Spotify starts playing automatically when a bluetooth device is connected and phone makes a sound

[jazengo]

Plan

Premium

Country

Norway

Device

Samsung S9

Operating System

Android 11

My Question or Issue

Whenever a bluetooth device is connected to my phone, Spotify automatically starts playing the last song it was paused on if my phone makes any "noise". If I recieve a Messanger message, it starts playing as soon as the "bing" sound is over. It starts playing automatically after I've hung up a call, etc.

I've disabled auto play, I've reinstalled the app and cleared cache.
Under "car view", both "Turn on automatically" and "Always on" is disabled.

I'm unsure what more I can do.

[AllieP]

I ended my Spotify subscription, and am using YouTube Music instead.  In the process of (manually) recreating Spotiify my playlists in TouTube.  (yes there is software that will auto-create the playlists, but no thanks.  One more tentacle to manage ...)

I will miss the auto add to Spotify option for Sound Hound.  But oh well.  Worth the trade off, of Spotify hijacking all bluetooth connected devices. 

What do they think they are going to accomplish pissing so many people off.??  I wonder how many people just blindly accept the way it functions?  This topic has been open since at least 2016.  Good luck to those of you that stay with Spotify.  

[RustyPieces]

It's now 2025, and this is still happening sometimes. I have other streaming services that don't have this problem, only Spotify. They love to claim it's a "device issue" when, in reality, it is their issue; you can tell by how many different devices have had the same problem over so many years. It also doesn't happen every time, which leads me to believe the issue is software-related, as the app isn't functioning correctly. 

[Jasdco]

I have been dealing with this same, super annoying problem. I will be uninstalling Spotify permanently.

[Tkauffman26]

**bleep**, same here in 2026! Guess they really don’t care bc if they did then this wouldn’t STILL be an issue! Maybe it’s time to cancel my subscription and opt for something else!

[cohendylan1]

Just a reminder to new visitors.  The problem is well described here:

VERY IMPORTANT - please upvote the fix here:

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Live-Ideas/Option-to-disable-auto-connect-and-play/idc-p/7087801

[Myra32]

The only way I know to fix it is to uninstall spotify.

[Crush157]

Hi,

I have Spotify installed on two phones:

• Samsung Galaxy A17
• Samsung Galaxy S24

In both cases, as soon as a bluetooth device connects (headphones, car, speaker) to the phone Spotify starts playing.

I have turned autoplay off in the Spotify app settings, but it keeps doing it.

It is really irritating.

Any suggestions as to how to stop it?

[Iceman19]

It’s 2026 and it’s still here 

[rf7777]

I am going to start using Google music or Youtube because of this.  It drives me nuts.  Everytime I get in the car Spotify starts playing.  I canceled and deleted it.   You should be able to fix this.

[AntonioGomez79]

belive or not, the only solution i found after read several communities post and different articules,is simple desisntall spotify and cancel the suscription, I have to made this some times, because spotify are not interested to solve the issue. 

[NomadicVoxel]

Plan

Free/Premium

Country

USA

Device

HMD Skyline

Operating System

Android 15

My Question or Issue

It seems like when my phone reconnects to the car's Bluetooth, Spotify resumes playback even if it wasn't open before. But only for cars. Is it possible to disable this?

I don't even know if this one's on Spotify, or Android, or the car. But I hear this a lot from others. Happens to other people in my family, various phones and various cars.

If this isn't Spotify's issue... would you consider adding some kinda setting for blocking this? "Ignore auto-resume: when switching playback devices (Bluetooth devices, wired headsets, etc), ignore external media control signals for five seconds. Let you get situated before allowing playback." 

[cohendylan1]

Since this has now been merged with another issue, just a reminder to Spotify and everyone else that:

1. Moderators, PLEASE unmark this as solved.  It is obviously not solved.

2.  Moderators, PLEASE note that the comment by moderator @mihail that closed this is incorrect, the problem is not device dependent, and Samsung and Youtube have already solved this.  See next:

3.  Samsung Music and Youtube Music understand the problem and have already solved it.  They have a setting "Allow external devices to resume playback" that can be turned off.  Just like in this video: https://youtu.be/sAaDWu_2Yr4?si=Kx9CXoA_6YIA9Uam  OBVIOUSLY Spotify should catch up to Samsung and Youtube!

Everybody else, reminder to please upvote the following "Live idea":

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Live-Ideas/Option-to-disable-auto-connect-and-play/idc-p/7087801

When my wife starts her car, OUTSIDE THE HOUSE, my phone starts Spotify playing before she can drive far enough away.  So so so so so so so so so so so annoying.

[CaliforniaDon]

Been struggling with this for months. I have spent an hour and multiple videos trying to go through and stop it, but it does not seem to want to stop. It seems like Spotify will not fix this? That we have to beg with "upvotes" or something? 

I will uninstall spotify and try other methods to listen to my podcasts. 

[easy_iice]

Already uninstalled and it's SOOOOOO much better WITHOUT SPOTIFY.  Can try any of the other music services that actually listen to customers.  Faaaack these guys.

[easy_iice]

YES.  I did the same a few months back.  I'm kinda outraged that we PAY for this stupid service and they don't listen to a legitimate issue people have been discussing for YEARS.   Faaaack these guys.

[cohendylan1]

This bug is so annoying, there is even a Reddit post about it today:

https://www.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/1tptna3/tifu_by_forgetting_my_car_autoconnects_to_spotify/

Spotify staff, once again, this bug is not closed!  Please reopen this thread!

In fact, Samsung Music and Youtube Music understand the problem and have already solved it.  They have a setting "Allow external devices to resume playback" that can be turned off.  Just like in this video:

https://youtu.be/sAaDWu_2Yr4?si=Kx9CXoA_6YIA9Uam 

Everybody, the only thing we can do is please upvote the following "Live idea" and hope some day Spotify will listen:

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Live-Ideas/Option-to-disable-auto-connect-and-play/idc-p/7087801