Android Widget Removal

[Staff]

We’re here to let you know that we are retiring the Spotify Widget for Android this week. 

We always take retiring features in Spotify very seriously. We’re pouring our energy into new ways of creating the best experience for our users.

You can still easily access the same playback features as well as information about what is playing through the Spotify playback notification and device lockscreen.

To access the playback controls on Android simply swipe down while you are using Spotify to access the controls.

If you’re interested in learning more about how the app evolves, check out our article about testing and why features change.

We’re also welcome to feedback from our users. The best way to give us feedback to is to write an Idea in our Idea Exchange. 

Thanks!

[Dvyyss]

Are you guys serious? Did you even check with your customers? The widget was my gateway to use your app. 

[Dissappointedus]

Zero information as to why the widget was removed. Thanks spotify. I used it every day. It was the simplest and quickest way to use spotify on my phone. You have made it harder and longer to access the content I pay for on a premium family account. Seriously conssidering moving all of my family to a product that is the same but easier to use because they have a widget. More information is required if you want to keep us and many others as paying customers

[BeyondAJoke]

Did you get bored of stealing money from artists and resort to stealing features from your users? This "explaination as to why removed it" is nothing of the sort, it's literally just a statement saying it has been removed. Are you really going to treat your paying customers with that much contempt?

Every experience with Spotify as a user and an Artist has been a horribly demoralising ordeal. You might be the worst cozmpany I've ever dealt with in terms of customer service. Who asked for this? Nobody. I'm off to your competitors ASAP. 

[shadbeyondshad]

vehemently against this decision. shame. telling us to just use the notification panel/lock screen is a copout and an inconvenience to us all. IF WE PAUSE THE MUSIC, THE PLAYER DISAPPEARS FROM THE NOTIF PANEL AND THE LOCK SCREEN. THAT'S WHY WE LOVED THE WIDGET. WE WERE ABLE TO HIT PLAY AS EASILY AS WE WERE ABLE TO HIT PAUSE. AND YOU TOOK THAT AWAY.

[olabil]

I was guided to this thread by Spotify for an explanation on why you removed the widget and no explanation was given more than

"We always take retiring features in Spotify very seriously"

So why? I actually expect an explanation, as it must be based on a rationale based on your statement. 

[ntts]

I'm here to let you know that I'm moving to another streaming service. The "find song in playlist" button has been moved to a submenu, local files work today and tomorrow not anymore, recently played is gone and now you've removed the widget. I'll cancel my subscription until everything is fixed. You really do have a habit of not listening to your customers, there are a ton of suggestions in that community. 

[Rakrist3]

Hi, I am here to let U know that I'm retiring my Spotify subscription this week. 

I am always taking retiring APPS seriously. But pouring my energy into UR new ways of creating more money for your stockholders is not the best experience for me.

Thx!

Hashtqg-NOwidgetNObuy hashtag-Spotify

[Craftywitch1990]

Worst decision Spotify has made in a long time! This company has gone to **bleep** in a hand cart these last few months, making mistake after mistake and just generally annoying it's customers for no good reason. I for one am glad I've made the decision to move to another streaming service as its very clear spotify is now only in business for the bottom line and no longer cares about its users, despite the fact we are the ones lining their pockets every month. Very disappointed spotify! Thought you were better than this.

[Mina]

Dannng Spotify thats a mistake if I've ever seen one 😕 There are reasons its a preferred method to using the notification board (i.e the notification board, if you pause your music, the controls disappear and you have to re-open the app). I hope you listen to consumers and bring it back because nobody is happy about this (especially me, waking up for school at 5:40 and noticing a blank spot where my widget should be smh)

[walp]

Spotify: "All you need to ever know about why we removed it: "

Also Spotify: "We removed it."

[Nickfranciss]

What possible reason could you have to take away an optional widget which is clearly a heavily used feature by Android users? Please explain yourselves more than that pathetic statement.  This feature disappearing is actually a very annoying problem for us regular users who use it throughout the day.

Your drop-down solution isn't a solution either. In fact, as many others have pointed out it only works to a point. A lot of the time on my device it doesn't show or, after you pause a track using it, it disappears. Does this sound user-friendly to you? Do you even bother to user test any updates any more? There have been several recent changes I haven't agreed with but weren't enough to make me go out of my way to leave a message. This, however, is an exception. I chose Spotify because it had (past-tense) a great user interface and an amazing library of music. Now, you're falling behind the competition because you just have to fiddle with things that didn't need fiddling with. Clearly, you have a team of people there coming up with new ideas simply to justify a job position and not to actually improve Spotify. So many companies are falling down this hole - please don't be one of them. I don't know about other people but I am a few of your bad decisions away from looking at alternative music player apps. Don't ruin what was a great interface.

[gb79a]

Enough of this guffery; just signed up for TIDAL HiFi on the 30-day free trial.

OH HEY LOOK! THEY HAVE A WIDGET...!!!

[FrankSpencer]

This is absolutely ridiculous.  One of the key features of Android over iOS, is widgets.  Whether or not an Android uses them, is up to the user.  But it makes no sense for Spotify to remove them & force all Android users to suffer like iOS users do.

[LumberjackBr]

If I have an alternative app option I would change Spotify for it very now! The widget is the most practical and important thing that we can have on Spotify. Unfortunately I have to face with the developers "ideas" that do not consider the opinion of the users (who are the payers and).

In fact I will star looking for another app option right now!

By the way, the drop menu function is not working and even if it is, it's not the same. 

[haydor89]

Terrible idea, have resorted to third party solutions.

If yonean is interested in a third party solution, see below.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jackthakar.musicwidget

[J174]

Created a community account just to say this was a bad idea and please bring it back. Why remove entirely optional features anyway?!

[foosel]

I thought something was wrong with my phone but apparently this is intentional?

Please rethink this. The notification area is *not* a suitable replacement, as already repeatedly pointed out. You are breaking my and countless other user's workflow and home screen setup with this change.

[jakewhalen1]

I use the widget every day. 

[Gardner_95]

Why? This is literally the only widget I use on my phone...  -.-

[LumberjackBr]

I'm a happy Google play music new user now! 

Bye Spotify!