its efforts to optimize its product offerings and focus on developing new functions and improvements for a better user experience.

Spotify recommends that users reset their Car Thing devices to factory settings before disposing of them following local e-waste guidelines. There are no plans to launch a replacement version of the device at this time. Users impacted by this announcement should take the necessary steps to ensure that their Car Thing device is properly handled and no longer used after the specified date.

The discontinuation of the Car Thing marks the end of an era for Spotify’s in-car entertainment system. However, it also opens up opportunities for new developments in this space as the company continues to innovate and improve its products and services for its users.