What's up with this new desktop UI?

[tetre]

Device

PC

Operating System

Windows 10

I don't know where else to post this, but the new desktop UI is terrible. I'm running version 1.2.7.1277.g2b3ce637 and have tried the methods to revert the UI I've found elsewhere in the community (like changing prefs file, which I had to dig for), but none have worked.

The UI is just the complete opposite of what I'd want on desktop- very noncompact, difficult for no reason, and generally looks to be modeled more for phones than for a desktop.

If anyone knows a way to revert the update, please let me know.

[vaajy]

Someone mentioned that Web App has old design, and it had, but now... it¨s this new view.

I follow over 1100 artists and it's complete pain to have it all in one sidebar, too much scrolling and filter does less than half the work. Before you just could go to artists section and see them all at once easily when one wanted. Now it is sitting here even if you don't.

[FishGB]

This new layout is awful. Im having this trouble on PC as well,

Also, I now have to click on 'PLAYLISTS' and then 'BY YOU' to find ONLY my playlists, I dont want 'liked' artists / Songs showing up on my Library.. I want my playlists showing up like it was before. STOP CHANGING THINGS!!!!

[potatoes23]

Huh so my mobile home page is still fine but I finally got the desktop update.

While it is not like offensive-level bad like the mobile redesign it still shows that whoever is working on spotify UX likely lied on their CV.

Like, I can live with this, it's actually feels somewhat more functional than the old one, but it looks like an asymmetric rainbow vomit puddle of tiles after tiles after tiles and then more tiles, all of different sizes and interaction points with no clear separation of panel/panes. There are no points to focus your attention and no symmetry to it, it's like the complete polar opposite to the mobile redesign.

Again, I kinda like that it's more functional but...come on man. When I first saw it I thought I'm having a migraine episode.

[edga]

Oh I just got that update.. terrible.. I can't see the hierarchy of my playlists  from multiple folders at once.. The tree is a must if you want to quickly move between folders of different parents. I honestly thought the UI can't be effed up more than it has been, how wrong was I!?

Who gives a toss about when the playlist was created, I also don't need the image that reduces how many playlists or folders I can see..

Why, Spotify, why? I understand there may not be a lot of things that you think you can do with such software that just works but making such major UI changes just for the sake of it? not cool..

[edga]

Oh I just got that update.. terrible.. I can't see the hierarchy of my playlists  from multiple folders at once.. The tree is a must if you want to quickly move between folders of different parents. I honestly thought the UI can't be effed up more than it has been, how wrong was I!?

Who gives a toss about when the playlist was created, I also don't need the image that reduces how many playlists or folders I can see..

Why, Spotify, why? I understand there may not be a lot of things that you think you can do with such software that just works but making such major UI changes just for the sake of it? not cool..

[morfeablack]

Thank you for reverting this "abomination" on PC.

[#8]

What even is the new UI update for Windows? It is absolutely atrocious. The new interface is annoying to use, instead of getting a small confined list of all my playlists I get en overexpanded mobile UI on a desktop interface? Like who thought that would be a good idea?
Why fix something that is not broken? It worked perfectly just as it was. I looked over the settings and I don't even have the option to change it aswell.
Atleast give us the option to use the old UI instead of this horrendous thing.

[RC-1290]

I just received the downgrade to the new desktop UI. First: you should ask me if I want to be a test subject, and pay me for the service. Feel free to just refund my subscription for the duration of your test.

Now the notes, so you can revert my account to a good UI, and fix this for your next victims:

• Library takes up too much vertical space because it uses tiles instead of just the titles of playlists, so I've lost overview.
• Custom order gets reset to "recent" every time I look at the root library, so I need way more clicks to go back to my meticulously ordered playlists

[edit] found a "Use compact library layout" in settings, which is a bit better. It still has the weird folder behavior that doesn't respond to the mouse's back button, so I have to be very careful with where I click to avoid losing context. But at least I can get a bit of overview back.

[assassinfeed]

It would be nice to have compact song list of currently playing playlist on the left side, inside new Library view. Integrating it into Library would also give opportunity to choose specific songs while browsing for other playlists. Currently you can search for playlists in compact view, using that new Library on the left side, adding compact song list inside Library means you should also be able to search for song, just like inside fullscreen playlists, or like you search for Playlists, Albums and Artists inside that new Library. Adding tag "Songs" next to "Playlists", "Albums", "Artists" should work the same way.
I believe integrating such feature is gonna look natural inside Spotify's UI, and very useful.

[cademon101]

Yeah it felt like a piece of home for a bit. The difference makes me we want to drift away, all my memories were nested in the old UI and now it all feels gone and swept under a bleak black corporate rug.

[MattSuda]

If you're using an older version of the Spotify desktop app, this should now be fixed.

Please try 1-2 restarts of the Spotify desktop app and let me know if you're still having this issue.

Otherwise, you can try to update to the latest version of the Spotify desktop app which should be around 1.2.9

[MattSuda]

Hey @Strawjab 

This is the new Your Library sidebar in the desktop app.

Here's how to get it as close as possible to the old sidebar:

In the left "Your Library" sidebar, click on the "Playlists" filter.

Then, in the sort drop down select "Custom order". You will then see your previous playlist order and be able to reorganize your playlists (move playlists and folders like before)

Your current preference will be remembered each time you start up the Spotify desktop app.

If you would like to only see text in the Your Library sidebar, go to the Spotify app Settings ---> Library ---> and select "use compact library".

You can also drag the left sidebar to different sizes, as well as fully expand the sidebar by clicking the arrow button, and fully collapse the sidebar by clicking on the "Your Library" heading.

[nova1112]

The current application for Windows (1.2.9.743.g85d9593d) after the last update has become very logical (visually) and easy to use. Switching between songs from different albums is finally convenient.

Spotify for Windows 1.2.9.743.g85d9593d

Thank you for this change - it's a step in the right direction - keep it up!

[calamar-87]

I can't believe it, Spotify doesn't stops of ruining his apps. First they ruined mobile version (they had to go back to the previous UI), now they ruin the desktop app. Hey Spotify, who is your product owner? Because lately you do everything WRONG. The new UI it's the worst! if you want to test new UI interfaces, let us the users choose if we want to try them, or not, because i don't wanna use this horrible UI, i wanna come back to the previous UI!

[pauloctane]

The app looks better, but what happened to the PC version?? It's horrendous! The forced Library/Playlist merger is not hot

[tauic]

Yeah, it's a lot more difficult to navigate through my library. What is the purpose of the update? It would be very good to have the option to use an UI that's optimized for navigation by having non-bloated items.

[kaworu_bloodpaw]

Hey everyone!

I don't have the new UI yet, but based on feedback from others, I believe there should be a toggle in your Spotify settings named something like "Compact Mode." This should make your sidebar the most similar to the old one.

See this post for more information.

If my answer was useful, don't forget to give it a 'Like!' If my answer was the solution, don't forget to mark it as the solution! Thanks! 😇

If you need anything else, please reply and ask, or shoot me a Private Message! Feel free to follow my Spotify or Community profiles!  Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Spotify.

[VampiroXIII]

What annoys me the most about the new playlist UI is that I CAN'T PUT THEM IN THE ORDER THAT I WANT THEM IN. Why did you take away control from the user, Spotify? That's pretty much 100% against one of the first rules of UI design.

[kaworu_bloodpaw]

Hey @VampiroXIII

In order to arrange playlists in a custom order, you need to complete a few steps first:

1. Set the Filter to Playlists.
2. Set the sort order to Custom order.

You should now be able to drag & drop playlists outside of your folders as well as change their order.

[VampiroXIII]

Why do I have to jump through hoops to do something that was previously the default behavior?