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After updating to MBUX 3.3, Online Music is gone from the Media options and while I can play Spotify via Bluetooth, my driver display doesn’t allow any control.
MB support were hopeless but I managed to find Spotify needs to be uninstalled and reinstalled and operates as its own app, not through Online Music.
Despite this, Media on the driver display does not recognise or give you steering wheel control of Spotify or any Bluetooth music.
Last edited by kleinebin; Feb 15, 2026 at 12:12 AM.
After updating to MBUX 3.3, Online Music is gone from the Media options and while I can play Spotify via Bluetooth, my driver display doesn’t allow any control.
MB support were hopeless but I managed to find Spotify needs to be uninstalled and reinstalled and operates as its own app, not through Online Music.
Despite this, Media on the driver display does not recognise or give you steering wheel control of Spotify or any Bluetooth music.
They updated it and broke it... Apple Music was also taken off and will be available at a "later date." Ridiculous.
You've already downloaded the Spotify app so that's what it's going to look like until MB fixes it... I doubt they will.
I was genuinely looking forward to the 3.3 update. Unfortunately, I’m in the same boat — and I’m pretty disappointed.
I use the native Apple Music integration inside MBUX exclusively. With Dolby Atmos playing through the Burmester system, the sound quality was exceptional. It honestly felt like sitting in the studio with the mix. Wide soundstage, clarity, depth — it completely transformed the in-car listening experience.
With 3.3, the native Apple Music app is gone, which forces playback through CarPlay. As most of you know, CarPlay does not support Dolby Atmos. The difference is not subtle. What was immersive and dimensional now feels flat and compressed. It’s a very noticeable step backward in audio quality.
I understand that other streaming platforms may still offer spatial audio support, but many of us have invested years building libraries and curated playlists in Apple Music. Migrating thousands of songs and hundreds of playlists just to regain functionality that previously existed in the car isn’t a realistic solution.
If Dolby Atmos playback through the native Apple Music app matters to you, I would strongly recommend holding off on 3.3 until this functionality returns. Otherwise, you may find the update to be a downgrade in daily usability — at least from an audio perspective.
I’m hopeful Mercedes and Apple resolve this quickly, because the previous implementation was genuinely excellent.
I was genuinely looking forward to the 3.3 update. Unfortunately, I’m in the same boat — and I’m pretty disappointed.
I use the native Apple Music integration inside MBUX exclusively. With Dolby Atmos playing through the Burmester system, the sound quality was exceptional. It honestly felt like sitting in the studio with the mix. Wide soundstage, clarity, depth — it completely transformed the in-car listening experience.
With 3.3, the native Apple Music app is gone, which forces playback through CarPlay. As most of you know, CarPlay does not support Dolby Atmos. The difference is not subtle. What was immersive and dimensional now feels flat and compressed. It’s a very noticeable step backward in audio quality.
I understand that other streaming platforms may still offer spatial audio support, but many of us have invested years building libraries and curated playlists in Apple Music. Migrating thousands of songs and hundreds of playlists just to regain functionality that previously existed in the car isn’t a realistic solution.
If Dolby Atmos playback through the native Apple Music app matters to you, I would strongly recommend holding off on 3.3 until this functionality returns. Otherwise, you may find the update to be a downgrade in daily usability — at least from an audio perspective.
I’m hopeful Mercedes and Apple resolve this quickly, because the previous implementation was genuinely excellent.
I know it’s not perfect, but Tidal does support Atmos and also allows for migration of all playlists from other services.
As I said, uninstalled and reinstalled Spotify. It's extremely buggy and doesn't load.
Worse, my camera when parking no say Auto camera mode inactive and I can't figure out how to restore it to where the cameras choose what I should be looking at.
A truly terrible software update and MB Me support are giving tech support based on outdated information. Agent kept saying to go to Online Music....
As I said, uninstalled and reinstalled Spotify. It's extremely buggy and doesn't load.
Worse, my camera when parking no say Auto camera mode inactive and I can't figure out how to restore it to where the cameras choose what I should be looking at.
A truly terrible software update and MB Me support are giving tech support based on outdated information. Agent kept saying to go to Online Music....
As I said, uninstalled and reinstalled Spotify. It's extremely buggy and doesn't load.
Worse, my camera when parking no say Auto camera mode inactive and I can't figure out how to restore it to where the cameras choose what I should be looking at.
A truly terrible software update and MB Me support are giving tech support based on outdated information. Agent kept saying to go to Online Music....
Definitely get it to the dealer to see what's what. My E350 updated to 333 before i traded it and it wasn't buggy like that at all. In fact the new Spotify App in 333 is worlds better than the previous one. You can actually see your playiists, what's coming up in the queue, your "recent" plays etc. It feels more like the app on my phone now. That said...the loss of apple music was a real kick in the teeth. but things weren't buggy. It definitely sounds like something didn't go well with your update.
So Spotify now works, but Driver display is intermittent.
These should both display the track playing.
I use Apple Music but was curious on your behalf. The only part that doesn't seem functional to me in the media information which isn't displayed in the widget for zero layer. Otherwise, it all seems to be working
.
I wanted to circle back after spending more time with MBUX 3.3.
Now that native Apple Music is gone and we’re forced to use CarPlay, the difference in sound quality on a Burmester system is not subtle — it’s dramatic.
Before the update, Apple Music through the native MBUX integration (especially Dolby Atmos tracks) genuinely showcased what this sound system is capable of. The staging, depth, channel separation, and low-end control were on another level. It felt like a proper high-resolution, properly routed digital signal path.
Through CarPlay, the same tracks sound flat, compressed, and noticeably less dynamic. The soundstage collapses. Bass feels softer and less defined. The overall presentation loses that immersive, premium quality that justified having the Burmester system in the first place.
It’s frustrating because we now know what the system is capable of — we’ve heard it. Going backward makes it more noticeable.
Yes, CarPlay works. Yes, it’s usable. But if you’ve experienced native playback on this platform, especially Atmos content, this is absolutely a step down.
The 3.3 update brought some good improvements. But removing Apple Music without a ready native replacement — especially on cars equipped specifically to take advantage of premium audio — feels like a regression.
I really hope Mercedes and Apple bring back a proper native app soon. Until then, it’s hard not to feel like we lost one of the best parts of the infotainment system.
The difference between music quality streaming through MBUX and CarPlay is huge for sure. It’s between the audio quality being good and being by far the best audio I have ever had in a car.
For a particularly dramatic demonstration, play the atmos speaker test track on the mbux Tidal app and then play it on CarPlay via Tidal. Night and day difference.
I will never use CarPlay in place of MBUX, I hate the CarPlay UI/UX.
Trying to isolate what the issue is. Might delete Spotify for my phones and see if that helps. Again, there seems to be no rhyme or reason when it works - Drove off yesterday and didn't work, got petrol and as soon as I turned it on again it did, then broken in the afternoon.
Spotify worked flawlessly in my W214 after the 3.3.3 update, and it's worked flawlessly in my S214 that came with 3.3.3 from the factory. Have you had the dealer look at it?
I was using Apple Music before the update for the Dolby Atmos support. Since this update, I switched to Amazon Music which also has Dolby Atmos integrated through MBUX...so while Amazon is not as good as Apple, its been a decent replacement for Apple to get the full capabilities of the sound system.
I've never liked streaming music and prefer buying it on disc and then ripping to FLAC. This can be done with Atmos or other multi-chamnel spatial audio with the correct tools. Then I load it to a USB thumb drive and play directly through the car's audio system. No bandwidth issues, service issues, or subscriptions to pay for. Yes, it's more involved and more work to get setup, but it's worth it to me. Likely more expensive too. I have a fairly large CD/DVD audio collection with a good amount of spatial audio (Atmos and Dolby 5.1). It works great but at the moment my car stopped reading the ID3 tags which is a pain. I can still play the music but can't browse by artists or other tag data. I can play the music through Android Auto using an audio app playing files on the phone, but the spatial audio is noticably worse. I don't think any Atmos or audio beyond 2 channels transfer through AA/ACP. My car is actually at the dealership for this exact issue so hopefully they figure out a fix. I have a 2026 GLE350 as a loaner and not liking it at all. Mainly because it has none of the options my E450 has. Sound system sucks big time.
After updating to MBUX 3.3, Online Music is gone from the Media options and while I can play Spotify via Bluetooth, my driver display doesn’t allow any control.
MB support were hopeless but I managed to find Spotify needs to be uninstalled and reinstalled and operates as its own app, not through Online Music.
Despite this, Media on the driver display does not recognise or give you steering wheel control of Spotify or any Bluetooth music.
Have you managed to sort the 'function not available' on your drivers display, I have the same problem.
Thanks in advamce
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