Bluetooth audio skipping / glitching / stuttering / popping on Android

[Matt924]

Related thread here. 

Does anyone know how to accomplish the above with an Android S23? I go into the Security and Privacy section; however, there is nothing there for Bluetooth. This skipping just started happening about a month ago and I am about to cancel my subscription and try something else as it skips/stutters about every 20-30 seconds. I have uninstalled, reinstalled, cleared my cash, looked for the com.spotify... within my phones files to delete (wasn't there), and I ensured that my Jam session wasn't activated in the social features within the Spotify app on my phone. It is starting to drive me crazy. If anyone has fixed this issue on a Samsung phone, please help! Thank you so much.

[Yordan · Accepted solution]

Hi there, @Matt924,

Welcome to the Spotify Community and thanks for reaching out! Heads up: I've moved your post to a new thread since the other one is iOS-only.

Does the issue occur at home or in the car? Have you tested with another Bluetooth device (an external speaker or headphones, for example) to see if it persists there? If this happens in the car, could you let us know if you're using Android Auto?

Something that's worth checking is changing the Bluetooth AVRCP and MAP versions, as well as the Bluetooth audio codec in your Android settings - just note that you'll need to enable Developer mode first. This article goes more in-depth on the topic and will guide you through the process, check it out!  Try different options to see if one does the trick for you.

Let us know how it goes 👍

[Matt924]

Thank you so much Yordan! I worked my way down the 4 or 5 versions AVRCPs along with the 2 versions of MAP on my S23+ and a combination of the two oldest versions seemed to work as I have gone two days without a single skip. Fingers crossed that this keeps up! 

[BreeAus]

It didn't help me, mine is still glitching every 20 seconds and it is driving me bananas

[Vasil]

Hey @BreeAus,

Sorry to see you've been having issues with your playback!

Does the issue only occur with the Spotify or any Bluetooth-connected device? And, as @Yordan has mentioned, could you tell us if the issue occurs at home or in a vehicle? 

We'd also like to know if you've tested this with another Bluetooth device (an external speaker or headphones, for example) to see if it persists there. If this happens in a car, could you share with us if you're using Android Auto or a direct Bluetooth connection?

Aside from this, let us know what troubleshooting steps you've tried so far. In case you haven't already done so, it's a good idea to perform a complete clean reinstall of the app to rule out any app-related issues. If the issue remains, reach back to us and we'll take a further look into this for you 🙂

We'll be on the lookout for your reply!

[Matt924]

It seems my luck with changing the MAP and AVRCPs has ran it's course as Spotify is back to skipping 3-5 times per song. I'm using wireless android auto and could use something else to try. I love Spotify and want to keep it, but a 50 minute drive to work really allows the skipping to start getting on the nerves and I'm starting to use the radio. It doesn't skip at all on my home speakers or even my golf cart speaker. Only Android Auto.

[AlejaR]

Hey there @Matt924,

Thanks for keeping us in the loop!

In this case, we'd like to gather some additional info, to have a better understanding of this behavior. Please send us:

• The exact Spotify version you're running. 
• The exact OS you're running on your device. 
• Does this happen over WiFi? 3G/4G? Both? If possible, connect your mobile phone to a different network to see how it goes.
• Would you mind sending us more info regarding your car stereo make/model?
• Did you notice if this started to happen after a specific event such as an OS update?
• Does this happen if you connect a different mobile device to your car? It'd be great if you could ask for the mobile device of a relative or a friend to open your account there and check.

Keep us in the loop!

[Matt924]

Hello and thank you for the fast reply! I learned that it is happening over
wifi as I turned my wifi off while spotify was playing in my truck and
android auto fully disconnected. I went into developer options for Android
auto and turned off the wireless capability; however, once I plugged my
phone into the truck, nothing happened and the music was just playing on my
phone. The weird thing is that I turned off the truck, turned wireless
android auto back on in my phone and, when it reconnected after turning my
truck on, I went two full songs without a skip.

As for the rest of the information you requested. The Spotify version on my
phone is 9.0.76.1126 and my phone's OS is Android 15. I haven't had the
opportunity to connect someone elses' phone to my truck yet but will try to
do the first chance I get so we can hopefully isolate the problem. I truly
appreciate the assistance! Thank you and have a great day.

[Ivelina]

Appreciate the cooperation and provided details @Matt924!

As turning the WiFi and wireless capability off and then back on helped, this could indicate an issue with the wireless network connection. Would it be possible to test with a different one (WiFi, 3G/4G)? 

Something else you could try is to download some content and then enable Offline Mode then test with starting the playback both from your phone and from Android Auto. If there are no issues playing downloaded songs, then this could also point us towards a network/streaming issue.

Lastly, it would also be helpful whenever you have the opportunity to connect another person's phone to your truck, but in the meantime, keep us posted in case the abovementioned steps make a difference for you with your current mobile device.

We'll be on the lookout.

[wtz-44]

Its an issue linked to google maps and Android Auto.

My sound glitches every 20 seconds and its doing it with Spotify, Apple Music  PowerAmp and Amazon music.

https://www.androidauthority.com/android-auto-stuttering-music-3597082/

[Matt924]

You're right. I downloaded Pandora and it skipped just like Spotify. My wife's phone was even skipping when I paired it this weekend. Is there any sort of fix at the moment?

[AlejaR]

Hey folks,

Thanks for your replies here and for the info shared. 

We really appreciate the time you took to let us know about this behavior. This seems to be an issue directly related to Android Auto and its wireless functionality, as mentioned by other folks in these Google Support threads:

• Wireless Android Auto Stuttering
• Music stuttering problem with Android Auto

You can also check for other users' workarounds there. This issue would need help from the Google team instead, since you noticed this is also happening when using other streaming music apps. We'd recommend you reach out to their Customer Support team, so they can help you check further alternatives.

If anything else comes up, the Community will always be here for you.