The Amazon Music mobile app is getting a new feature to make it a little bit easier to use while driving. Car Mode is a simplified version of Amazon Music’s interface, featuring larger buttons, suggested playlists and albums, and easy access to Alexa.
Once enabled, Car Mode is divided into two sections. The upper part near the top of your phone is devoted to playback controls like play, pause, and skip, while the bottom section features a collection of music suggestions which you can switch between with a swipe or a tap. If a hands-free experience sounds better (and it probably should if you’re trying to drive safely) you can trigger Alexa in the bottom right corner with a tap or by using an Alexa voice command (“Hey Alexa, play Elton John”).
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Car Mode doesn’t add any new functionality to Amazon Music, but its changes to the user interface could make it easier to switch songs or dive into a new playlist without having to take your attention away from the road. Like Spotify’s own take on simplified car controls, Amazon Music can be set to switch to Car Mode as soon as it recognizes your phone connecting to your car’s Bluetooth. For anyone with an older car, Car Mode can also be enabled in settings.
Amazon Music might not be as popular as Spotify or Apple Music — it’s on its way with over 55 million subscribers as of January 2020 — but for a growing service that’s pretty easy to try if you’re already have an Amazon Prime subscription, any new feature has the possibility to help a lot of people. Car Mode is available in Amazon Music now on iOS and Android.
