Amazon Music is getting a new Car Mode feature to reduce distractions while driving with a simplified user interface featuring larger text, streamlined controls, and more.
Amazon Music Gets a Dedicated Car Mode
According to Engadget, Car Mode is heavily focused on swiping more than tapping in order to help drivers navigate the app with minimal distractions. It also puts greater emphasis on voice control through Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant.
When the app detects a Bluetooth connection to a car, it switches to a simplified interface. The app harnesses preset playlists, stations, and albums, which can be customized. Amazon says this should reduce lengthy browsing times.
If you have an older vehicle without Bluetooth, you can manually enable Car Mode in the app’s settings. From there, you can also tell Amazon Music to keep your phone from going to the Lock screen while in Car Mode.
You’ll find your playback controls in the upper half of the interface while the bottom half is devoted to suggestions that you can easily swipe through. While in Car Mode, Alexa can be triggered by either hitting a dedicated button found in the bottom-right corner or by using a voice command such as “Hey Alexa, play Queen” or similar.
Car Mode is now available in the latest version of the Amazon Music mobile app for Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android software, across all of the Amazon Music subscription tiers.
Similar to Spotify’s Own Car Mode
If the feature sounds like a similar in-car mode that Spotify’s mobile app gained in 2019, that’s because it is—both apps rely on a simplified user interface to promote safe driving.
Of course, this feature probably won’t matter much to people who already use Google’s Android Auto or Apple’s CarPlay infotainment software. Both Google Auto and CarPlay are well-optimized for distraction-less driving and they come with support for popular third-party music-streaming services.