Spotify's Car Thing Is Resurrected, Thanks To Community Firmware Wizards Who Refused To Abandon It Do you remember Car Thing? The hardware was Spotify's now-abandoned device to control streaming music from the platform, rather than relying on built-in car software, like CarPlay or Android Auto. However, Spotify killed off Car Thing after just a few months. First announced in 2019, Car Thing later launched in 2021 in a limited capacity, before becoming generally available in 2022. It was on sale from February to July, before Spotify pulled the plug on producing it. Unfortunately, December 2024 rolled around, and Spotify then buried the entire product, stopping any remaining Car Things from working. No longer functional, Spotify overnight had created e-waste that was useless to owners. Until, much like those hacking Amazon Echo Show, some hardware tinkerers created Mira, custom firmware for dead Car Things to bring them back. All you need is the download, a USB-C cable, and a Car Thing to get started. Setup will require you to tether Car Thing to your PC or phone to connect via Bluetooth to access Spotify. Once all connected, hook up Car Thing wherever you want it, and you can once again use it to control the music that's streaming from your phone. Most of the original features that you'd expect are here, including podcast support, lyrics view, source options, and various methods of control (including gesture, physical, and voice). As of August 2026, the current version of Mira, 1.0, has two known issues. These are Bluetooth not always automatically reconnecting and waking from sleep can occasionally be flaky. That said, the project's GitHub page is incredibly detailed and even comes with a troubleshooting section. Car Thing is back as Mira Thing Mira is the latest in a line of consumers attempting to