Automatically switches device but only when I'm listening podcast

[brunoleal]

I have spotify on my work laptop which I listen to music while working.
If I leave spotify on (in laptop) and then go to my car and start listening to Joe Rogan podcast from mobile phone, Spotify constantly switches to the laptop device and stops playing it. I can keep manually switching to mobile phone device, but it will after a few seconds or minutes stop and switch to laptop again.
Strange thing is that if I play music in my mobile it doesn't switch back to laptop. I'm really losing my patience with Spotify as the only solution is to remember to turn off Spotify on my laptop before going to the car...

[brunoleal]

Hey folks,

Thanks for posting here and welcome!

We really appreciate all the info you kindly sent us. In this case, if you're experiencing this behavior, we'll need the following details:

• Make/model and exact OS of the affected devices.
• Exact Spotify version you are running on the affected devices.
• Troubleshooting you've tried so far.
• A video recording of this behavior.

You can attach the videos in your next reply in mp4 format, or you can also upload them to YouTube or Google drive and make them public, so we can visualize them.

If you already sent us some of this info, no worries, you just need to send us the remaining details, so we can forward all of it to our tech team.

Keep us in the loop!

Edit: We appreciate all the sent details so far! Thank you, folks!
The issue is on our radar but we can't provide you with an exact timeframe in which it will get addressed.
In order to stay on top of all fixes, keep your app up to date at all times 🙂 Cheers!

[mmcternen]

I need to test more, but on today's drive it seemed to be triggered as my phone tried to connect to "Xfinity" Hotspots.

Makes sense that this didn't reproduce in my car as wireless android carplay uses the wifi connection. 

[mmcternen]

I can reproduce this on demand by connecting to wifi.  You can see in the attached video that as soon as I connect to wifi, it switches to my desktop "No-Moon"

Of note, I can ONLY reproduce this with the Joe Rogan podcast.  I tried with several of my music playlists as well as several podcasts.  This only happens with Joe Rogan.

Spotify for Android 8.7.88.496

[AlejaR]

Hey @Orionis13,

Thanks for your reply and for the info shared.

It'd be really helpful if you send us the video recording or what you kindly mentioned, so it'll help us visualize better what you're experiencing in your side. You can attach it in your next reply in mp4 format, or you can also upload it to YouTube or Google drive and make it public, so we can visualize it.
 

On another note, did you notice if this is happening with a different podcast which contains video? It'd be awesome if you could check. Additionally, did you notice if this is happening with a specific podcast episode?

Lastly, just to confirm, has the app always been behaving like this or does it start to happen after a specific event such as an OS update? Please send us the details about it.

Keep us in the loop!

[thebearup]

Plan

Premium

Country

US

Device

Google Pixel 6

Operating System

Android

My Question or Issue

Recently Spotify began switching to random devices, making it difficult to use my phone. It seems to be triggered by going on/off wifi. I start a podcast, head out the door, and when I reach the street, playback has switched to another device I own. Same happens when I come back indoors. Downloading the content makes no difference. Even worse, whatever I was listening to gets marked as "played" so I have to start it over again. So frustrating! It's become impossible to listen to podcasts on this app, because I have to keep starting over. It all used to work until ~a few weeks ago. What changed?

[Orionis13]

Here's a video that illustrates what I experience in my car when I'm trying to drive to work.

I don't know of any other podcasts with video to test offhand. The other two I frequently listen to do not include video and I've never had an issue with either of them. It has been 4 different episodes now. As far as timing goes, I can only say I've noticed it recently, but that is probably because I've started using Spotify more at work recently and subsequently have been leaving the application open on my work PC.

[Eni]

Hey folks, 

Thanks for all the info you've sent so far. 

We'd like to look into this further. In this case, could you provide us with the following info if you haven't yet?

• Device model + OS version 
• Spotify version
• Troubleshooting steps you've already tried
• Does this only occur with podcasts or when listening to music as well?
• When did this start happening (we'd like to know if it started after a specific event such as an update)?

We'll pass this info on to the right team to be looked into.

We'll be waiting for your replies. 

[brunoleal]

It started happening randomly. I don't recall any specific update. I don't listen to any other podcast as I don't spend too much time in my car. Unfortunately I gave up listening to Joe Rogan in the car as this is quite annoying...

[brunoleal]

I don't use wireless charging and in my car it happens like crazy. I just gave up on listening to Joe Rogan if I had left spotify open on my laptop at home. I really can't understand how hard it will be for Spotify to have an option to disable the auto switch...In my case I don't want to switch ever. If I play on my laptop I want to listen on my laptop, if I play on my phone I want to listen on my phone, period. I don't want to control other devices from the device I'm interacting with...

[AlejaR]

Hey @brunoleal,

Thanks for your reply and for the info shared.

In this case, can you share with us the Spotify version you have currently running on both your devices? We noticed you kindly sent us this info a couple of days ago, but we'll need to check if you have the latest version of the app already installed.

On another note, don't forget to send us the exact make/model of both your devices along with their OS.

Lastly, it'd be awesome if you could check if this is happening with another podcast. Also, it'd be really helpful if you send us a video recording of this behavior. You can attach it in your next reply in mp4 format, or you can also upload it to YouTube or Google drive and make it public, so we can visualize it.

Folks, don't forget to send us all the details @Eni mentioned above, so we can forward this behavior to the right team.

Keep us in the loop! 

[brunoleal]

On my laptop I'm running 1.1.99.878.g1e4ccc6e and on my Android phone I'm running 8.7.88.496

[#13]

I listen to spotify from my premium individual account on various platforms. My phone, my mac desktop and in my car (tesla). I understand one can only play at once which is fine. This has never been an issue until recently.

Previously, I could simply load up spotify on the device I want, start listening. Great. It would stay on that device until I started listening on a different device and switch over.

Recently, if i leave my mac on (without spotify playing) but listen on my phone it will work for a period then constantly just stop as it reverts / defaults back to the mac. It doesn't play anything... just pulls it back forcing the device i am listening on to constantly stop. Its incredibly frustrating.

Please advise.

[longbeard13]

I am having the same issue as everyone else. It is definitely just podcasts. 

I have a work PC with Spotify and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra with latest ATT update. When I stream Rogan on my phone it auto-switches back to my PC device constantly. It does not matter if I change the setting to allow video to stream on cell data or not. I also have set "show local devices only" to true.

Today, while at the gym I tried a different podcast and did not have the issue. This podcast is audio only.

This has been occurring  for a few months now.

Android version 8.7.90.544

Spotify for Windows
1.2.0.1165.gabf054ab

[#15]

The app is no longer usable. I listen to Spotify on my computer, and on my phone. If I leave my house and want to listen in my car, IT KEEPS SWITCHING BACK TO MY COMPUTER!!!! It will play for a few seconds on my phone, then just switch back. It's so ridiculous. I've tried making only wifi devices connectable, and it doesn't work. I have to sign out of all devices every tume.

[brunoleal]

It's clearlu a bug in Spotify and to be honest it's so annoying I'm
thinking of just giving up on Spotify...I only listen to music when working
(which I can easily use youtube). I like Spotify to listen to different
stuff in the car and now I'm limited to the same things I can enjoy with
free youtube...

[Lyubka]

Hey there folks,

@longbeard13 Thank you for sharing the requested details. 
 

@brunoleal Would you mind checking if there is a pending update for the Spotify App on your computer? We've noticed that the Spotify version that you're currently running is not the latest and that might be the root cause of your issue.  In case there is one, make sure to install it and test if you'll still experience the same. 

We'll be on the lookout for your response.

[mmcternen]

Just tested again with 8.7.92.521 on my Zfold 4 and the issue still reproduces when I change my wifi connection. 

[RandysCookbook]

Whenever I am listening to Spotify on my phone and I leave my home, my phone will disconnect from the wifi and that will trigger Spotify to switch to a different device (usually my laptop still at home). This also happens when I return home and reconnect to the wifi.

This is very annoying because often this causes Spotify to lose the timestamp of the podcast I am on, it is difficult to find where I left off previously.

[Mark157]

I'm having the same issue, connect phone to car stereo and keeps switching to laptop only happens on the Joe Rogan podcast. Music and other podcasts don't have the issue at all.

[brunoleal]

In the meantime I see the following version on my laptop:
Spotify for Windows
1.2.0.1165.gabf054ab

I'm just wondering what Spotify is doing to fix this as I can't see any progress...

[BluBlunder]

Same is happening to me. Only workaround I've found is either make sure the PC app is exited before leaving the house. Or if you forget, you must download the episode to your phone and set to offline mode. Switching stops when in offline mode. VERY annoying. Spotify reps here are just deflecting and don't want to actually look into it. It is definitely a programming error in the latest update.