[Connect] Disable automatic switching between devices

[HidalgoF]

Spotify Connect is great but the automatic switching is not for everyone.

Please allow us to disable automatic switching between devices. I understand Spotify doesn't like user to play in more than one device and I am happy with that, but the application shouldn't switch devices if the user does not want to do this. It clearly creates frustration amongst users.

In my particular case I work from home listening to music on my computer. I find really annoying when I plug my headphones in my phone to take a call and suddenly the music starts playing in my headphones.

This is what happens step by step:

• Spotify is in my mobile running in the back.
• Spotify is playing in my computer.
• My phone rings.
• I take the call at the same time that I get my headphones on me.
• I listed to a combination of my client/colleague and the music that I was playing in my computer, usually very loudly.
• I stop the music.
• I comment with my client/colleague how bad is Spotify.
• I finish my call.
• I go to my computer, change the playing device on Spotify to my computer and play again.
• I do this a couple of times until I get fed up of Spotify and I play music from somewhere else.

This problem has been already described here: LINK  but it has incorrectly tagged as repeated (the problems and solutions suggested are different).

[HidalgoF]

Hey @50lwjk_-htbts!

Thank you for reaching out on the Community and sorry for the delayed reply.

It sounds like the playback of the music is changed back to the device connected to your phone via Bluetooth, which is expected at this point.

We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. We recommend leaving a +Vote on this idea if you'd like to see this changed.

If you're interested in how ideas work and how your feedback reaches the right teams here, check this page out.
 
Let us know if there's anything else we can do for you. We'd be happy to help.

[65dldde-fr_zg]

Even after uninstalling and reinstalling, I get the same issue: it doesn't keep the music playing flawlessly.

[gormster]

STEPS TO REPRODUCE:

1. Pair some bluetooth headphones with your device (e.g. AirPods). They need to be headphones that automatically connect and become the default output device.
2. Turn those headphones off.
3. Start playing a song in Spotify.
4. Select a Spotify Connect destination from the Connect menu (e.g. a local Sonos device)
5. Turn the headphones on/put them in your ears (depends on model - do whatever the thing is that causes them to connect and become the default output device)

EXPECTED RESULTS:

Spotify continues playing through the connected Sonos device.

ACTUAL RESULTS:

Spotify disconnects the Sonos device and starts playing back through headphones.

REGRESSION:

This behaviour is new as of the last few months - not sure the exact version when it changed, sorry! This was an old bug, but it was fixed a few years ago, becoming tied to the option to show Spotify controls on the lock screen. However that behaviour seems to have been reverted.

NOTES:

I think this happens due to a missed check in the notification handler for `AVAudioSession.routeChangeNotification`. My guess is that it interprets the `newDeviceAvailable` route change reason as meaning that the user has deliberately selected the output in Control Centre, whereas it can actually fire with essentially no user interaction at all. The handler should check if the user has selected a Spotify Connect destination or is currently playing back on "This iPhone" before making the decision to end Connect playback and resume playing on the device's new audio route.

For the tiny handful of people who actually want this behaviour (and I have to assume it's near zero), I would suggest having this be a configurable option. If you really wanted to make everyone happy, you could have this be configurable per device, like so:

When the "lock playback" switch is selected, a deliberate user interaction within the Spotify app is always required to switch the playback destination. System notifications can't change it. (There might have to be an asterisk to this with Sonos specifically, because the user could create a group from the Sonos app, but I think these kind of details can be worked out in user testing. The point is, it doesn't switch without the user tapping something that very clearly is going to switch playback off the current device.)

AFFECTED PLATFORMS:

iOS (maybe others, I don't know)

[Andyrobb18]

If I am playing music on a smart speaker and I turn on my Bluetooth earbuds for my phone, the last thing I want it to automatically transfer the music to my phone without any prompt or way of controlling this. Unbelievably annoying.

[BobbyBrownPants]

This is f#!*ing annoying, curt this s#!t out!

If I'm listening to Spotify on a smart speaker while working from home, whenever I switch on my Bluetooth headset to take a Teams call or phone call BAM! Spotify through the headset and my call is dropped.

If I accidentally leave my Bluetooth headphones connected to my Android tablet it constantly steals the audio from my car/phone/laptop throughout the day and plays it through the headset even though I'M NOT EVEN HOME!

Absolutely ridiculous! If I want to move the music from one device to another I'll open the app and do it. Stop d!#*ing around with my devices.

[jhart31]

I also have this issue. My laptop stops playing my music and gives the playback to my phone easily 100 times/day while I'm trying to listen on the laptop while working. I don't touch the phone. The phone is not connected to my bluetooth headphones. The phone is not on the wifi network I'm using to listen on the laptop. I cannot imagine what event is triggering the switches but it's infuriating. And all these people on this thread are dealing with the same problem. Why would spotify ever automatically switch devices? Who wants that? And why has nothing been done about it? Absolutely garbage and I will most likely switch to another music service over it. My music has stopped twice while typing this message. For an app whose only purpose is to play music, you'd think I'd be able to get through one whole song without the music stopping.

[Agent654]

This has got to be the most infuriating feature that Spotify has. This 100% should be an opt-in feature, not an automatic assumption. Here's the use case:

• Workstation and phone are on the same WIFI.
• Playing background music on the workstation.
• Receive an audio message from a friend.
• Begin playback of that message, volume is FAR too loud. 
• Adjust volume down with my physical buttons on the phone and it changes the volume on the workstation.

I understand why folks enjoy this feature, but I want to be able to explicitly choose to leverage it. Not have it forced upon me.

[burt868768]

Why don't you just tell us how to fix the issue? 

[davebarnish]

I have just got hearing aids. They get Bluetooth audio from my phone. I am playing from Spotify via a Google speaker. If I put my phone down and walk out of Bluetooth range the next time I am back in range the hearing aids reconnect and Spotify switches from the Google speaker to the hearing aids. I haven't found any way of preventing it, including removing local device permissions. This is a truly awful user experience. It really should be an optional feature.

[sockerjunkie]

This is the most annoying "feature" bug in the whole app. It's super easy to reproduce:

1. Stream spotify on chromecast

2. Switch on your headphones connected to your phone (any phone, any headset, any android version)

Expectation: Chromecast still play the music

Outcome: Spotify immediately switch to the headphones

Rating: one gazillion minuses

[jj101]

@support - please keep the playlists separated on devices, or at least allow me to continue where i left off (restore previous playlist)

[jvincephoto]

I'm having the same issue. 

Crazy that this has been happening for ten years and hasn't been fixed.

[Fixthisapp]

Spotify Devs, are you listening to your customers?

Any update?

No, we don't expect this behaviour. We don't want it to work this way. Other apps can solve this problem.

Swearing at the app dozens of times a day is not going to keep customers.

Please fix.

[Yordan]

Hey folks,

We don't have any news on the topic at this time, I'm afraid, but your feedback remains valuable, as it may ultimately end up paving the way for our broader user experience. Thanks for sharing it here, we appreciate it.

If you haven't already, you can show your support for this idea by giving it a thumbs up. In the meantime, it's recommended you're always running the latest version of Spotify so you don't miss out on any updates.

The Community is just a post away if there's anything you need assistance with.

[samhabbal88]

On windows 11, I'll start a song with the Spotify app, and randomly it will switch to my android phone, without notification, rhyme or reason.

In what world would I start a song on my PC, and want it switched to my phone mid song? Like it doesn't even pop up a notification saying "we noticed your phone is active with spotify, would you like to listen on that device?"

NOPE, just switches whenever it wants unless i close Spotify completely on my phone.

Who asked for this feature? Do you guys even use the product you create? 

[HomeTownMedic]

Guys, for ten years we've all been staying the same thing. Exactly the same thing, basically word for word. They get it. For ten years, they've been answering the same way. This isn't a bug, it's a feature; and it's working exactly as we intend it to. For ten years. 

They don't care. They will claim our input is valuable. It isn't, at least not in this case; or they would have addressed it. They've had...ten years. 

I solved the problem by uninstalling the mobile app. I only really need it on my computer where .. other programs also run. In short order, I won't need to subscribe at all. I don't know what the rest of you are going to do; but it's pretty clear you can stop complaining about it. They don't care. Cheers. 

[jasondebruler]

I hate how true your response is! 😞  They clearly don't care about fixing one of the most aanoying experiences in Spotify.

[Adam1977]

I use Spotify on 2 Android devices and one Windows PC.

The main issue - I start my car. My car Android DVR starts playing... On my home PC (or the phone in my pocket) - not the car audio! It's pretty annoying.

Then I get back home. I press play. And I see "playing through car DVR".

That's one issue. Then - sometimes when I change playlist on my PC - it's also changed in my car. Sometimes it's not. I would strongly prefer that the playlists and currently played song should be independent on different devices, but if they have to be synchronized - let it at least be consistent. Now it's seems completely random.

BTW, are there any options to set that behavior? I mean both things: playing ALWAYS through this device (by default), and independent playlists / current songs on each device?

[Mrwolf65]

I have set up another account on a different network and spotify still drops from my sonos. Im running my sonos from my desk top any answers