[Android] Android Widget

[nicb19]

Having a home screen widget for Android would be really nice. All other media players have one on Android so it'd be great to see that in Spotify too. It'd make things so much easier to just be able control to Spotify from your home screen instead of swiping down for the notification bar or opening the app. It's really simple functionality so please can you add it.

[jay_mello]

How is this "Not right now"? You just removed it, just put it back! 

[DanielM6]

Come on Spotify. Whoever came up with this idea need to put their ego on the side here, and reverse this idiotic step.

I'll act as if nothing happened, I promise.

[Tilion90]

I really just love watching the sh*tstorm unfolding here. 

Guys remember, the goal of removing the widget was that you need to open the app to see ads! 

[Thexone]

Removing the seems like nothing more than a move to force users to open the app more often and increase engagement.  Notification area controls are not nearly as convient or stable as a home screen widget.   Every time the app closes in the background the notifcation controls will go away forcing you to opent he app again. With the widget even when the app closed you could simpy hit play and it would pick up where you left off. 

With more than 59 pages of comments from users opposing this decision the orginization is aware of the dislike from users.  At this point users must make a decision. I for one will give them a short period of time to reverse the descion and then I will be canceling my subscription and switching to Tidal.  I don't even know anything about Tidal and have never intended to find out.  I encourage others to start using a #spotifywidget hashtag on twitter to gain more attention to this issue. 

[Dudinkalv]

I've not been paying 10 bucks a month for the past 5 years to get downgrades.  Why are you removing a feature that was working fine and was used by so many people? I think someone **bleep** up at the offices guys...

[rolenquin]

Removing the home screen widget was a terrible design choice for Spotify. The notification tray area is a terrible substitute for controls as you cannot access controls when the app is closed. The notification bar also does not allow you to control music when you are playing Spotify on another device, which is extremely inconvenient.  Without having an adequate replacement or legitimate reason for removing this functionally, I see this as a poor move by Spotify. Apps should become easier and more friendly to use over time, not the other way around.

[DN1]

Just wanted to add that at the time of this comment, this Live Idea has 6,949 votes. When compared to features that have been implemented on the Idea Exchange article, this would rank 4th on that list.

[Moridin8738]

Just sent the following to the Spotify Staff:

Spotify Staff,

The following is in regards to the excuciatingly obvious blunder of removing the Android Widget.

• 3 full pages of posts regarding the removal of the widget on the Community main page over the last 2 days.
• 53 pages of negative/angry/frustrated replies to the post "removing the widget for the betterment of all you users" before the moderator(s) shut it down.
• 60 pages and counting full of negative comments, threats to leave the service, people having actually cancelled their subscriptions.
• Nearly 7000 votes to bring back the widget as a "New Idea" (completely asenine) which will likely have the highest number of votes of any other "New Idea" very soon.  By the time you read this post, it may well be closer to 8000...assuming of course that ANYONE  actually reads any of these comments.
• Thousands of unanswered, unaddressed posts, comments and private messages stating that in no uncertain terms, the latest "update" feature removal was a terrible idea.

Spotify as a whole seems so conceited that you feel the best course of action is to bury your collective heads in the sands and pretend that no one is actually disgruntled and no one will actually cancel their subscriptions.  Dislodge the vacuous orb atop your shoulders from your cumulative posteriors and actually realize that "you done messed up A-A-ron".  It is okay.  Everyone has been wrong before and we will be wrong again.  The bigger person(s) can actually admit it, clean up their mess and learn from their mistakes.  Doubling down on your execrable miscalculation in judgement is NOT the way to garner the support of your devoted subscription paying client base.

Signed,

Soon-To-Be-Former-Spotify-Supporter-and-Zealot

[WeronikaKrzton]

Not right now? That's like one of the most important features of any music app. Why would you get rid of this super useful widget? I don't get it. Even the most basic and default Android music app has it. And I do pay for yours service. Stupid idea to be honest. 

[Thexone]

Posting this here.  It's from a linkedin post by Ducan Bayne.

I think I have the answer: advertising revenue.

Spotify has started serving advertisements to paying customers of late. Sure, that's not what they call it. A Spotify rep told me:

An "advert" promotes products and services from mostly an outside party in an attempt to build their own customer bases. An "announcement", on the other hand, provides recommendation to contents already available thru Spotify ... we also help the industry by allowing them to promote their contents via our platforms.

So, they're not ads because Spotify says they're not ads. Paid promotions aren't ads. They're announcements. Gotcha. Right.

With the ads in mind, Spotify's decision to remove the widget makes perfect sense. Without the widget, I need to open their app to start playing my music. So now, I can't launch music without being exposed to ads (sorry, 'announcements').

As I told the Spotify rep in my reply:

I also think you're aware of how this will be perceived, hence the "announcement" weasel-word to describe that advertising. If you weren't self-conscious about the perception of serving ads to Premium subscribers, it would never occur to you to use that terminology. I can almost imagine the brain-storming session with legal and product managers sat in front of a whiteboard, trying to come up with a 'more acceptable' term for banner ads.