Spotify Debuts First Native In-Car App on Audi Vehicles

Tarlton emphasized that Spotify is not abandoning phone projection. The company remains "heavily invested" in Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, he said, but the native app is positioned to compete directly with phone mirroring. "We want to give users choice," Tarlton said. "We want to be wherever they are and we want to make sure that they're accessing Spotify in the way they want to access it, whether they're locked into the iOS ecosystem … or Android on the phone as well."

The native app also addresses common pain points of phone projection, such as spotty wireless connections and slow boot times. "You're not having to wait to boot. You're not having to wait for a screen to load. You're not having to plug your phone in," Tarlton said. Additional features include the ability for passengers to scan a QR code to join a wireless "Spotify Jam" session and add songs directly to the queue from their smartphones. On vehicles with a dedicated secondary passenger display, front passengers can browse, view lyrics, and watch video content without disturbing the driver. While the vehicle is parked or charging, motion graphics like video podcasts can be displayed.

For now, the native Spotify app is available only on select Audi models, and there is no word on when it might expand to other car brands or arrive in Tunisia. Spotify has not announced pricing or availability details for the Tunisian market. Readers who own an Audi with Android Automotive should check for an over-the-air update in the coming weeks.

If you rely on CarPlay or Android Auto for in-car listening, nothing changes immediately—Spotify says it remains committed to those platforms. But the launch signals a broader shift: as cars become more connected, streaming services may increasingly build directly into vehicle operating systems rather than depending on your phone. For Tunisian drivers, that future is still some distance away, but it's worth watching as more automakers adopt Android Automotive.