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!

[MICHAL89]

Worst decision ever. Seriously I am considering changing music app. I got used to strange and no intuitive navigation, but now with removing one of BASIC function this app is becoming useless pice of... You know what. 

[steveb77]

Terrible idea

[pyster]

I've been a paying user almost since the beginning. I use this widget all the time. One touch play. Means when I am in my car driving I dont have to fiddle with opening the app and hitting play; I just hit play. FFS undo this daft move and bring this feature back immediately.

[Matsudano]

Real talk, I also work in tech for a company that makes user facing software. If we pushed out an unannounced update that was received this poorly, it would be an indication someone on the product/feature management team failed (miserably) to do their job and they would be fired.

The dialogue that we are now engaged in, with an irate consumer base and a back-pedaling community management team, suggests that ZERO meaningful market analysis was done regarding how an update like this would be received. This is embarrassing. 

[privacyplease]

I used the widget all the time, it was how I primarily interfaced with your service.  I use the widget to quickly start Spotify and get music playing through my car stereo before starting my drive.  Starting Spotify without the widget is cumbersome and takes much more time.  Since the change I have not listened to Spotify in the car, much easier to start an Audible audiobook or start Pandora.  I strongly encourage Spotify to bring back the widget before we realize we just dont use your service and no longer need to pay for it.  

[Moonpie71]

Nope..... there's no controller in my notification bar,

🤣🤣

You might need to rethink this 'no widget plan' because your alternate option obviously isn't working consistently 🤦‍♀️

[jtl7913]

Please bring this back. The other people who have replied posted my same complaints as well. So many more taps just to start playing music again... 

[Fabero]

Switch it back on! It was my favorite way to interact with spotify and now it gets more complicated without any value-adding for me. Now using my smartphone-owned music program gets attractive again...

[Iarlaith]

This is a **bleep**ing joke

[Craigski]

I think removing the widget is a silly idea, and I'm not even an Android user.

[Jamiexx]

I have no idea in what world removing the widget makes any user experience better. I used the widget more than anything else and having to always open the app is extremely irritating since pausing the music from notification bar makes the player dissappear. I'm so disappointed, the removal of this function doesn't benefit ANYONE but it does disadvantage a lot of people who used the function. Another reason for me to seriously consider switching to Google Play Music. Only reason I haven't yet is that I have 6 years worth of playlists on my spotify account which would take time I don't have at the very moment to transfer but as soon as I have the time I'll most likely make the switch and the switch will be almost entirely due to this change. 

[jwillmoss]

So you're asking us to vote for a feature that we've been using for years as a "NEW" feature?!  I think I'd rather vote with my wallet since there are now better mobile options for Android users.  You certainly did set yourself apart from the rest of the pack.  Unfortunately it was in the wrong direction.  

[0163someone]

Hey guys - Widget does not cost you any developing efforts. Just leave it in the app. I use it almost every day. thx

[amgz232]

I went through the (awful) process of registering on the forum (impossible to stay logged in on mobile, email verification took forever to send, had to wait until work to actually do this ) just to chime in on what a terrible and frustrating experience this is. No warning, no foresight, just hey the widget's gone now. I could understand deprecating the widget and not supporting it, but removing it entirely? Come on now.

[navratil]

At some point in 2011 or 2012, I switch from iOS to Android in part because a friend showed me the Spotify widget on their home screen.  The Spotify widget has been at the top of the home screen on my phone ever since, and I use it pretty much all day every day.

When it disappeared this morning, I just figured there was an upgrade glitch -- it's happened with Spotify updates in the past, where the widget just needs to be replaced from the widgets library.  As I was still rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I was briefly convinced I'd forgotten how alphabetization works because it didn't appear in my widgets library either.

It wasn't until I started googling and found this "help" topic that I realized that the choice was made to intentionally cripple the experience I've enjoyed for something like eight years.

Please reconsider.

[BeyondAJoke]

It's almost like they don't want your feedback on this move that is universally hated. Spotify's position is "Shut up" on basically every single user experience issue.

[ekarolak]

Widget was the best feature in Spotify. 

Without it it is unusable. 

Bring it back or I'll go Tidal or other s***.

[CyrilMx]

Just loved the widget, stupid idea again.. please bring it back. 

[16yatescou]

Is there a dislike button for this idea? Who was the **bleep** that decided this would be a good idea!?! Literally everyone who has an Android or Samsung uses that widget daily! If anything this was a backwards move as a company! BRING THE WIDGET BACK!!! 

[pennylane68]

Here's an idea... don't remove features that paying users rely on.