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[UNOFFICIAL][GUIDE] How to disable Spotify Connect

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[UNOFFICIAL][GUIDE] How to disable Spotify Connect

How do I disable Spotify Connect

 

  1. You can disable the Spotify Connect functionality by manually putting the Spotify app in 'Offline' mode from within the Spotify Settings screen when not in use.
  2. You can permanently disable the connect service if you are rooted by installing the app Disable Service from the Play Store. Open the app and scroll to Spotify then tap it to see all services the app uses. Uncheck the box next to 'AppLinkService' then back out of the app. Now the Spotify connect service will not run on your phone and notify you when you are playing tracks on another device. Note: Don't forget to accept SU permissions when prompted
  3. There is an idea to allow the service to be turned on/off at will from within the app. Please add kudos to this idea if you would like to see it implemented.
  4. If you are running CyanogenMod (Custom ROM) then go to Settings -> Privacy -> Privacyguard -> Press and hold on Spotify -> There is a 'Wake up' - disallow this!. Thanks to @aliceraunsbaek for the tip!

 

I believe the ability to toggle the service at will is being discussed internally, but nothing is official. At present these are temporary work-arounds which aren't officially supported.

 

Please do not use this thread to compain about Connect or the inability to disable it manually.


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What's a Spotify Rock Star, and how do I become one?
     Using Spotify Since March 10th 2009
     Twitter: @mechanimal82

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Marked as solution


@MrDelicious wrote:

I've just done some testing... played some tracks without disabling anything.... notification came up on my phone. Disabled the AppLink Service and changed track... nothing. exited out of Spotify, re-tried.... nothing. I think I found it!

 

I'd appreciate it if you could try and confirm it's working for you. I did try playing a track using my phone normally and it played OK, so hopefully this is it.


Gave it a go, didn't work for me. It does help, but I'm looking for complete lack of interaction between different devices so it's not a perfect solution.


If you want to disable the complete interaction then disable the AppLinkServe & the ConnectManagerProxy. It seems the Applink is the one that runs in the background listening to see if other devices start playing.... the ConnectManager runs when you have the Spotify app on the phone playing and want to control a device.


Please use the search feature before posting a problem/bug/idea.
What's a Spotify Rock Star, and how do I become one?
     Using Spotify Since March 10th 2009
     Twitter: @mechanimal82

Android Troubleshooting:
[COMPLETE GUIDE] How to fix most Android issues
Spotify Android Version History

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37 Replies

If they don't give me the option to disable it at will, they will never receive another penny from me. Ever. Period. 

Dear Spotify, what and unbelievably annoying feature Spotify Connect is! Why do you think anybody wants this and why have you made it mandatory? Your random play feature completely sucks in that it only plays about 10% of the songs on your playlist so I sort my music on my PC by track so I have a chance to listen to all of the songs on my playlist. Now my phone goes from offline to online and starts playing it's random playlist instead of my sorted playlist. Another issue is you can't sort your playlist by tracks on ones phone.

 

Between your lame random play feature, not being able to sort playlists by track on your phone and now this stupid connect feature I am now officially looking for a new sevice to give my money to. Plus the fact that there is no way to contact you for these issues. Good luck going the way of vinal if you keep doing such idiodic things to what I once thought was an awesome service which now I wouldn't recommend.

Option 2 isn't much help as it seems to disable some Connect functionality (mainly the in-app notification that let's you choose the device with playback), but the remote functionality still works.


@MrDelicious wrote:

Option 2 isn't much help as it seems to disable some Connect functionality (mainly the in-app notification that let's you choose the device with playback), but the remote functionality still works.


Apologies, I was hopeful it would work but didn't get a chance to test. I'll have a play tonight and see if I can work on a way of blocking the connect notification.... I'm thinking maybe stopping another service or possibly seeing if  the Connect inbound messaging can be blocked by using something like Droidwall (firewall).

 

I'll do some investigation tonight!


Please use the search feature before posting a problem/bug/idea.
What's a Spotify Rock Star, and how do I become one?
     Using Spotify Since March 10th 2009
     Twitter: @mechanimal82

Android Troubleshooting:
[COMPLETE GUIDE] How to fix most Android issues
Spotify Android Version History

I actually played around with the idea myself during the weekend. Aside from ConnectManagerProxy and the results from closing it, there was one other service (can't recall the name now) that when disabled, stopped the queue hijacking from device to another so each device played back it's own queue. Nothing disabled the playback control though, playing music on one device always started playback on the other device as well. I believe this functionality is in one of the services that makes the whole app unusable if disabled.

 

This is just my experience, it might work differently in other setups.


@MrDelicious wrote:

I actually played around with the idea myself during the weekend. Aside from ConnectManagerProxy and the results from closing it, there was one other service (can't recall the name now) that when disabled, stopped the queue hijacking from device to another so each device played back it's own queue. Nothing disabled the playback control though, playing music on one device always started playback on the other device as well. I believe this functionality is in one of the services that makes the whole app unusable if disabled.

 

This is just my experience, it might work differently in other setups.


I can see 2/3 processes that run when the app isn't in focus:

 

  • SpotifyService
  • AppLinkService
  • FeatureService (this one is intermittent, so I think it may be to do with the notification listener)

 

My next guess would be to disable the 'AppLinkService' and see how this affects the behaviour of using the app and whether it stops the connect functionality and/or causes any other issues with parts of the app which may also be using that service.

 

 


Please use the search feature before posting a problem/bug/idea.
What's a Spotify Rock Star, and how do I become one?
     Using Spotify Since March 10th 2009
     Twitter: @mechanimal82

Android Troubleshooting:
[COMPLETE GUIDE] How to fix most Android issues
Spotify Android Version History

OMG!!! Nearly got kicked out of the national library!!! accidently started a playlist on my laptop from my phone while the headphone was disconnected. Please provide an option to dissable this feature...NOT HAPPY!!!

This is a DUMB feature.

 

I'm at work... I've created a playlist and I'm listening to that.  I've got several songs queued up and ready to play when all of a sudden... Those songs are gone and my phone starts playing.

 

Why?

 

If I want to use my phone, I'll stop using my computer and use my phone.  If I want to use my computer, I'll stop using my phone. 


@MrDelicious wrote:

I actually played around with the idea myself during the weekend. Aside from ConnectManagerProxy and the results from closing it, there was one other service (can't recall the name now) that when disabled, stopped the queue hijacking from device to another so each device played back it's own queue. Nothing disabled the playback control though, playing music on one device always started playback on the other device as well. I believe this functionality is in one of the services that makes the whole app unusable if disabled.

 

This is just my experience, it might work differently in other setups.


I've just done some testing... played some tracks without disabling anything.... notification came up on my phone. Disabled the AppLink Service and changed track... nothing. exited out of Spotify, re-tried.... nothing. I think I found it!

 

I'd appreciate it if you could try and confirm it's working for you. I did try playing a track using my phone normally and it played OK, so hopefully this is it.


Please use the search feature before posting a problem/bug/idea.
What's a Spotify Rock Star, and how do I become one?
     Using Spotify Since March 10th 2009
     Twitter: @mechanimal82

Android Troubleshooting:
[COMPLETE GUIDE] How to fix most Android issues
Spotify Android Version History

It is a cool feature...I used it the other weekend when my roommates and I hosted a party. Laptop was hooked up to the speakers and I could be anywhere in the apartment to skip songs and such.

 

But I agree. Seriously....let me turn it off when I want to!!

Thanks for taking this seriously, I don't use this feature at all and it is really messing up my Spotify experience. Any way to know when I can disable this from within the app istelf? This month maybe? Thanks.


I've just done some testing... played some tracks without disabling anything.... notification came up on my phone. Disabled the AppLink Service and changed track... nothing. exited out of Spotify, re-tried.... nothing. I think I found it!

 

I'd appreciate it if you could try and confirm it's working for you. I did try playing a track using my phone normally and it played OK, so hopefully this is it.


Gave it a go, didn't work for me. It does help, but I'm looking for complete lack of interaction between different devices so it's not a perfect solution.

Marked as solution


@MrDelicious wrote:

I've just done some testing... played some tracks without disabling anything.... notification came up on my phone. Disabled the AppLink Service and changed track... nothing. exited out of Spotify, re-tried.... nothing. I think I found it!

 

I'd appreciate it if you could try and confirm it's working for you. I did try playing a track using my phone normally and it played OK, so hopefully this is it.


Gave it a go, didn't work for me. It does help, but I'm looking for complete lack of interaction between different devices so it's not a perfect solution.


If you want to disable the complete interaction then disable the AppLinkServe & the ConnectManagerProxy. It seems the Applink is the one that runs in the background listening to see if other devices start playing.... the ConnectManager runs when you have the Spotify app on the phone playing and want to control a device.


Please use the search feature before posting a problem/bug/idea.
What's a Spotify Rock Star, and how do I become one?
     Using Spotify Since March 10th 2009
     Twitter: @mechanimal82

Android Troubleshooting:
[COMPLETE GUIDE] How to fix most Android issues
Spotify Android Version History

I haven't had an issue since I put my phone back in offline mode which is an easier solution than turing off services. It hasn't changed it back to online as it did previously so mu suggestion is to download your playlist to your phone and then put it in offline mode. At least for those with a premium account.


@Karls wrote:

I haven't had an issue since I put my phone back in offline mode which is an easier solution than turing off services. It hasn't changed it back to online as it did previously so mu suggestion is to download your playlist to your phone and then put it in offline mode. At least for those with a premium account.


Connect is a premium feature anyway, so this issue doesn't affect free users. 


Please use the search feature before posting a problem/bug/idea.
What's a Spotify Rock Star, and how do I become one?
     Using Spotify Since March 10th 2009
     Twitter: @mechanimal82

Android Troubleshooting:
[COMPLETE GUIDE] How to fix most Android issues
Spotify Android Version History

I should re-word my previous statement.  This feature is a good idea with poor execution. 

 

Now with the solutions that you've posted, I need to manually switch my app into offline mode and then when I go out to lunch, I need to switch it back on.  Then when I get back to the office, I need to turn it off again.  Then when I leave work I need to turn it on.  Then off when I get home.  Then on again the next morning on the way to work...  All of this so that I can listen to Spotify between my different computers and my phone without losing all the music that I queue up. 

 

There has to be a better solution.  I gave kudos to the first post to have this elevated as the issue is seriously making me consider why I'm paying for this service when there are other options available. 

 

Why don't you just set it so that whichever device is playing automatically takes priority and make it a manual process to use another device?  If I'm playing music on my computer, I should have to press play on my phone before the phone takes over as the primary device.  Is that possible?

This is just annoying and plain stupid!

I have to root my phone and run an app to disable this **bleep**!

 

I like to see the enable/disable service as a switch in spotify on my phone.

I hate this feature so much.

This feature is super annoying.  I dont want the same thing playing on all my friggin devices when i didnt ask it to.  If i wanted to carry over listening please let me select the option. PLEASE FIX! I shouldnt have to toggle on and offline on my mobile device, that is stupid!

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