PSA: Your Car Thing Is Still Usable Even After Spotify Kills It Off in December

Spotify is finest recognized for being everybody’s go-to music streaming app. The corporate additionally tried to make a {hardware} system, the Automotive Factor, which shall be become a paperweight on the finish of 2024. Nonetheless, there are methods you’ll be able to recycle the Automotive Factor, even after Spotify bricks it.

Why Is the Automotive Factor Being Discontinued?

The Spotify Automotive Factor was a small system with a 4-inch touchscreen, a dial, and a number of other buttons. It was meant to be a handy technique to hearken to Spotify in older automobiles that do not have Android Auto or Apple CarPlay skills.

Automotive Factor launched in 2021, and after only one yr of manufacturing, Spotify stopped gross sales in July 2022, 5 months after it grew to become accessible to most of the people. In Could 2024, Spotify introduced that it’d brick all current Automotive Issues by December 9, 2024, and suggested customers to eliminate them.

Spotify hasn’t formally disclosed the explanation why Automotive Factor was discontinued. On the floor, it looks as if poor gross sales figures are accountable, however the firm hasn’t launched these both. It is unlucky as a result of Automotive Factor was really a fairly good piece of {hardware} for a primary try, however the firm is sending it to a landfill anyway.

This is not the primary time Spotify has killed one thing out of the blue. Spotify is understood to take away app options with out warning. These aren’t options you’d hardly ever use both, these are those you’d need again, as an alternative of options that will make music streaming companies cheaper if dropped.

Easy methods to Repurpose Spotify Automotive Factor

A quite energetic group of modders has popped across the Automotive Factor regardless of it being out there for such a short while. In case you’ve additionally grown connected to your Automotive Factor, there are many community-supported tasks you’ll be able to set up on the system and use it for absolutely anything.

With a little bit tweaking and an OS flash, you’ll be able to flip the Automotive Factor right into a helpful desk gadget. One nice undertaking for this function is DeskThing, an alternate OS for the Automotive Factor.

It is an open-source undertaking that permits you to set up community-made apps to do something from controlling your music to checking in in your Discord name. Set up and setup is extraordinarily simple and there are detailed directions out there on the DeskThing GitHub repository.

An alternative choice is GlanceThing, which turns your Automotive Factor right into a glanceable motion pad, including performance like command actions. customizable shortcuts, a standing bar with date and time, and naturally, music management for Spotify. It comes with a guided installer and yow will discover detailed directions over on the GlanceThing GitHub repository web page.

There’s additionally a requirement in the neighborhood for Spotify to make the Automotive Factor’s firmware open-source so it may be reused. Regardless, there are many choices for recycling your Automotive Factor earlier than it turns right into a $90 brick you must throw away.