Google Pixel Android 7.1

[uchetfield]

I just received my Google Pixel running Android 7.1.  I started to set up spotify.  I am able to log without issue and play music inside the app.  The problem that I have is that I tried to set up the widget on my home screen to control the music.  The widget appears correctly but will not respond to any press to pause or adjust the song.  Also when I'm playing music inside the app and the lock screen appears I do not get any controls on the lock screen.

Is anyone else experiencing the same issues?

[Natalegui94]

I'm having the exact same problem. I can't even change the song through my car Bluetooth like I was able to before. I made sure to check the apps permissions and everything, but it still doesn't work, so it must be a comparability issue.

[MichaelGK]

Disable all power saving apps, it should work then.

[Natalegui94]

That worked! Thanks!

[Qpop]

Is there going to be a fix so that we can keep battery optimisations available? I appreciate the workaround but would like to be able to use the battery saving features as intended.

[Joe]

Open the Settings app on your phone (Pull down the notifications shade, and tap the gear in the upper right corner, or find “Settings” in the App Drawer.)
2. Tap Battery.
3. Tap the menu button and choose “Battery optimization.”
4. Tap the dropdown menu at the top of the screen and select “All apps.”
5. Scroll down to Spotify - tap it and select "Don't Optimize"

Now Spotify will not be controlled by the Android system's power saving enabling it to run in the background.

[samtait]

Thanks so much! I was having issues with my earphones and every time I removed them, spotify would keep playing. This no longer happens - Cheers! 

[brockj]

I have also had a problem like this, expect I only use the "widget" in the notification area. Turning off battery optimization for Spotify did not work for me. The notification widget still dies inexplicibly. Even when I go back to Spotify start/pause a song, the notification widget does not return. I have tried a couple of other music apps and have not had the same problem.

[drummerboy2]

I'm having the same issue as well.   The only work around I've found is to force quit the app and restart it.  It appears that after a bit the app stops responding to either the widget or bluetooth controls. 

[lipscomb88]

This solution worked for a day and now is no longer working. The app is still not optimized and has reverted to the battery optimized behavior. Anyone else having that issue?

[Fiddledeedee]

You should update the solution to include that it may be necessary to Force Stop the Spotify app

[rox7]

The solution worked for the moment I implimented, but now it doesn't. Anyone else having the issue still as well?

[remedy1419]

Still having this issue despite turning off battery optimization. Force stopping worked for a short while but the issue came back and it doesn't work any subsequent times.

[queendoris]

I'm having the same problem on my new Pixel. Turning off battery optimization didn't fix it.

[STBoarder]

I have a pixel and am experiencing the same issue. I also use a third party app, Bluetooth connect and play, to start Spotify at full volume when I connect to my car or LG tones headset. If I restart my phone, everything connects and plays automatically and play controls work. But after disconnecting and reconnecting to a device, playback controls stop working.

I've also tried disabling battery optimizations for Spotify and some Bluetooth apps.

I've never had the Spotify widget on my lock screen or in my notification tray like on my old Samsung gs5.

I think it's an Android Bluetooth issue more than a Spotify issue however, IMHO.

[Sigi2962]

The power options didn't solve the issue for me. In my case Spotify got killed after about 20 seconds (Android 7.1.1).

I figured out that the auto-clean function of the system manager killed all apps in standby (System Manager - Auto clean - App autoclean - Settings there I found Background auto-clean memory after screen off -ON)

Either disable it completly or exclude Spotify.