Spotify doesn't work properly with Amazon Echo Dot 4th Generation

[QAScenario]

Plan

Premium Family

Country

Brazil

Device

Amazon Echo Dot 4th Generation

My Question or Issue

Hi, I've been having issues connecting to my Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen). I use it often as a speaker for Spotify along with my other Amazon devices (namely other 3rd Gen Echo Dot), and recently I've noticed that when I try using the 'Play' command through the Spotify API to start streaming on my 4th Gen, there's simply no answer.
I've checked my Amazon Alexa settings to make sure that the Spotify skill was properly linked to my account (it was), and I have also noticed that it's only when I try opening the "Connect to a device" screen on my Spotify app and leaving it open for a few seconds that my 4th Gen Echo Dot shows up and becomes available for selection. This particular behavior gives me the impression that this proccess of searching for devices "wakes" the Echo Dot up, and only then makes it available for streaming.
Again, this seems to be a problem exclusively related to the 4th Gen, as this behavior is not observable in any of my other devices (i.e the 3rd Gen Echo Dot).

[QAScenario]

Hi, sorry for chiming in, but I believe I might be able to provide a bit of info regarding your questions: 

- As I've gathered on other threads at the developer boards, it seems that establishing a connection with the Echo Dot via Spotify Connect device picker works just fine, the problem arises exclusively when trying to retrieve the devices through the API request (more specifically, through the /v1/me/player/devices endpoint). 

Something curious we've noticed is that after connecting to the Echo device through the Spotify Connect, there is a short time frame where the API request will work as intended in retrieving the available devices, including the Echo Dot. This only happens shortly after using the Spotify Connect and only lasts for a short amount of time before not being able to retrieve them anymore. 

Some time ago I've opened a thread about this over at the developer boards, if you're interested in retrieving more details: https://community.spotify.com/t5/Spotify-for-Developers/v1-me-player-devices-doesn-t-return-Amazon-Echo-Dot-devices-4th/td-p/5213016 

We've been eager to have this looked at by someone for some time. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to give any details that you think might be of some help towards fixing this issue. Thanks! 

[brinzlee]

I too am experiencing this issue...Its been driving me nuts as I recently upgraded my router thinking that was to blame. I have done countless resets, deregistered the device, connected it another access point, delete the pairing between spotify and amazon. Now to come across this thread makes me sad I have been beating up my new router !! Anyway, I can see this thread is months old and still no resolution. I have lots of other Echo devices of varying age and can confirm it happens on none of the older variants either...Its just the Echo Dot 4th Generation its happening on....

[SAPReApEr]

So fyi for me, I just rated the Spotify skill at 1 star yesterday. Within 3 hours, all my echo devices work fine again. I am not saying the Unapproved rating did anything, but I will say either Spotify or Amazon fixed "the glitch".  All my devices work and play music fine now. I hope now when everyone un-links and re-links, your music works again.

*** UPDATE, the one issue is that even though the echo devices do play spotify, once pausing or stopping music and continuing on another device, it starts the playlist over instead of resuming where the music left off.

[brinzlee]

The more I study this the more perplexing it becomes... I would say the new Echo Dot Generation 4 has some form of sleep function on its network and the spotify connect part of the app detects it in sleep mode and goes offline after 10 minutes of the connect dialogue appearing .....when the spotify connect icon is refreshed the Echo Dot Generation 4 wakes up again for a period of 10 minutes until it goes back into unavailable again....So now not sure where the domain of responsibility lies.....is it Spotify to alter their API to keep the device alive or Amazon to tweak their network firmware ??

[SAPReApEr]

I am not sure as I do not have any Gen 4..

[Stephan73]

I'm starting to think someone is playing games here.
The customer is the fool

[Stephan73]

apparently Spotify is overwhelmed or unable to solve the problem with 4th generation Amazon Echo devices.

If that doesn't work with Amazon devices, then Google gets a chance now.

Does anyone have experience with the Google speakers in connection with Spotify

[Stephan73]

maybe it will help solve the problem?

I unplugged all my Echo devices today.
All devices are now offline

Now when I open the API Console and search for devices,
then the devices of the 4th generation are displayed as available.
But the devices are offline!

I wish you success

[Stephan73]

Insanity

We've been asking for a solution for over a year.

happy first birthday, Spotify.

[haploid]

I also encountered the same problem as this one.

At first it was only affecting 2 of my echo dot 4th gen devices.

But I performed logout/login in of alexa/spotify, clear cache for alexa/spotify, clean installed alexa/spotify, logout everywhere alexa/spotify, disabled the show local network devices only in spotify setting, gave all the permissions to alexa/spotify even though they didn't asked me, provided alexa access to read everything on phone screen in accessibility settings, disabled alexa integration in spotify desktop browser/disabled spotify integration in alexa app, ran lower version apk of alexa/spotify, disabled spotify skill in alexa app then reenabled, logged in to 2 separate alexa and 2 separate spotify accounts and mix and matched the 4. None of the above worked.

After performing all troubleshooting steps above, I ended up breaking my remaining two 3rd gen echo dot devices too and I went rock bottom because all 4 of my echo dot devices were no longer getting detected by Spotify even after repeating all the steps above.

After a week of troubleshooting via trial and error method, watched more than 10 youtube videos, read more than 15 articles, I found a workaround that worked for me.

I say a workaround, because I honestly have no idea what caused the issue and I am not sure if this will also work for you guys.

What I did was open Amazon via desktop browser and went to alexa devices and deregister each of the devices on my Amazon account. After derigstration, i added the devices and they were automatically detected by Spotify immediately.

I hope the issue does not reoccur but because Spotify and Amazon cannot explain well what caused the issue, I am not confident that this wont happen again.

Link for where to deregister the echo devices https://www.amazon.com/hz/mycd/digital-console/alldevices

Link to the 2019 youtube video that worked for me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7v0u1PTZaM

[Stephan73]

You are probably the only person on this planet who has found a solution for themselves in this.

Or you just don't understand the problem.

I can only report that nothing has changed.

I don't know if Spotify doesn't want to deal with the problem or if they're just too braindead for it.

I expect nothing more here.
pitiable

the stupidity of this company is seen in the fact that they constantly get on my balls and ask me to go back to premium.
Hello?
anyone home?

[haploid]

Have you tried either of these?

A.

1. Deregister that device here https://www.amazon.com/hz/mycd/digital-console/alldevices

2. Once echo dot 4th is ready to for setup, add that device again but instead of going to Alexa via smartphone setup method. Go to Alexa via browser from a laptop or desktop w/ wifi card on the same network/vlan as the echo dot 4th gen.

Alexa Web URL (Use Firefox): http://alexa.amazon.com/

That website will allow you to setup the echo dot 4th gen using the web interface method. 

B.

1. Rename Echo Dot 4th Gen to any name inside Alexa App.

2. Deregister that device here https://www.amazon.com/hz/mycd/digital-console/alldevices

3. Once echo dot 4th is ready to for setup, add that device again but instead of going to Alexa via smartphone setup method. Go to Alexa via browser from a laptop or desktop w/ wifi card on the same network/vlan as the echo dot 4th gen.

Alexa Web URL (Use Firefox): http://alexa.amazon.com/

That website will allow you to setup the echo dot 4th gen using the web interface method. 

[Stephan73]

nonsense

Spotify has long since admitted its mistake.

Your instructions are useless and a waste of time

Spotify needs to respond.

[Stephan73]

Oh a new design in the device list!!!

should that give us hope??

we've been disappointed by Spotify so many times that I'm skeptical

I will watch this critically

[Stephan73]

as expected Echo 4th. shown as offline

Temporarily unavailable

DISAPPOINTING😞

[Stephan73]

Hey Spotify

what is that supposed to be now?

and you wouldn't break your holy crown if you answered here 😁

[RaiderX]

• None of the below information is required. However, the more you provide the easier it will be for us to try and help.

Plan

Premium

Country

Sweden

Device

Samsung Galaxy S21, OnePlus 8T Samsung Tab A, Windows 10, Echo Dot 4/Echo Plus

Operating System

Android 12/Win 10

My Question or Issue

Hi,

So I've encountered a problem with Spotify and my echoes (dot 4/plus). When I access the playable units in the list in Spotify my echo dots 4, 3 in total are greyed out and it says they they are unvailable to use. Have ever my old echo plus is visible and available to play. 

If I use voice command on one of the three echoes that are available and tell Alexa to play a specific song from Spotify it works flawlessly and that specific Echo gets available in the unit list in Spotify. However if time passes and the echo is not used the echo goes back being unavailable until I use voice command again for that specific unit and it pops back up being available again.

The solutions I have tried is hard resetting every Echo, disabling the Echo in the Alexa app removing the units from Spotify, restarting router, trying a different account for Spotify,  and so on. Anyone know how to resolve this?.

[dylix]

Mine has started doing this as well, specifically dot4, others still work fine

[dylix]

Also, if I select everywhere, it will still play it through the dot 4, but can't individually

[RaiderX]

This is freakin annoying. Spotify tells me to talk to Amazon and vice versa. And nobodys coming up with a solution.

[Stephan73]

What?

Spotify has already recognized the problem as theirs.

I'm telling you, they don't feel like finding a solution!