Turn On / Off Driving Mode On Your Samsung Galaxy
Edited by Debbie, Charmed, Jerry Rivers, Lynn and 23 others
We all know many people that talk and press buttons on their smartphone while driving -- but that can be really dangerous! It's better for everyone on the road if you just pull over, use your phone, and get back to driving without distractions. With a Samsung Galaxy phone, there is a feature that gives you the benefit of using your phone's communication features without ever touching or looking at the device itself. This feature will announce incoming calls and read text messages to you out loud, so you won't be distracted. It's called Driving Mode, and this guide will explain how to turn it on.
If you need help with the Samsung Galaxy S5, please read our article on Use Car Mode on the Samsung Galaxy S5. Please Note: Only certain carriers allow for this function. If you cannot find the option, chances are your carrier had this option removed.
- 1 Turn Driving Mode/Hands-Free Mode ON for Galaxy S4
- 2 Turn Driving Mode/Hands-Free OFF for Galaxy S4
- 3 Turn Off Car Mode or Drive Mode on the Samsung Galaxy S5
- 4 Tips, Tricks and Warnings
- 5 Questions and Answers
- 5.1 Why isn't my Samsung phone's Driving Mode working?
- 5.2 My settings do not include a "my device" option?
- 5.3 The instructions on this site don't match up to the menu options on my S5?
- 5.4 Has drive mode been taken away?
- 5.5 I have a Samsung note 8 and I can't find the driving mode to turn it off?
- 6 Comments
Turn Driving Mode/Hands-Free Mode ON for Galaxy S4
- 1(Usually found in the bottom right corner of your screen.)From your "Home" screen, tap on the "Apps" button.
- 2Locate the "Settings" app and tap it.
- 3Near the top of the "Settings" screen, tap on "My Device".
- 4You will need to first turn on "Driving Mode or Hands-Free Mode" before you can adjust the options.Look for "Driving Mode or Hands-Free Mode" and either tap on the slider to the right to turn it on first or tap the text to bring up the options.
- 5If you tapped on the text first, your screen should look like the screenshot below.
- 6From here you can uncheck any of the boxes that you do not wish to use.If you tapped the slider first, and then the text, your screen will look like the screenshot below.
Turn Driving Mode/Hands-Free OFF for Galaxy S4
If you want to turn off Driving Mode/Hands-Free Mode:
- 1Go to your phone's "Settings" app.
- 2Tap on "My Device".
- 3Tap on the slider to the right of the text to turn off "Driving Mode or Hands-Free Mode".
- 4You have now successfully turned off Driving Mode/Hands-Free Mode.
Turn Off Car Mode or Drive Mode on the Samsung Galaxy S5
Drive Mode has been changed to Car Mode on the S5 unless you're using AT&T, and then it's still called Drive Mode, except, it isn't really Drive Mode.
Drive Mode, as it was commonly known on the Samsung Galaxy S4 and earlier models, has been changed to Car Mode. If you need help using the feature, please read our article on how to use Car Mode for the Samsung Galaxy S5. Car mode has a whole new set of features and uses, and the location of device functionality has also been changed. It's now accessed through the notifications panel, and can also be set to automatically turn on or off, as described in the linked guide above for Car Mode.
Those of you using AT&T will find that your mobile provider has completely removed Car Mode, and instead have their own app, called Drive Mode. The AT&T Drive Mode doesn't work the same as the old Samsung Drive Mode, or the new Car Mode, and is not covered in this guide. If you're willing to root your phone, you can get the new Car Mode on an AT&T phone, but it requires a good understanding of your Samsung Galaxy S5 and how to root it.
To access Car Mode on the Galaxy S5, from a stock phone, take these steps:
- 1Press the "Home" button to get to the home screen.
Tips, Tricks and Warnings
- NEVER operate your phone while driving unless your phone is in Driving Mode so you don't have to take your eyes off the road and your hands off the wheel!
Questions and Answers
Why isn't my Samsung phone's Driving Mode working?
"What should I check on to see why it's not working?"
Driving Mode has been changed to Car Mode in the Samsung Galaxy S5, so if you're using the S5, you'll need to visit the above section on how to turn off Car Mode or Drive mode on the Samsung Galaxy S5. That section has screen shots of each device carrier's Android OS notifications screen. It also has a link in the first paragraph to our article on how to use Car Mode in the S5, which discusses turning the feature on and off, and setting up or disabling the other options and features.
If you're using a Note or an earlier model S series, like the Galaxy S4, try these steps:
- 1You may have accidentally enabled another feature as you were looking for Driving Mode. When working properly, Driving Mode should notify you out loud that you have an incoming call, text, or email. To make sure that you have followed the right sequence to enable the Driving Mode:First, ensure that you have followed the correct steps above.
- 2Go to the Settings application.
- 3Tap on "My Device".
- 4Look for the feature called "Hands-Free Mode" to turn it on.
- 5Tap on the slider to the right to enable the feature.You'll see the Driving Mode/Hands-Free Mode slider here.
- 6After you enable Driving Mode, you can choose what types of messages you want your phone to read out loud to you.
Driving Mode should now work. If your phone is still having issues enabling the feature, bring your device to a Samsung-certified store to have a representative troubleshoot your device; it is likely that a piece of software isn't acting properly and you'll need to get it fixed.
My settings do not include a "my device" option?
How do I turn on driving mode?
Different versions of the Android and Samsung operating system modify device functionality. Please try the steps below:
- 1Navigate to your Home screen, by pressing the 'Home' button.
- 2Select 'Apps'.
- 3Go to 'Settings'.
- 4Select 'Languages and Input'.
- 5Select the 'Text to Speech Output' option.
- 6Under the 'General' tab, you will see 'Driving Mode'.
- 7Select the items you would like to turn on for reading.
- 8Note that you can also turn this feature off under the 'Notifications' panel.
- 9You can now access Drive mode.
- If you are using the S5, you'll need to reference the updated section of this guide for additional help and instructions.
I want to disable car mode. Every time I walk away from my phone, car mode comes back on
We have updated this Q&A and the associated guide with steps for using Car Mode on the Samsung Galaxy S5, and linked to our new guide on the topic. If Car Mode, or Driving Mode, is enabled, you can simply swipe down from your home screen, and access the 'Notifications' panel. From there, you will be able to simply tap and disable Car Mode. If you are still having problems, and you are on AT&T, you will need to contact your carrier, as they have removed Car Mode, and replaced it with their own Drive Mode (which is different than Samsung's earlier versions of Driving Mode). The AT&T service does not have the same functionality as Samsung Car Mode or Drive Mode.
Has drive mode been taken away?
I am thinking that drive mode was eliminated on the last update.. I only had this phone for 1 month and that feature was there when I got it but it is gone now. My carrier is Verizon.
If you're using the Galaxy S5, Driving Mode has been changed to Car Mode, and is available from the Notifications Panel. Just drag down the Notifications Panel, and you'll be able to access it by tapping 'Car Mode'. We've updated this VisiHow guide with screen shots to help you see what it would look like on a stock S5, and have also linked another article discussing Car Mode for the S5.
I have a Samsung note 8 and I can't find the driving mode to turn it off?
I have a note 8 and I can't find the driving mode to turn it off...I want to turn it off so I can use it while my wife is driving..... It don't cover the Samsung note 8 phone....please help me... I have tried: Everything in your article...don't include Samsung note 8. I think it was caused by: Driving mode...while I'm moving...help.....help....
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