Announcements
The Spotify Stars Program: Celebrating Values Week!

Help Wizard

Step 1

NEXT STEP

Samsung Watch App full of bugs (Gear S3 / Gear Sport / Galaxy Watch)

Samsung Watch App full of bugs (Gear S3 / Gear Sport / Galaxy Watch)

Plan

Premium

Country

 Tested in Germany and Sweden (as if that would make a difference...)

Device

Samsung Gear Sport (tested), Samsung Gear S3, Samsung Galaxy Watch (there are threads describing these problems for these devices as well, but the search on this help forum is so terrible that I don't feel like doing your work)

Operating System

Tizen 3 and Tizen 4 (problem persits since Dezember 2017, when I got my watch)

 

My Question or Issue

 

Im finding the Samsung gear sport app almost unusable. Is anyone having the same issues? So far this is what happens at least once a week and it's usually while I'm running so can't sync with my phone. 

 

- offline music gets deleted

- stops playing to bluetooth earphones but looks like it's still playing.

- controls stop working and get stuck on one song.

- bluetooth headsets play button is not supported

- when the health apps voice takes over to say something like my KM distance it stops playing and does not start again. 

- no repeat in offline mode

- music starts playing after phone call

- difficulty logging in (although this is probably just terrible design, as it works for me by using a device password, which I set online on the spotify pages and then logging in with the Spotify option in the app, not with facebook, even though my account is a facebook account...)

 

Note that the default music apps works just fine with all these things. Note I am not talking about the connection to the phone. I am talking about the premium feature of standalone offline music (which is btw something the watch is advertised with).

 

Like a year ago I already went through some useless steps, like reinstalling the app on my phone (note that I am still talking about the STANDALONE OFFLINE mode, i.e. the phone has absolutely nothing to do with it).

 

I am honestly very disappointed by Spotify not updating this app a single time in over 2 years. The support is terrible and I have no hope of this getting fixed.

I can only advice everyone not to buy any Samsung Watch in the hope of using Spotify on it, as the app is a total mess. I dont know if this is Samsung's fault or Spotify's, but since Tizen at least gets updated once in a while, so I believe it's Spotify's.

 

There are numerous threads in this forum describing some or multiple of these issues:

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Other-Partners-Web-Player-etc/Samsung-gear-sport-app-full-of-bugs/t...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Ongoing-Issues/Spotify-playing-on-Galaxy-Watch-after-phone-call-unw...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Android/Cannot-Shuffle-Offline-Music-on-Samsung-Galaxy-Watch/m-p/45...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Android/Samsung-galaxy-watch-issue/m-p/4586751

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Other-Partners-Web-Player-etc/Galaxy-Watch-Issue-Spotify-automatica...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Ongoing-Issues/Spotify-app-on-samsung-gear-sport/idi-p/4350785

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Other-Partners-Web-Player-etc/Spotify-Gear-S3-Bugs/m-p/4583462

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Accounts/Samsung-Galaxy-Watch-Login-Problems/m-p/4562825

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Android/Can-t-login-on-Gear-Sport-Watch-an-endless-journey/m-p/4480...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Other-Partners-Web-Player-etc/offline-not-working-with-Samsung-Gear...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Android/Does-Samsung-Gear-sport-Spotify-have-shuffle/m-p/3855397

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Other-Partners-Web-Player-etc/Spotify-Audio-gets-permanently-muted-...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Ongoing-Issues/Samsung-Gear-Sport-Tizen-OS-Spotify-app-basically-un...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Other-Partners-Web-Player-etc/Samsung-Gear-Sport-Playlists-Offline/...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Other-Partners-Web-Player-etc/Samsung-Gear-Sport-Can-t-Play-Music-O...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Other-Partners-Web-Player-etc/Gear-Sport-App-Navigation/m-p/4565217

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Ongoing-Issues/Spotify-stops-playing-on-gear-sport-when-offline-and...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Other-Partners-Web-Player-etc/Gear-S3-Shuffle-Save-Repeat-Not-avail...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Other-Partners-Web-Player-etc/Samsung-Smartwatch-Spotify-App-needs-...

 

 

I know there is probably no developer working on this app anymore, so there will not be any change. But I hope to stop some people from making the same mistake as I did and just switch away from Spotify and go for Android Wear, or Apple Music and go for an Apple Watch. Terrible experience overall.

Reply
27 Replies

Hey @roym899 and thanks for reaching out the the community,

 

I have a gear S3 watch and use the Spotify app on it on occasion. I have not noticed this problem so I would suggest uninstalling and reinstalling to the new version, If you want you can also create an idea in the Spotify community idea board.

 

Best of Luck,

Jack

@Jᴀᴄᴋ  Not sure what on occasion means. But are you using it during workout and offline? 

 

What "new version" are you talking about? There is no new version since 2017. And I gave it multiple shots always resulting in the same issues with different headsets, smartphones and Tizen versions. So it is hard to believe this is just an issue for me. (and I believe I provided enough evidence that I am far from the only one who has major problems with the app)

You're not the only one...I'm having the same issues.  My only work around is using the built in Tizen media player to control next, previous and pause functions.


The spotify app for the watch is practicly worthless.

Any comment from Spotify officials? Will this ever be resolved?

I've been having the same problems and am so annoyed at the lack of response/fix from Spotify.

 

Remote function has always been unstable and now I can't even login from my Gear S3 after various uninstall/reinstalls.

 

One of the main reasons for buying the watch was compatability with Spotify. Indeed Samsung promote their wearables with this as one of the major selling points. To therefore not have full functionality is completely misleading the public and quite simply unacceptable. It's not a case of days/weeks but months/years whereby the app has been buggy with no fixes put into place or even acknowledged.

 

I'm tempted to engage with Trading Standards to get their view on the mis-selling of the product as many people would have bought a Samsung wearable and subscribed to Spotify Premium only to be severely disappointed when it comes to actually trying to use it on the watch.

I bought the Samsung Gear Sport ONLY because of the Spotify feature.  I had the same issues described with it not continuing playing after the Health App tells me the km I've run, etc.  Then, one day it just started working properly, and now it's gone back to not working.  I really am so disappointed.  I'm actually going to go back to where I bought the watch and complain since I feel that this is their issue as much as Spotify's since they are advertising this feature.  

 

I also feel that Spotify is not doing anything about this, not even commenting on these posts, which is really frustrating.  Come on Spotify, fix this!!!

I only re-subscribed to Spotify to listen to music in my Samsung Gear Sport while running, but it pauses every time a coach audio is played and never plays again (this only happens with Spotify, with the native player it is OK).

 

I spent 3 days just to manage to download my playlists and listen offline.  

The app is beautiful and it would be awesome -- if only it worked properly.

Please, it clearly needs bug corrections, since there are a lot of them as roym899 pointed out. The problems are there since 2017.

 

Where are Spotify responses? We need at least a perspective of improvement since we're paying for the product.

Hello,

 

the same sh*t for me.

I am using a Galaxy Watch with last OS. I only bought the watch for sports to listen to music while running. I have exaclty the same problems as my friends above.

It is frustrating, I just deleted your app and think about cancelling my premium account, too. I have Spotify premium only for downloading titles on my watch and so I am thining about closing my account!

Please rework your app, it is ad disaster for a world concern with over 5 billion $ revenue, and exclusive contract with Samsung, to give us users such a bad working app!

Thanks for reading and forwarding my critic to R&D!

Spotify version: 1.2.15

Samsung Gear S3, Tizen version: 4.0.0.2

 

I completely agree that this app is virtually unusable in offline mode, to the point that I am considering cancelling Spotify, buying a new watch (or both). The lack of support or willingness to fix this problem is extremely frustrating. I am happy to work with developers to solve this, but at the moment, this renders the offline functionality useless.

 

If you are initially connected to WiFi or your phone (some form of online connection), the app works fine, but as soon as that connection gets interrupted, even if you have downloaded music and set the app to offline, it starts misbehaving. There are times when running when I cannot change tracks; other times when the music appears to be playing but the audio isn't transmitting to my bluetooth headphones.

 

The only way to get this working correctly, is to go online in the app, clear cache, re-download your playlists, go offline and then disconnect the watch from Bluetooth and WiFi. This, however, is NOT a solution and renders the app and offline functionality completely useless as you have to do this every time.

 

I do not buy the BS that my phone corrupts the Spotify cache. Developers - find another way to store the downloaded music. Samsung and Spotify's failure to address this issue for over 2 years is extremely disappointing. Undoubtedly, both companies will lose customers over frustrating user experiences like this one.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

I couldn't agree more.  I would be happy to assist with this problem.  It's happening to me too.  

Exactly the same problem here.

 

I stopped using Spotify and now use the Samsung music player to listen to podcasts while running.

 

This is not good for the image of Spotify. I hope they will fix offline listening soon.

It seems as though you need premium to sign in, otherwise it will not let me use the app.

Uninstalling and reinstalling is about as effective as restarting the watch, except restarting is much quicker.

I can only fully support your complaints. Bought the Gear Sport for running with offline playlists. To see that not even basic options like play/pause/skip are working on my BT headset (Powerbeats 2 Wireless and Powerbeats Pro) is a real mess. 🤬

Hi Jack

Thanks for you replies.

I'm trying to get an answer the problem of the app not showing in the galaxy store. Do you know how this can be done? It doesn't seem like spotify officials review these forums

Facing the same problem here. Spotify for Samsung Watch is pratically unusable to use with offline feature.

 

Using the newest version avaiable and still no good. In fact, they made it worse cause now, when you choose independent playback, it shows tiny album covers instead of playlist names, making very dificult to find a desirable playlist.

Hey there @fcamposrf!

 

Thanks for reaching out to us and welcome to the Community!

 

Could you let us know the model of your watch and the versions of its OS and Spotify?

 

We'll also need to some more info as to what exactly you're experiencing and if you've tried some troubleshooting steps, so that we could investigate further.

 

We'll keep an eye out for your reply.

ElenaModerator
Help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution".
If you appreciate an answer, maybe give it a Like.
Are you new to the Community? Take a moment to introduce yourself!

Hi Elena, nice to get a reply from you.

 

I have a Samsung Gear Sport smartwatch (model SM-R600), using Tizen version 4.0.0.7.

 

The Spotify app for the smartwatch I'm using now is the 2.4.12 and it is the latest one avaiable at de Galaxy App Store. In the smartphone, I'm also using the latest version for Android: 8.5.76.962.

 

Here are some issues that made the offline mode of the wearable version unusable to me:

 

- Difficult to find a playlist (see photos):
When you change to independent playback, playlists appear with the album covers instead of the playlist name. This is bad because the screen is so small that it turns to a nightmare finding the desirable playlist. The funny thing is that if you turn back to remote playback, playlists appear with names, not album covers. Give up the covers in the wearable version, screen is too small for that.

 

- Indicator of playlists avaiable offline removed:
In another version of the app, the playlists list were always with names and they had and icon by the side of the name indicating if the playlist was avaiable offline. The icon was a small arrow pointing down and could be green, indicating that the playlist was avaiable offline; gray, indicating that the playlist need to be resyncronized; or no icon, indicating none of the songs were avaiable offline.

 

- Not showing all playlist
When independent playback is used, the app does not show all playlists of my account. Don´t know if it is a limitation but my app only shows 20 playlist and I can't find a way to see other than those 20 that the app chose.

 

- Trying to connect even in offline mode
Sometimes, and I don't know why, the Spotify app tries to connect even with the offline mode on. I can say for sure that it is trying to use de network but when I start the app, it show that green/blue spining circle and game over. That app won't work again until I go online with the smartwatch. I tried to reboot the watch, turn off all connections but it is no good.

 

Tell me if I can help any further.

independentMode.jpg
remoteMode.jpg

Ignore this message. It was sent 2 times. 

Suggested posts