Playback gets paused if Bluetooth headset is connected with multiple devices simultaneously

[Xenia]

Hi everyone,

We're seeing reports that the Spotify app keeps pausing audio whenever there are multiple devices connected to the same Bluetooth headset and the app is open on at least one of the connected devices. Special thanks to @growlybeard who provided a very detailed description and video showing the issue!

To keep you all in the loop we've merged a few threads together and have passed on the collected info to our tech folks, who are still looking into the issue. 

We'll be keeping everyone up to speed here, so make sure to subscribe to this thread! 

[Xenia]

Hey folks, 

Thanks for bearing with us while we were looking into this. 

Our teams are still investigating the issue as it seems to be related to the Bluetooth configurations set by the manufacturers of the devices and the way these interact with apps and OS.

For now we're not able to provide an exact timeline for a fix, but we'd recommend always keeping your Spotify app up-to-date to ensure you're on the latest version.

Cheers!  

[tamarindmonkey]

How dare you. Ivan the Spotify Legend has been generously expensing his filet minon lunch sesh’s for the Spotify “tater tots” intern program (head start coding program for 8-9 year old children). It’s only been a year.. they are exploring the issue! Can’t you give them another 8 years to figure out how Bluetooth works?! Ugh

[anijatsu]

I was ready to create a new topic, but it seems that 'multipoint' was the important keyword to find the issue already reported... Although only by 10 people? How's that possible looking at the amount of replies.

Eitherway --

Plan

Premium

Device

iPhone XS, Macbook 2020 M1, PC /w Windows 11

Shure Aonic 50

Operating System

iOS, macOS, Windows 11

I use the abovementioned headset, which works through Bluetooth, and has AAC/AptX and multi-device support. It can connect to two devices at a time, and if one of the connected devices doesn't report audio playback, they're ready to switch to the other one.

I have so far only stumbled upon the issue with Spotify, where if I start playing music on the iOS device, and then open Spotify on macOS/PC without intent to switch the sources, I get constant pausing and resuming, the two devices trying to fight each other, as if they both tried to generate an audio output.

It behaves the same way if I start the playback from the macOS/PC desktop client, where my iOS device automatically launches Spotify - showing the playback status on the lock screen, and the play/pause indicator flashes constantly.

This is annoying to the point where I don't feel like this is the streaming platform for me, seeing how difficult it is to find out how to contact Spotify support. You'd have my full cooperation if I could open up a ticket, receive a reply stating the progress of investigation, find out whether this issue has been reported before and has a reference number or w/e.

Spotify Connect (or whatever the 'control playback on other devices' feature is called nowadays) trying to create an audio stream on an idle device - when it's not asked to - is a fault of Spotify.

[MrSchaal]

Same issue here. Device is Fairphone 4 with latest Android 11. Bluetooth headset is a Plantronics Voyager 5200.

[Felipe-mld]

Hi everyone, I've found a solution to this problem, which was to rename my multipoint earbuds (redmi buds 3 pro) with a diffent name in each device. I have spotify concomitanly open on a Mac (Monterey 12.5.1) and a Pixel 4a 5g (Android 13). In my phone the buds remain named "Redmi buds pro" whilst in my computer I've renamed them "Felipe's buds", and that seems to have solved the issue. Hope it helps you all as well. 

Kind regards.

[anijatsu]

Not a solution here.

Renaming my Shure 50s on both devices (iOS 16, macOS Monterey) and playing music from Spotify on iOS, with Spotify on macOS simply being on still caused the constant pausing.

I have no permission to upload video, so imagine both the playback buttons on the two devices flickering between on and off.

[anijatsu]

macOS Spotify version: Spotify for macOS (Apple Silicon) - 1.1.94.870.gf994cb0b

iOS Spotify version: 8.7.68.446 (yes, I know, it's TestFlight, but the App Store release behaves the same)

OS - macOS version: 12.6

OS - iOS version: 16.0 (20A362)

Headphones - Shure Aonic 50, firmware 0.7.5.0 (latest available in-app). Additionally, it's not bound to a hardware issue with them, as the behavior's the same post-RMA.

[razorre]

Any update?  it happens for MORE THAN A YEAR ....

renaming headphones on one device (MacOS) doesn't help.

I have to login/open my Windows notebook and KILL Spotify or disable BT  !!! 

[anijatsu]

macOS 1.1.97.962.g24733a46

iOS 8.7.80 (878000311)

The rest of h/w is still the same. And it's still the same issue.

[Esherys]

MacBook Pro M1, Pixel 7 Pro - same issue 🙂 

[rbnz]

Same issue here! C'mon Spotify, this is so annoying..

[LinkeLoutje]

Yes, same issue here. Using the Linkbuds S from Sony, which only just received multipoint support. Have renamed the buds as mentioned above. But no succes.

[gatomalaco]

Same here, Logitech ZONE VIBE 125. Issue happens with a Windows 10 and Windows 11 computer. 

[nbeers]

I experience the same issue.

MacOS Ventura with spotify version 1.2.0.1165

IOS 16.2 with spotify version 8.8.1.397

Sony Linkbuds S with latest software

Im listening mainly on my macbook. If both devices are connected to the headphones it will pause after 2 seconds. To solve the issue I need to close spotify on my iphone. As soon as I open spotify again on my phone it will have the same issue when playing the next song.

Please spotify, fix this issue. The amount of multi-point bluetooth devices is growing and this issue is there for more then a year.

[227qfmdjzj6ft74ywqk]

This is indeed a Jabra issue, there should be a prioritization for the device connected, its not just Spotify but any app that uses audio, if the main device is playing music in this case or any other audio service like a call, and the other device starts a new audio process, I.E. a new pop up on the computer or a new call coming in. Then the device that is intended to be working stops working for a short period of time or just gets hanged if the second device takes over. 

A prioritization of devices should allow the Jabra device decide that notifying the user is unimportant for the secondary device. Or even better have a high, medium and low priority where high, the user does not get notified at all, a medium where there is a ding or some light mention of the second device and low where both devices are as important like its working right now.

[Felipe-mld]

Not really, I get the same issue on my Bose QC35II, my Sennheiser omentum
4 and my Redmi buds Pro 3

[jacobsinger22]

Still experiencing this with Sony WF1000-XM4 earbuds while using mutipoint bluetooth with a Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ and a MacBook Pro on the newest Spotify versions.

[masalm]

Same issue here with Sony WF1000-XM4 earbuds using iPhone 12 and Windows 11 laptop.
How can it take almost 2 years without delivering a solution to this issue?

[saattrupdan]

Same issue here, with Jabra Elite 7 Pro, MacOS Ventura 13.2.1 (22D68).

[frffgkyffg]

Same exact issue. When is this going to be solved? It has already been 4 years this thread has been running!!

[migsy]

Come on guys, we need a solution to this!