Choose between Google Cast and Spotify Connect

[misio1]

Plan

Premium

Country

Poland

Device

Pixel 7 Pro / Samsung S22

Operating System

Android 16

My Question or Issue

I've been using spotify to stream to my NAD C338 via spotify connect for couple of years now.

Recently it stopped working - only google cast option is currently available on the newest spotify app.

As a part of troubleshooting I downloaded older spotify APKs and installed on my android phone to see if it helps - it did! The latest version of spotify app which shows spotify connect option to my NAD is 9.0.78.1116, starting from version 9.0.82.1008 the spotify connect is not available, just google cast.

Can the app be fixed so that I have spotify connect option back available on my NAD C338 please?

[luborj]

I have the same issue with my two Pioneer AV receivers. I cannot see Spotify Connect in the app anymore. It's the same on my Z Fold7 and my Galaxy Tab S9+. I can use Spotify Connect via Spotify Windows app including lossless playback. Android devices only show Google Cast option.

[Dessi]

Hey folks,

Thanks for reaching out!

There might be some sort of connectivity issue causing this, so we recommend restarting both the router and the receiver to see if that makes a difference. It's also a good idea to check for any pending firmware updates for your receiver and install them. 

If possible, test with another network - you can ask a friend or relative to share a mobile hotspot with you so you can check. Also, make sure Spotify isn't blocked by your network's firewall.

Hope this helps.

[misio1]

Hi Dessi,

I spent 1,5 hour on the chat with spotify support yesterday doing all sorts of troubleshooting and nothing has helped.

What helps me is that when I downgrade spotify android app to version 9.0.78.1116 then immediately I get the option to use Spotify Connect. After upgrade to the newest version again I have only google cast.

I also have spotify on my laptop as windows application and from there I do see my NAD C338 available as both google cast and spotify connect.

I also have another android phone at home having the same issue.

I have no pending updates on my C338 and NAD's support reverted me back to spotify.

Seems like this issue is limited to android app (as far as I'm aware) and should be fixed.

Looking at @luborj's post, we're having exactly the same issue so it is widespread.

[luborj]

Hi, thanks for an answer. I am a technical journalist with 20 years of experience in testing AV products. I'm not saying this to make myself look more important but to express that a person with extensive technical knowledge has this issue. And I haven't been able to fix it. Of course I tried to restart all devices including my router, I even reinstalled Spotify app on my phone. All devices are on the latest software/firmware available. Spotify Connect worked normally till about two weeks ago. Since the function works normally on the same network via Windows Spotify app and only the Android devices are affected, it is very unlikely that there is a problem with the network. Especially when the function works with older version of the Android app which I confirm. I have just installed version 9.0.80.1320 on my tablet and I can use Spotify Connect with that version of the app.

[Yordan]

Thanks for the details, folks. 

We've forwarded the info to our tech team who'll look into it 👍.

As the desktop app seems unaffected, it'd be amazing if you could test with an iOS device instead, if possible (a friend or a relative who uses Spotify would do). Doing so would help us confirm if the behavior is isolated to the Android OS and speed up the investigation in general, but it's absolutely okay if this isn't something you can get easily a hold of.

Cheers!

[luborj]

Hi Yordan, thank you! And sure. I don't have anything with iOS but I will try to test it with a friend asap.

[Mits1]

On my Xiaomi tablet I can select my AVR and change whether I cast via Google Cast or Spotify Connect. 

However by my Samsung s23 ultra I dont have this option? Does anyone know a way to change this when using a phone?

Thanks

[Vasil]

Hey @Mits1,

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

Could you let us know which option is available on your phone? From the title I can assume that only 'Cast' is available but not 'Connect'? 
In case that's what's going on, I'd assume that your audio quality may be set to 'Lossless' on your mobile device.
Switching it to 'Very High' should make the Connect picker appear as well if I'm correct about this one.

Note that the Lossless quality is still in the process of being rolled out and may not yet be compatible with a portion of the Connect-enabled speakers. If that's the case on your end, it's a good idea to check if there are any available firmware updates for your speaker.

Hope this helps! Keep us posted on how things go.

[Mits1]

Thank you for your reply 

I tried moving to very high but still cant see the option. 

Also note that lossless option was selected on my tablet where the options do appear

Thanks

[Eni]

Hey there  @Mits1, 

Thanks for getting back to us. 

Just to confirm, has this always happened or did it start happening after a specific event such as an update? Since you mentioned the option is only missing on your phone, it's well worth running a clean reinstall of the app on it to get rid of any cached files that might be causing trouble. 

If you still can't see it after following the steps of a clean reinstall, could you check if the same happens with any media quality? We'd also recommend checking if your phone's OS and your AVR's software have any pending updates. 

Keep us posted. 

[Mits1]

In all honesty only resubscribed to Spotify recently since the launch of Lossless so not sure about past. 

Tried a fresh install and no change to media quality but no option appears on any device not just AVR. For example I know the Shield allows for both and does accept lossless but no option is available. 

Thank you

[Eni]

Hey @Mits1, 

Thanks for your reply. 

Would you mind sending us a short screen recording of the steps you're following on your tablet and phone so we can take a closer look? You can attach it to your next response by using the Insert Video option in the post editor. You can also upload it to Google Drive and share the link with us (make sure the video has the permissions for anyone to see it).

We'll be on the lookout for your reply. 

[Mits1]

Thank you does the below link work. There's one vid of me trying on my phone another on my tablet.

Both apps are up to date. 

I have even proved lossless works on my tablet but not my phone.

Link to drives

[AlejaR]

Hey there @Mits1,

Thanks for your reply.

We're unable to watch the videos you kindly sent us. Remember you can attach the videos to your next reply in mp4 format, or upload them to YouTube as well. Since we noticed those were uploaded to Google Drive, make sure to make them public.

Note: Be aware this is a public space, so make sure to not share any personal info on the videos you'll send us.

We really appreciate all the time you took to give us more info about this behavior.

Keep us in the loop!

[Mits1]

Changed the access should be all good thanks

[mebln]

 Also have the same issue. Reinstalling Spotify does not help. Please bring back the option to switch between Spotify Connect and Google cast 

[Vasil]

Hey @Mits1,

Thank you for the access! We managed to get in 🙂
This issue is now being looked into. We'll keep you posted as soon as there's anything new to share on the subject.

And, @mebln or anyone else who may experience this, let us know the following info:

• What your affected device is (its make & model)
• Its OS version
• Your Spotify app version

Many thanks. We'll be keeping our eyes on this thread.

[Iama1]

Plan

Premium

Country

Germany

Device

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Operating System

Android 16

My Question or Issue

Router: AVM FRITZ!Box 6690 Cable
Repeater: AVM FRITZ!Repeater 6000

Old setup: Mesh = one single name for everything (router, repeater, 2.4 and 5 GHz) - Spotify worked perfectly at home.

New setup: Living room: Router, Sony speaker system connected to 5GHz - SSID 1.

Office: Repeater with 2.4 GHz has a separate SSID 2. My Naim Mu-so 2nd Generation supports only 2.4 GHz and is next to the repeater.

Problem:

Laptop works (Win 11): Within either SSID, I see both devices with Spotify Connect.

Android Smartphone and Tablet problems: Within either SSID, I can see Sony and Naim only as Google Cast options, not via Spotify Connect. However, as soon as I disconnect my smartphone from WLAN, I can immediately see both devices with Spotify Connect.

Ist that a bug?

[luborj]

A friend with iPhone stopped by - the app didn't show Spotify Connect option at all. Only AirPlay and Bluetooth. So it's the same with iOS.

I have also noticed that when I open the app on my Android phone - sometimes it briefly shows the Spotify Connect but then the option disappears - in a second or so. The app also gets stuck / freezes a bit so I cannot actually select the option. It happens only on wi-fi when connected to a network with devices that has Spotify Connect function. When I am on mobile data service, the app works just fine without any freezing.