Option to disable video on podcasts to save data on all platforms

[MadeFromMetal]

Give us the option on Android and iOS to disable video playback so users can save data usage. 3 hours of 1080p is a lot of data used. This is a huge problem for so many users, especially ones you want to use Spotify away from home. This could be a deal breaker for me. I mainly watch podcasts but only want to listen to audio and many channels are offering audio/video stream and Spotify doesn't have the option to turn video playback off. Even when I play Spotify in the background it still is pulling video data in its small window using an unnecessary amount of data.

[mrhidayatmn]

Hi. I wish there is an option in the Setting (Spotify PC version) that permanently hides those videos instead of having extra step every time I open this app on PC 😢

[bndksrz]

I doubt that It can save my data clicking this icon on my Spotify Mac App. It seems like that it is only hiding the video and not disabling it like the one you can find on iOS and Android.

[bndksrz]

And it seems like, it only hides the video but still consumes data. 

[creous]

Exactly! I have the same problem and I consider discontinuing my Spotify Family subscription for this reason. I want my kids to be able to listen to podcasts, music and audiobooks, as opposed to watching videos. With children, this is a very big difference! This would be easy to fix with the additional option to block video streaming altogether.

[marcan0]

I did use the desktop app on win10, was causing a display issue. Since there is not fix/ setting to turn it off. My solution was to just cancel my prem. The changes to the app and policies til  now 2019/2023 with basic stuff like this..... done not worth the trouble.

[HeyYoMoon]

Spotify, what a TERRIBLE product feature. Allow us to turn off video on podcasts at a master level. No videos anywhere. When will that feature be added?

[uncloned]

Our kids also found out they can continue watching videos on Spotify once their YouTube screentime ends. And they are tech savvy enough to figure out to disable the "audio only" button in their settings. How difficult can it be to just add this as a parental control feature in the family premium subscription? Looking forward to this feature! Thanks for taking responsibility as a company for these social dilemmas...

[TheAlphaDirector]

What a stupid feature as a parent and a consumer. If I wanted videos I'd go to another app!

[MatthewSteel]

Hello dear Spotify Community,

nice that you try to keep the app fresh. Unfortunately in my opinion it is a very terrible idea to not give the users the possibility to switch any videos off completely. Spotify is a music-app and not for videos, for videos I can use Youtube. For supporting my mental health I stopped consumption of all non-tutorial videos, but your new function makes it more difficult to avoid videos. Both nowadays algorithms and a lot of the content created is optimized for being addictive to the human brain and a few seconds watching a video can easily turn into half an hour when having a weak moment while scolling through the spotify content. So by not giving the possibility to the users to switch the videos off, you will most likely have negative impact on users mental health. For me that might be even a reason delete the app, if I notice getting addicted.

Please change the settings, that would be wonderful, I love your app!

[MatthewSteel]

I made a thread on the ideas channel. Please like this, to get the new feature implemented 🙂 we need 50 likes in three months.

https://community.spotify.com/t5/App-Features/Deactivate-videos-in-podcasts-completely/m-p/5622641#M...

[audio2494]

While using Spotify in a browser, thanks for adding the option to hide the video by clicking the X in the video itself. This doesn't seem to reduce the amount of data downloaded (in the Windows task manager, the rate of received data does not decrease). Is it possible to disable video data download while listening to a Spotify podcast in a browser window in Windows?

[jimbinator]

It’s a feature not a bug, designed to pull younger kids in and addict them. I’m going to have to end my relationship with Spotify after many years, Its disgusting that  a paid service will do this just to make a few extra bucks! 

[nerien]

Ugh, you're so right. I'm going to have to cancel my account. I hate that they ruined a great music app for my family by adding the videos.

[exitwest81]

This solution is no longer valid - this option doesn't exist on the iOS app under Settings.

[bndksrz]

It is still there. It’s under the “Data Saver” settings. ##- Please type
your reply above this line -##

[peter4good]

There is no option in any menu to Stream Audio Only. I've looked through every single menu for the past hour. Every help forum says the same thing but it's incorrect, and i am not alone in this frustration. It makes no sense that we are forced to download everything we want to listen to, if not with video. I do not want to waste data, battery or space on my phone. And who plans ahead which pods they want to hear all day?  If I want video, I can go to Youtube. This is actually a deal breaker. Suggestion to improve user experience on  SPOTIFY:  Let me have the choice: Audio. or Video. I get there may be engineering considerations, but that's what engineers do. Figure out how to make a product better. Not force the customer to adapt to a bad design decision. Am I wrong here? Seems like a pretty basic thing.

[Softbutterfly]

It’s frustrating that this problem is still a problem, since the setting mentioned in the solution is not available. I’ve searched for it for almost a year, did they remove the setting?

[alcego]

This needs to be an option. Conditional opt-outs are not opt-outs. 

[aqqqqqqqqqq]

no one should have to make this suggestion it is the most obvious thing to do that everyone obviously wants

[aqqqqqqqqqq]

you cannot already do it. saying you can already do it because you can disable when not on wifi is insane. my levels of annoyance have gone through the roof.