It’s not going to be another Siri or Google Assistant, let’s get that straight. What Spotify is launching is a voice command wake-up phrase for its app, which will work only when the app is open.
What originated as an in-car feature for Spotify users, wherein voice commands worked for hands-free functioning, will now be available beyond vehicular constraints. Hey Spotify, welcome to the world!
In 2019, Spotify began testing a hardware device for in-vehicle use – dubbed ‘Car Thing’ – that allowed Spotify Premium users to play music and podcasts using voice commands prefaced with “Hey, Spotify.”
Last year, Spotify began developing a similar voice integration into its mobile app. Now, access to the “Hey Spotify” voice feature is rolling out more widely.
At first, Spotify kept quiet about the new addition and never officially announced it. However, numerous users reported the voice option showing up in their Spotify app, which caused some confusion about availability.
Some Android users had been sent a push notification that alerted them to the feature. The notification advised users to “Just enable your mic and say, ‘Hey Spotify, Play my Favorite Songs’.”
When tapped, the notification launched Spotify’s new voice interface where users are pushed to first give the app permission to use the microphone to be able to verbally request the music they want to hear.
The “Hey Spotify” prompt essentially invokes the voice search while the Spotify app is open, and when the screen is on.
Spotify is integrated with AI assistants such as Google Assistant and Siri and can be launched or commanded through them, so there are no new functions brought by commanding it directly. But this could be Spotify laying the foundation for new features to be added later.
