Android Spotify app cannot switch back to phone playback on latest update

[Gosling]

Spotify Android version 8.5.77.1043

Hi.
Since the latest update, when I have been casting from spotify to a chromecast or Google Home/Nest device, when I stop playback (via phone or voice command) and try to play on my phone...I can't switch playback back to the phone.

When I try to manually switch back, "This phone" under "Select a device" is greyed out and it states Unavailable for listening on.

There is a work around but this only works if you have google home installed and can access the device through that and select stop casting. Then spotify switches back to "This phone" for playback. But this is awkward at best...and if you forget to do that before you leave your home you won't be able to access the device in Google Home to tell it to stop casting!

I've tested this on devices running Android 9, 10, 11 and 6. All exhibit the same behaviour so it is not related to Android itself and thus appears to be an issue with the latest spotify update.

Thanks for reading.

Anybody else have this issue? 🙂

*EDIT*

OK so if I load spotify with WiFi disabled....then while music is playing on my phone I connect to WiFi and then select a device to cast to, I can switch between my phone and the casting device.

If I load spotify with WiFi already connected, then my phone is unavailable to switch to...very odd, right?

[daneman52]

I am having this same exact issue on my phone running Android 11. Never had this issue until that Android update.

[Jbohovich]

Same problem - please fix - this may have started after upgrading spotify app but before updating to Android 11.

[7thdrxn]

Same issue. How frustrating! 😤

[wogg]

I am having the same issue, but I'm quite certain that it started before the Android 11 update. In addition to this problem, when I do manage to get music playing on my phone, instead of my computer, whenever I use the volume buttons on my phone, it controls the volume of the Spotify app on my computer, rather than the phone's media playback. This, despite the fact that the Spotify app on my computer isn't playing anything. This is extremely annoying, especially because I often can't listen to music on my phone, which is almost always where I listen.

[Gosling]

yeah it's definitely not isolated to android 11

thankfully it doesnt seem to be affected when my car head unit is playing spotify when connected to my phone

[cnim]

This is a ridiculous bug, I cannot play music on my Pixel 3. Also, you shouldn't end sentences with prepositions.

[Kwebb2]

Same issue here. This breaks a core function of the app and seriously needs to be fixed asap. 

[frankzhou]

Having this same issue on Pixel 3 after updating to android 11!

[Ekstravertas]

Just downgrade. I did it and now it works just fine again.

[user-removed]

Also seeing issue on Pixel 3 XL 

It may have been a coincidence that it started after the Android 11 update.

Workaround:

1.) Music is playing on a wifi connected device (not your phone)

2.) Phone says (unable to play music on this device - phone greyed out)

3.) Disable wi-fi on phone

4.) Music will still be playing on your wifi connected device.

5.) But your phone shows the music as paused now

6.) Click the "play" button on your phone, and it should start playing on your phone instead. 

Definitely a frustrating issue. Maybe the issue is due to Android's ability to disable apps from accessing certain system settings while in the background and then it can't re-engage that setting after the app is brought back up? 

Generally speaking it's the App's inability to see other devices streaming within a wifi-network. 

If someone REALLY wanted to look into this, try installing wireshark on your desktop and a packet capturing app on your phone. Then filter traffic by whatever port spotify uses, and see what is happening or where the conflict could reside. (This is admin level IT stuff so don't feel compelled to do this if you are a novice) 

I don't care enough to be bothered to do it since my workaround above is sufficient for me. 

[user-removed]

downgrade android version or spotify version?

[Ottoma]

Wanted to mention that this is not an Android 11 issue. I'm running a Pixel (original) and still running Android 10 with the same problem.

[Gosling]

Indeed, in my original post i mentioned I'd replicated it on Android 9, 10, 11 and 6 🙂

Thanks for confirming!

[rabbbit]

Same here, please fix:)

[iteque]

Just had the problem on my Samsung S7 Edge (Android version 8). I could only use the Phone to switch to PC or Alexa.

I switched back to listen on Phone using my Win 10 PC to change the listening device.

[maxmon]

Same here, Pixel 3 Android 11 (upgraded this morning).

The Spotify mobile app is completely broken now. Left home with the music still running on my laptop, now can't listen to music on my phone whilst out.

The WiFi fix doesn't work when playing through the desktop app as I'm not on WiFi.

This needs fixing really urgently.

*Quick fix is to go to open.spotify.com and stop the playback there. Then open the Android app and you should be able to listen to music.

[Mercurialism]

---

@maxmon wrote:

*Quick fix is to go to open.spotify.com and stop the playback there. Then open the Android app and you should be able to listen to music.

---

This is the answer for a workaround until they fix this.  If you're using the desktop app, fully close it and it should work on the phone.  Seems something got broken with Android and multi-device playback resume.

[hannahmclarke]

Same issue. Trying to switch from Google Nest to my Pixel 3 XL. Have noticed the same problem with my Echo. Also been having issues opening the app when it's playing on another device - freezes on the logo screen and I have to force quit. 

[guardianofblind]

Samsung S10+ here with same issue. Please fix! Tired of this buggy app. Stop trying to improve it into the ground!