Podcast episodes start over from the beginning on Android

[Yordan]

We’ve received reports that podcast episodes lose their listening progress and are starting over from the beginning. This is happening only on Android, when the following criteria are met:

• the episode is started from a playlist - be it a personal one or Your Episodes;
• the small white "Play" button on the right is used. When tapping on the episode title and using the big green "Play" button instead, the app remembers the progress and episodes continue as normal.

White "Play" button

[thestory]

I'm having this same problem, also on Samsung Galaxy S23 with Android 16. The Spotify app is up to date, I've cleared cache, cleared data, uninstalled and reinstalled the Spotify app, and I've restarted my phone multiple times with no change. I'm playing from your episodes and it restarts the podcast every time.

[EllaWhen]

Plan

Premium

Country

United States

Device

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

Operating System

Android 15

My Question or Issue

For the past few days on my Android phone, Spotify has not been resuming podcast episodes from the point I left off on, instead starting them over from the beginning. This has been happening when playing episodes from "Your Episodes." I thought it might just be an issue with one podcast, but today it's happened with another one as well, and it happens every time I resume playing an episode. Spotify seems to work fine playing podcasts on my Windows PC, but the vast majority of the time I listen to podcasts on my phone so it's really annoying. I would appreciate any help troubleshooting, or if the developers can work on it if it's not just an issue on my end!

[3ursch3l]

I am having the same issue. Just started in the last week or so. 

Also on Android Pixel 4a 5G

[Blue0223]

Same issue on Samsung Galaxy 21 

[Samond]

Same issue on a Google Pixel 4a, android system 13, started in the last week

[tmosher87]

Plan

Premium

Country

U.S.

Device

Galaxy S23

Operating System

Android 16

My Question or Issue

When going back to a podcast I've already partially listened to it will restart from the beginning even though it acknowledges there are XX Minutes Left before you hit play. The only way to avoid this is by playing the podcast currently on pause, meaning you can't pick up where you left off in a new podcast and then come back to this one. It has decreased the value of premium over the last few days/week.

[Eevee13]

Devs, I just found out if I swipe from the previous podcast to the next on the playlist (which is partially listened to) rather than pressing play on the one that is partially listened to, it does not go back to the beginning. 

[Amay]

Hey @tmosher87, thanks for asking in the Community! 🎵

Does this happen on a specific podcast? I'd suggest clearing the app cache and performing a clean install if the former doesn't help.

Feel free to include the Spotify app version with your response. 🙂

[mattm11]

I am having the problem on my Pixel 9 Pro Android.

One interesting finding is that if you press the play button to resume an in progress podcast from "Your Episodes", the progress resets. However, if you resume the progress from the episode within the show itself, it resumes where you left off.

[ziachap]

Plan

Premium

Country

United Kingdom

Device

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Operating System

Android 16

My Question or Issue

On the Android mobile app, when I play a podcast it does not remember the playback location of when I last played the podcast. Every time I try to play a podcast it always start from the beginning again.

• I have tried signing out and completely reinstalling the app, deleting caches and data.
• This seems to have broken after a recent update.