topic Re: Switching playback from PC to phone - Spotify uses speakers instead of headphones in Other (Podcasts, Partners, etc.)

Switching playback from PC to phone - Spotify uses speakers instead of headphones

HadalDiver — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 20:39:37 GMT

Device

Nothing Phone (3a)

Operating System

Android 16

My Question or Issue

Hi,

in the past week I observed the following issue with the Spotify app. Situation is that Spotify music is playing on my desktop PC and my bluetooth headphones "Major IV" are connected to my smartphone. Now when I switch the playback from my computer to my phone by selecting "this smartphone (connected with Major IV)" in the app it plays the music over the phone's speakers instead of the headphones. I have to enter the Connect menu a 2nd time and select the headphones specifically to make it work.

Anyone else having this issue? This was different a couple weeks ago, when the app directly used the headphones when switching from PC to phone. Sometimes it also happens that music plays over the speakers but it shows that the headphones are selected. In this case the only way to fix it is to reboot the headphones and connect them again.

I've already tried a fresh install of the Spotify app + reboot but that didn't help. It also happens with a different set of headphones. Spotify Support could also not solve the issue.

Re: Switching playback from PC to phone - Spotify uses speakers instead of headphones

Ivelina — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:27:52 GMT

Hello @HadalDiver,

Thanks for reaching out via the Community!

It's great that you've already performed some troubleshooting. Did you by any chance notice if this behavior first occurred after something specific (an app update perhaps)?

Also, just to rule it out: does this happen even if you're already wearing the headphones when you hit the switch over to your phone, or does it persist regardless of whether they're actually in your ears?

The issue where it shows your headphones are selected, but music plays through the speakers can indicate a handshake error between the app and the Bluetooth protocol. To attempt to fix this, go to Bluetooth settings and forget your Major IV headphones, then re-pair them while Spotify is already playing on the phone.

Additionally, you should also be able to clear the Bluetooth cache (which can cause different issues if it's corrupted) by going to Settings > Apps > Show system apps (may need to tap a menu icon) > Bluetooth > Storage > Clear Cache.

Lastly, if Spotify is already open on your phone (even in the background) when you try to switch from the PC, it may fail to recognize the active Bluetooth state. Try force stopping the Spotify app on your phone before initiating the switch from your PC, then open it again fresh on the phone and select "This Device".

Keep us posted in case any of the abovementioned steps make a difference and we're here in the meantime if anything else comes up.

Re: Switching playback from PC to phone - Spotify uses speakers instead of headphones

HadalDiver — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:59:44 GMT

Hello Ivelina,

re-pairing did not help. The solution is the following. I had my headphones connected, then went to Settings > Sound and Vibrations. Then I opened "play Spotify over" and selected my headhphones instead of "this smartphone". Now Spotify switches to my headphones when I select "this smartphone" in the app.

Kind regards.

Re: Switching playback from PC to phone - Spotify uses speakers instead of headphones

Eni — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:10:40 GMT

Hey there @HadalDiver,

Thanks for getting back to us and letting us know.

We're glad to know that now it's working as expected. Also, thanks for sharing what worked for you, as it may be helpful for other users too!

If you need a hand with anything else, the Community is here for you.

Cheers 🙂

Re: Switching playback from PC to phone - Spotify uses speakers instead of headphones

HadalDiver — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 11:52:37 GMT

I was a bit too early to celebrate. 😥 Turns out the Sound settings were not the long-term solution.

Answering Ivelina's other questions:

Also, just to rule it out: does this happen even if you're already wearing the headphones when you hit the switch over to your phone, or does it persist regardless of whether they're actually in your ears?

A: It happens regardless if they on my ears or not.

Additionally, you should also be able to clear the Bluetooth cache (which can cause different issues if it's corrupted) by going to Settings > Apps > Show system apps (may need to tap a menu icon) > Bluetooth > Storage > Clear Cache.

A: The Clear Cache button is disabled.

Re: Switching playback from PC to phone - Spotify uses speakers instead of headphones

Joan — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 15:52:39 GMT

Hi @HadalDiver,

Thanks for letting us know. We're here for you to help get this sorted for good.

To fully reset everything and hopefully get the connection in order again, could you please try the following:

Disconnect the Bluetooth headphones and "forget" them from the phone's settings
Perform a full clean reinstall of Spotify on both the phone and PC, including a reboot of the devices.
Pair it with the headphones again and see how it works then.

If the issue persists after this, please make a screen recording of how it looks on your phone and send that to us so we can take a closer look. If the files are too large to attach here in the Community, you can send them to us via Google Drive or as unlisted YouTube videos.

Let us know how it goes.

Re: Switching playback from PC to phone - Spotify uses speakers instead of headphones

HadalDiver — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 21:21:23 GMT

Followed the steps, problem persists.

At this point Spotify just needs to reproduce the issue and fix it. But that's not likely to happen since Spotify lets AI create slop code.

Re: Switching playback from PC to phone - Spotify uses speakers instead of headphones

Joan — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 08:30:52 GMT

Hi @HadalDiver,

Thanks for the reply.

We understand the frustration and we're here for you. One thing that has hindered our investigation thus far is precisely that we aren't able to reproduce this on our end with various devices. That's why we believe there has to be something in your setup that's causing this and want to get to the bottom of things and help you get this sorted.

Could you please provide us a screen recording as mentioned in the previous reply? That will help us get a better idea of the exact behaviour. In addition, send us the exact Spotify Versions you use.

Keep us posted.