CarPlay extremely buggy

[technologiq]

Spotify on CarPlay is buggy bordering on unusable.   If I try to play my starred playlist, I just get a 'empty' looking playlist.  Sometimes it will start playing something after 30 or so seconds but most of the time it does nothing.

Spotify will also randomly force close.  Music cuts, screen goes back to the main carplay menu.  

Sometimes it will startup normally but then I get no sound.

This is Spotify running on iOS 8.0.2 via iPhone 6+ on a Pioneer AVH-4000NEX head unit.

Please, please work on CarPlay. 

Edit 1-5-2015: Spotify 2.2.0.2464 on iOS 8.1.2 (12B440) on iPhone 6+ and the issues are still there.

Edit: 6-11-2015: Spotify 3.2.0.1554 on iOS 8.3 (12F70) on iPhone 6+: Recently I've had better luck with Spotify loading correctly and playing correctly. Occassionally I'll have audio break up (not sure if that's the iPhone 6+, Spotify or the head unit).     It should be noted that I like Spotify and don't care for other products out there (for some reason another product was marked as the solution to this thread).  I'm glad to see some positive movement for Spotify and CarPlay.

6-11-15 Update 2:   2 things happen frequently:  Songs play at 2x (skipping every few seconds).  Spotify stops responding for 4-5 seconds.

[koalapeck]

I'm in the process right now of building my library in iTunes Music. I'm not dealing with this any more. Sorry Spotify, I love what you're doing and I wish you luck, but your iOS software is absolute garbage.

It's really too bad as I love your Windows desktop app. iTunes is horrid in comparison, but the thing is- I only use the desktop app maybe less than 5% of the time. I'll put up with a bad experience for 5% of my usage rather than the other 95%.

Tired of plugging in and unplugging my phone trying to trick spotify into working. Tired of having songs play randomly in my pocket.

[kevlargurra]

@mattwach: Do you have network connection when you get an empty browse menu? What iOS version do you have and what phone are you using?

[lewthecanoe]

I'm having all of the issues described above. Very temperamental,
1. blank screen when launching Spotify from the CarPlay menu

2. Start Spotify from the phone plays music but unable to interact (often it crashes the whole CarPlay interface)

3. If it eventually does work when I disconnect the phone the music stops playing on my iPhone for a minute or two. (I've looked at my phone and it says it's stopped) but then I hear music from my pocket a few minutes later.

4. Today a new bug. I worked for a song or two then was stuck in fast forward.

I am using Spotify in offline mode for obvious data reasons when out and about.
iPhone 6s 128gb iOS 9.2 (13C75). Pioneer SPH DA120 firmware version 1.08. (UK) Spotify version 4.7.0.985. Also using official Apple lightning cable.

Hopefully this helps. I'm loathed to switch to Apple Music as last time it screwed with my iTunes library.

Lew

[deanvern]

Been using 4.7.0 for a few days now (iOS 9.2).  In sum:

(-) Still often see the bug where I disconnect and the app continues playing (as mentioned on this thread by myself and others pre-4.0.7).  Very annoying.  Almost each time I have to open spotify back up on my phone after I get out of my car and manually stop the app or it sits there playing.  As before, if I disconnect the phone AFTER I've shut my head unit off, it seems fine.  That however, is not the standard use case.  Very awkward to first open my door to shut my head unit off, then disconnect the phone.

(+) Haven't seen the blank screen bug yet!!!!!  yay

(-) Did once see the UI crash when going My Music > Songs > Shuffle.  The app UI froze, though music did playback.  I eventually had to shut off my head unit AND spotify.  Only seen this once so far though.

[gilby16]

Running iPhone 5s ios 9.2, Spotify version 4.7.0.985, Pioneer Appradio 4

1. Spotify is still awful in Carplay for me. If I go to radio outside of Carplay, then come back to Carplay to run Spotify, the app may or may not show the song i was playing, and if it does show the song with the play control, the button will not start playing the music, it just sits there and my radio station continues playing. Seems like the only way to fix is to unlock my phone (while I'm driving, don't want to do that)

2. If I'm playing a song in Spotify on Carplay, sometimes it plays in the background if I leave the app, sometimes it shuts off the music if I leave the app. I feel like it stops playing in the background if I do need to unlock my phone to get Spotify to play.

3. I still get music playing on my iPhone after leaving my car. It might take a minute or two for it to start playing from my pocket.

4. All other music apps I have on Carplay work without issue.

I have 350 downloaded songs on the app for offline play. The app is consuming 1.9 GB on my phone. Not sure if having this many downloaded songs could be a problem

Please help! Spotify is my only reason for going to Carplay.

[t0bbi]

Running iPhone 5S ios 9.2.1, Spotify 4.7.0, New passat with Navi PRO.

I have noticed 2 problems:

1. Music continiues after diconnecting phone.

2. I can not see all my songs on long playlists.

[toddlarry]

Updated the Spotify app and still having issues with long playlists, crappy navigation, occasional blank/grey screens.  No "Discover" in browse.  2016 Tahoe.

Using STAMP to move my content over to Apple Music as we speak.

Spotify...you've had plenty of time to develop for the Car Play to still not have it right.

See ya.

[kevlargurra]

Hi

We aim to fix the music playing after disconnect issue and the no audio issue in 5.0.0.
We're investigating why not all songs are shown in long playlists, it's very likely a CarPlay limitation actually.

[toddlarry]

---

@kevlargurra wrote:
Hi

We aim to fix the music playing after disconnect issue and the no audio issue in 5.0.0.
We're investigating why not all songs are shown in long playlists, it's very likely a CarPlay limitation actually.

---

A CarPlay limitation?  Yet Apple Music has long playlists.  Typical response of blame the other guy.

40% of the way there!

[kevlargurra]

@toddlarry: How long in Apple Music vs Spotify? What iOS version do you have?

[Hball]

thanks for this I was looking for a solution to move my playlists across to Apple and this is perfect. thanks!

[Hball]

Same here. Just couldn't be bothered with all the bugs any more. Been on Apple Music for a while now and it's running just fine. Infact I'd say the audio quality was better.

2000 VW New Beetle with Pioneer 120

[toddlarry]

Not sure what you mean by how long in Apple vs. Spotify.

iOS 9.2.1

[toby0001]

I have the Pioneer sph-da120 en i have said goodbye
to spotify à while ago to the malfuction of CarPlay en switch to Apple music.
Apple music works great with CarPlay,but on newjear i switch to deezer music for the 3 months for 0,99€ deezer also has an app for CarPlay,but it is the same crap blanc screens playlists that not charging .
My experience with CarPlay is that all apps from Apple works fine but all the other apps are not good,always throbles.
Apple force us to use their own apps.

[kevlargurra]

@toddlarry: You mentioned you could have longer playlists with Apple Music than with Spotify when using CarPlay. I was wondering what the limit for Spotify is?

[lewthecanoe]

Updated Spotify today to latest release (4.8.0.1085) and tried it out twice once on mobile data (Spotify is set not to use mobile data) and the second time connected to work wifi which is epically quick. Both times worked fine. It's still a bit slow to show the 'now playing' screen

iPhone 6s 128gb iOS 9.2 (13C75). Pioneer SPH DA120 but a marked improvement on previous version.

SPH DA120 firmware version 1.08. (UK) Spotify version 4.8.0.1085 Also using official Apple lightning cable.

[Unor92]

Thanks to the guy that typed that Apple Music works better in my Car Play, I've been using Spotify for many, many years and 4 days agi i unsubbed because of this, I can't use it while in my car the Car Play is just out of control it's not worth having Spotify for the issues it gives me, Im in my 5th day now with Apple Music and my Car play is working flawless also as mentioned before here, you get longer playlist and also BETTER yes better quality over all in the songs i don't know why but having 30% volym in Apple Music sounds like i'm at 100% with Spotify.

I won't return to Spotify until they get their stuff sorted out, because this is just awkward to see from such big company.

[deanvern]

Getting real tired of my new daily routine with carplay/ios/spotify:

1. Drive to work, shut off car, disconnect my phone

2. Get out and hear Spotify still playing on my iphone

3. Go back and unlock my phone to pause the music

4. Come back to my car later and after re-connecting, notice Spotify doesn't resume playback automatically (likely due to #3)

[toddlarry]

It seems to be about 1.5 screens worth. Not only playlists, but artists, albums, etc. Have 100+ artist/albums saved and can only access about 20.

Switch to Apple Music. No issues there!

[Chrissfa]

Sick of being a Spotify Alpha tester (it's been about 14 months I think).

Every time I try to use it ends with one or more of the following:

-error messages when I try to play a track.

-playing screen appears but music doesn't play.

-music appering to play (timer moving) but can't hear anything.

-play screen still having the stream buttons from last played (beats1) - and, of course, not playing the track.

-spinning icon on menu forever.

When it does very rarely work it seems to be down to pure luck.

Spotify 4.8.0, iOS 9.2.1, iPhone5, pioneer sph-da120.