Search bar gone!

[delysid23]

Suddenly today, the small search window in the upper left of the Spotify window has disappeared!  The only way to search is to scroll up to the top of the left sidebar, and click Search which takes you to the main Search window.  Can't search from anyplace else, like while looking a playlist.

This makes finding music, and especially adding tracks to a playlist, hundreds of times more complicated and time consuming. 

I pray to God this is a bug in the latest Spotify update, and not a deliberate change in the Spotify interface.  That would be madness!  Must be a bug.  Gotta be.

[added later] There is a keyboard shortcut to get to the Search window:  ctrl-L.  That helps, but still, why remove the handy little search bar that used to be in the upper left of every Spotify window?  Must be a bug.

Plan: Premium

Country: Canada

Device: MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2014)

Operating System: macOS Mojave 10.14.3

[Loxer]

Hi there!

I know it sounds simple, but it's often overlooked. Could you try restarting your device? If that doesn't help, try a quick clean reinstall of the app. Just follow these steps.

If you're still having trouble, could you let me know the exact version of Spotify and the exact version of the operating system you're running?

I'll see what I can suggest next!

[vadfasfd]

I echo this sentiment. I've reinstalled so its not a bug. Why get rid of the search bar and hide it away with another button? You've made it harder and more complicated to search! Thats the stupidest thing. It makes searching for songs harder and less intuitive.P lease revert this change, I have no idea how this passed your UX testing.

[Loxer]

Hey @vadfasfd and welcome to the Community.

Hope you are doing great!

At Spotify, possible improvements and new features are often being tested. This means you might see something on the app your friend doesn't, or get a brand new feature for only a temporary period.

Things tested could include the next generation of security protection, or new ways to listen. It's also a way for Spotify to introduce new features, and fine-tune the app to be compatible with specific devices.

However, if you don't like the changes you notice I’d suggest starting a new thread in the Community Ideas Exchange.

This’ll allow users, Stars, and Moderators to vote and comment on it.

Have a nice day! 🙂

[TeslaTheFox]

Don't mean disrespect, I'm a Product and UX designer myself so I know how this goes :). But if this is A/B testing I can't imagine why would you choose to hide something as meaningful and used as the Search Bar. I used it at work 98% of the time while on Spotify and now this forces me to go to the search tab and search instead of quickly going over to the search bar on top. 

[delysid23]

I reinstalled Spotify, restarted computer several times, but the search bar remains stubbornly absent from the upper left of every Spotify window, where it used to be.

The change occurred around March 16, 2019.

Please bring the ever-present search bar feature back!!!  Why on earth would you remove it?  What possible advantage could there be in not having that search bar?

Version details:

Mac OS Mojave 10.14.3

Spotify 1.1.2.285.ga97985ef

[delysid23]

Mac OS Mojave 10.14.3

Spotify 1.1.2.285.ga97985ef

[Jimmy277]

Hi there, where is the improvement in hiding the search bar for the user, the one option you use, oh I don't know, pretty much all the time to explore the database??? A new feature? - What are you talking about, that move  equals to somebody hiding your car in town so have to look for it every morning before driving of to work. What is next, you have to solve a riddle every time before you want to press the play button. Also, out of Spotify's perspective, don't they want the user to explore and play many different songs as possibe, isn't that their business model in essence. Well, congrats, this made it much harder for the user, for me this is a total turnoff to contine using Spotify in the future! Sorry, but I could rant on about this for ages, hiding the search bar in a menu is so moronic, I can't comprehend that someone thought, yeah that is a good idea, let's sell that as a new feature. Like installing the ignition keyslot under your carseat or the button to switch on the light in your house in the drawer, hidden under your underwear at the very bottom, where you rarely go looking. A feature he says...

[CharlesBukowski]

Me too - inexplicably, the search is gone - "lol" - how? why? bonkers 

[sj585]

Not a bug. I just downloaded and reinstalled the latest. Search bar is gone.

[Novy]

Hey there @sj585, 

Thanks for reaching out about this in the Community 🙂 

Would you mind sending over a screenshot where we can see how your Home page looks? 

You can attach it using the Insert Photos option in the post editor, just make sure to exclude any personal info from it.

We'll keep an eye out for your reply.

[ecrow]

I just updated, not expecting this frustrating of an update. Not only do I hate how they've hidden away the search bar with all my heart, but when I try to use it, no results come up. For anything. I get wanting to streamline everything, and give it all a place, but what used to be one click is now taking me down a path that is just so annoying. Cool it's tidy, but it's wildly inefficient.

[Jeremy]

Hey there @ecrow,

Thank you for your post in this thread.

Can you provide us a screenshot or a screen recording so that we can have a closer look directly from your end?

We'll keep an eye out for your reply.

Take care!

[novacon89]

it's impossible to search for new music or other artists that are not in my playlist. where is the search bar??????? horrible uix

[Genie3007]

Thanks for the ctrl + L shortcuts. I had no idea how to search for things outside of what I've already added to my library. These updates are awful, they're not user friendly at all, if we all have to come to forums to figure out HOW TO SEARCH FOR NEW MUSIC. 

Along with the awful gargantuan tiles on the mobile app.. 🤮 which also only shows you MUSIC YOU ALREADY KNOW EXISTS.

Sorry, I'm a bit cross with all the rubbish updates. Maybe Apple music is better, might go check it out..

[kvlorant]

The problem still persists but if you are updating the software and relaunching the app, the problem will solve.