A car expert is going viral after revealing that the ‘mode’ button in Toyota vehicles has a second (secret) purpose.
TikTok user Andre (@andredrives) shares tips and tricks about the technology of Toyota cars. In one of his more recent clips, he revealed that the ‘mode’ button, located on Toyota car’s steering wheel, is multi-use.
“Today we’re going to talk about tips and tricks that you should’ve been told about when you got your new or pre-owned Toyota,” Andre said. “Did you know the ‘mode’ button actually has two functions?”
Andre, who is a salesperson, said that, years ago, “there used to be a microphone with a line through it” showcasing the secret, second function. Even though the manufacturer got rid of that icon, Andre said that the button still works the same. As of Tuesday, his video showcasing this feature had amassed more than 84,500 views.
What can the mode button in Toyotas do?
Andre said that if you press and hold down the ‘mode’ button on a Toyota vehicle, it will mute or pause whatever you’re listening to—including music from the radio or a phone call.
“A lot of people probably don’t know that,” he said.
He then demonstrated how this works. To do this, Andre proceeded to turn on the Toyota’s radio before pressing and holding down the its ‘mode’ button.
“Watch what happens,” he said. Then the music stopped. “There’s your pausing.” And if you press and hold it again, he said, the music will resume.
“Now, if you press it once, it’s going to jump between your different sorts of media here,” he explained.
“So there you have it,” he added, ending his video. “Two different functions for the ‘mode’ button.”
Toyota’s support website confirms this is true. The switches on the left side of the steering wheel, it said, controls the vehicle’s audio system. “You can use the MODE/Hold button to turn the audio system on and to cycle through the available sources,” the website reads. “To un-mute or restart playback, push it again, OR just press the plus or minus button.”
Toyota noted that the keys on the steering wheel allow drivers to navigate the audio system without taking their hands off the wheel. It also included a video for viewers who wanted a visual demonstration for how this works.
Viewers express amazement
Andre certainly isn’t the first car expert to share his wisdom with the masses. In two separate reddit posts from 2023, two other Toyota drivers confirmed that they found this secret function by mistake and were similarly stunned.
“After 9 months of ownership, I’ve just figured out I can control my music from my steering wheel,” read a Reddit post to r/supra. The driver explained that, while sitting in their workplace parking lot, they accidentally pressed the ‘mode’ button and it paused their music.
“I feel like an idiot, but I was never shown any controls when I purchased it,” the Redditor wrote. “Maybe this will help someone else… maybe not. Just wanted to share.”
Other viewers said they also didn’t know this function existed.
“I got zero information from the Toyota dealer I bought my car from,” one user said.
“I got my Camry brand new in 2019 and never knew this,” another confirmed.
And in the comments section, Andre shared that this mute function works on other types of audio, too. For example, he said that if you click on an incoming text message and/or if Siri is actively reading one of your texts, holding the mode button will temporarily pause the reading.
“I’m trying to help those people that did not get this explained to them when they purchased their new Toyota,” Andre said.
@andredrives Two functions for your mode button on your new Toyota #toyota #toyotanews #toyotaclub #toyotanation #toyotagram #toyotalove #toyotalovers #Toyotalover #toyotafan #toyotafans #toyotalife #toyotalifestyle #toyotaownerclub #carreels #carvideos #carvideo #carsofinstagram #carsofinsta #carreview #carreviews #carfanatics #carfanatic #hybridcar #fredandersontoyota #raleigh ♬ original sound – AndreDrives
The Daily Dot reached out to Andre via TikTok comment and to Toyota by email.
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