Plan
Premium
Country
USA
Device
Web (Windows/Chrome Browser), Windows application, Samsung S21 FE
Operating System
Windows 11, Android 16
My Question or Issue
I tried to surface this issue here years ago (https://community.spotify.com/t5/Android/Spotify-not-continuing-playback-from-other-locations/td-p/4...), but didn't get much traction. Years later this is still an issue and when searching the community threads, I see many others complaining about the same thing. I have experienced this for so long that the underlying issue is clear to me and just needs proper attention from developers.
The issue is with using multiple devices and how they cache/update player status. I commonly switch Spotify between 3-4 devices, especially when commuting and have seen this ever since I started using Spotify many years ago. I will outline the scenario below.
- At home, I use the Spotify Windows application on my home office desktop through the day
- I stop using it for the day
- The next day I get on the bus and open the Spotify application on my Android device and this is where the problem starts
- When I open the Android application, the application resumes from the last time I used the Android application and not the last time I used Spotify
- I use the Android application through my commute
- I stop playing the Android application as I enter the building
- I start up my laptop and launch the Spotify Windows application on my work laptop (different machine than #1)
- When I open the Windows application, the application resumes from the last time I used the Windows application and not the last time I used Spotify
- The only way to not lose my place is to go back to my Android device, resume play which then causes the Windows application to receive the current play status. At this point I can transfer play to the Windows application and everything is fine
This scenario repeats constantly for me and the easiest way to explain it is that the applications when initially launched are pulling play status from a local cache rather than from the service (if nothing is currently playing). If you are actively playing, all devices will sync and pick up the play status when the application is launched. This is not unique to a specific device/OS/platform, it is affecting all.
The fix is essentially making the applications actively poll the Spotify service live for play status even when nothing is actively playing. Play status should be saved to the Spotify service and retrieved by all applications when they are launched.
Examples of others having the same issue:
