[Desktop] Play/pause button not automatically focused after re-opening Spotify desktop

[visnetje]

This used to be the case, but since the last few versions of Spotify Desktop re-opening the app does not automatically focus the keyboard on the Play/Pause button.

How to reproduce:

1. Open Spotify
2. Play a song
3. Hide Spotify (Cmd+H or from menu Spotify > Hide Spotify)
4. Go back to Spotify app (either from the Dock or through Cmd+Tab)
5. Press the space bar to Play/Pause
6. macOS give an error sound

When you click anywhere in the Spotify app, then the space bar will Play/Pause as usual.

This behavior makes it inconvenient to quickly hide Spotify when not needed, and go back to play/pause (without having to use the mouse) when desired.

Hope this can be fixed in a (near) future version!

[OscarDC]

Hey @visnetje,

Thank you for reaching out to the Community and welcome. We moved your post from Ideas to the help boards as its content fits better here.

SInce this issue started with a recent update, it's possible that your Mac has some stored cache from the previous version that may interfere with the proper performance of the app. We'd first recommend performing a clean reinstall of the app. This is often an overlooked step, but it can be helpful to get rid of any corrupted files that might be causing issues.

If the issue persists, would you mind including in your next response the model and OS version of your mac, along with the Spotify version you're currently running? This will give us a better look at your issue.

We'll be on the lookout.

[visnetje]

Great, so I followed the advice @OscarDC provided to do a clean re-install.

Lost my recent playback history and searches, the issue is still here.

System profile:

• MacBook Pro 14 inch M1 Pro
• macOS 12.3.1 Monterey
• Spotify for macOS (Apple Silicon) 1.1.84.716.gc5f8b819

[aiiskoplusaiist]

I also noticed this issue in the latest version. Very annoying. 

I'm also using 14" M1 Pro with Spotify for macOS (Apple Silicon) 1.1.84.716.gc5f8b819

[AndresM]

Hey @visnetje,

Thanks for your reply. Just to confirm, is this happening with any other streaming service (if possible)?

Changing tunes, could you send us a short video showing us this issue (including the error sound you mentioned).

Lastly, we recommend logging in with a different account and tell us if the issue persists. 

We'll be here standing by.  

[djpowers]

I'm seeing this same issue exactly as the original issue describes. I've attached a quick screen recording, where I followed the same reproduction steps. No audio in this capture, but you can see the space bar presses are ignored after hiding and then returning to Spotify. Only after clicking on the Spotify interface does a keyboard shortcut (space to play/pause) work again. The sound is the "invalid key press" alert, referenced here: https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-the-alert-sounds-mchlp2207/mac

Also of note, this occurs with other keyboard shortcuts, for example, Cmd + L to get to the search bar.

I'm seeing this on multiple M1 computers, both running

• macOS 12.3.1 Monterey
• Spotify for macOS (Apple Silicon)
  1.1.84.716.gc5f8b819

[visnetje]

The video capture from @djpowers exactly displays the issue I described. It seems that the Spotify app does not properly understand that the window has focus after switching back to the app when the app was hidden (with Hide Spotify).

[Alex]

Hi everyone,

Thank for your reports and info.

We've passed this on to the right folks at Spotify to investigate what might be causing this issue 🙂 

We'll keep you up to date with any news here.

[aiiskoplusaiist · Accepted solution]

It appears that this issue has gone away and the original functionality restored 🙂 

Version:
Spotify for macOS (Apple Silicon)
1.1.85.895.g2a71e1b8

[visnetje]

@aiiskoplusaiist I can confirm that this is indeed the case. Finally! 🙂

Spotify for macOS (Apple Silicon)
1.1.86.857.g3751ee08

[Jeremy]

Hey there folks,

Thank you for your replies and confirmations.

We're glad to see that everything's back to normal for you again 🙂

Let us know if we can help you with anything else. Have a great Sunday!

[eee_oo]

this exact bug is reintroduced 3 years later lol... you would assumed that they wrote tests for it after first f up

Spotify na macOS (Apple Silicon)
1.2.64.408.g0a9b557c

[djpowers]

Noticed this issue crop up again and was confused to get a notification for this thread, forgetting I had commented when it originally occurred. It is a bit concerning that this regression could somehow slip through again. Not sure if Spotify monitors older threads but I'm hoping this can be readdressed.

[CUBRICON]

Desktop App Mac

I switch apps a lot and start/stop playing music a lot.

Often, I will hit command-tab to switch to Spotify and then press the space bar to pause or resume playback. For some reason, instead of playing or pausing (as I am accustomed) I get an error sound. Then, I have to click in the playlist area to regain focus for the play/pause control via the space bar.

It seems to me that it used to work they way I feel it should work, but now it doesn't (within the last few weeks).

I hope you can fix this bug.

[Conanthebarb]

What a complete joke! The issue is back...spotify and their support are pathetic.

[OscarDC]

Hey folks,

Thank you for your messages and sorry for the late response, it seems this one fell on a crack.

We tested this from our end and the pause/play function with the space bar seems to be working properly after using CMD+TAB. So to investigate this further, would you mind confirming if you've performed a clean reinstall of the app? If not, we'd recommend following the steps mentioned in this article.

If the issue persists after this, include in your next response the make, model, and OS version of your device, along with the Spotify version you're currently running.

Also, and if possible; could any of you record a short video where we can take a better 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 YouTube or 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 response. 

[djpowers]

I just followed the clean install steps and am still experiencing the error.

Here is a link to a screen recording of the bug: https://share.cleanshot.com/B2KwchrK

My recording software doesn't display space bar presses, but the issue should be apparent when you hear the audible macOS error beep due to the space bar not triggering any action.

Through my testing, the error occurs when the Spotify app is hidden (⌘H), and then brought to the foreground again. At this point, you need to click somewhere in the main view to restore the space bar using for playing/pausing.

MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro

macOS Sequoia 15.5

Spotify for macOS (Apple Silicon)
1.2.65.255.g85e641b4

Please let me know if you need my Spotify username to send me a year of Spotify Premium for providing these clear and concise reproduction instructions! 😁

[OscarDC]

Hey @djpowers,

Thank you for your message and for the detailed description, it's very helpful.

Just to make sure we covered all the basics, would you mind clearing any entries which contain Spotify from the host files on your computer to see if it makes any difference? You can do this by following the instructions mentioned in this post.

Lastly, could you check if this happens with the Web Player as well?

We appreciate your patience and cooperation regarding this behavior.

Let us know how it goes.

[djpowers]

I do not have any references to Spotify in my hosts file, and the issue is not present in the Web Player (using Firefox, and I followed the same hide and un-hide actions in the browser without issue).

[OscarDC]

Hey @djpowers,

Thank you for keeping in contact.

We've passed all this info internally so the relevant teams can investigate it further. Any relevant updates will be posted here. Thanks again for your cooperation.

Stay tuned.