Disconnect Cross-Platform Volume Control

[kevohblock]

I am running Spotify Premium on an iPhone 11 Pro (14.2) and a Macbook Pro (10.15.7)

The volume setting within the desktop app is changing the volume on my phone, in all apps, not just within Spotify. If I turn the volume to max within Spotify(mac), it overrides the volume settings on my phone. When I lower the volume on apps, it then lowers the volume on the desktop version of Spotify. I do not want this.

How do I disconnect volume control? I'm at the point where I'm considering deleting the app from my phone.

[Xenia]

Hi @kevohblock,

Welcome to the Community 🙂

When using Connect, it's possible to control your desktop app volume from your phone. However, it shouldn't be possible to control your phone's volume settings from the desktop app.

To further look into this, can you let us know if this is happening while using Connect? Also, a screenshot or screen recording where we can see how you're controlling your phone's volume settings from your desktop app would come in handy.

We look forward to hearing from you.

[kevohblock]

I do not know what "Connect" is. The little button in corner for "connect to device" says "Listening On This Computer" and my phone is listed below it, grayed out. (Screenshot)

The circumstance is this: Spotify is playing on my computer, as normal. I will be using my phone, say on Twitter, and I will see the volume bar pop up on the side and go to full volume. If I then press the phone's volume control down, across the room my Spotify volume will reduce as well.  If I go to the computer and turn Spotify back up, the volume on my phone goes right up with it. Attached video shows my phone volume going up and down as I control Spotify volume on desktop.

[Alex]

Hi @kevohblock,

Thanks for the info and the video.

Can you perform a clean reinstall of the app both on your computer and phone. Follow the device specific steps in this Spotify Answer. This involves deleting the app data.

Let us know if that makes a difference.

Cheers.

[kevohblock]

Uninstalled and reinstalled on computer and phone per that page. No change, the volume is still interacting between phone and computer.

[Ver]

Hey @kevohblock,

Thanks for getting back to us 🙂

It's a good idea to try with another account. Are there any changes?

If everything is running smoothly with the new account, you can give these steps a go and transfer your music. That way you can also enjoy your favorite jams on the new account as well.

Keep us in the loop! We'll be right here if you have any further questions.

[multi]

I have exactly the same issue but with my iPhone and PC desktop spotify.

Spotify keeps pumping the volume up to full blast on my iPhone and if I lower it on the iPhone, my desktop spotify also automatically matches that volume. Often it also reverts back to full volume no matter what.

This does not happen when spotify app is uninstalled on my iPhone so I'm 100% sure it's some strange issue with the Spotify connect. Has been happening for me almost a year already so not looking very good of getting sorted.

Have had my windows reinstalled twice meanwhile and switched iPhones once (now running the latest iPhone 13 Pro) and always had the same issue.

[Alex]

Hey @multi,

Thanks for the post.

Can you clarify if you can control the volume of Spotify on your computer from the phone, even if the Spotify app is not active on your phone?

Cheers.

[JZZ]

I am experiencing this issue right now as well (iPhone 12 and MacBook Pro 2019). I have gone as far as to close the Spotify app on my phone, as I noticed that AirPlay would still display controls for what was playing on my laptop. Several times I have lowered my phone's volume to play games or use other media, only for it to shoot up to full volume after a delay period of a minute or so. 

I have yet to experience this issue when I play music in the background using my laptop PC, so either it's an issue that arose recently or it only affects volume control when I'm playing on this new Mac. I'd send video evidence, but @kevohblock's response above perfectly captures what I'm experiencing on my end.

[Mario]

Hey @JZZ,

Thank you for posting on the Community!

Would you mind sharing  the version of the Spotify app you have on currently on both your devices? Please make sure that they are the latest available. Also, we suggest trying  to log in and out from your app two times in a row, which will trigger a resynchronization between your account and the app.

If the issue persists, it'd be great if you'd send a video of the situation, so we can investigate it and advise you better.

Hope this helps. Let us know how you get on.

[multi]

Hey Alex,

Sorry for the slow answer! Yes, the strange thing is that even when I kill the spotify app from the background on iPhone, my phone volume will still control the spotify volume on my PC and keeps pumping the volume to 100% on my phone.

I'll try to capture this on video next time.

[Elena]

Hey @multi,

Welcome back on the thread and thanks for keeping us in the loop here.

In the meantime there were updates on the latest version of both the Spotify app and the iOS itself, so could you confirm that you've installed those on board? Could we double check with you the exact versions numbers you have currently on?  Also if this issue is still present after running the latest updates, we would really be grateful if you could capture a video recording of the situation, to include this in our ongoing investigation of this. 

If you need anything else, the Community is here for you.

[multi]

With the latest versions it seems not to do that if the app is not running in the background.

I would still really hope to see an option to disable volume sync completely as it's impossible to listen to music from my desktop computer and browse content on your mobile phone if you accidentally have Spotify open in the background as the volume will be at full blast.

Here is a video to show this issue

As my both hands were occupied filming I only adjusted the volume from the phone, but when I put the volume back to full on my desktop, it also pumps it to full in my phone. At least now you can "fix" this by killing spotify from the background, but who kills apps from the background these days?

[Alex]

Hi @multi,

Thanks for the video recording and the info you've provided.

We'll let you know in here as soon as we have more info on why this might be happening and possible solutions.

Cheers.

[MafeG]

Hi @multi,

We're back with some information for you.

After reviewing again the video you sent, we'd like to confirm if in that instance Spotify was still loaded up in the background of your phone and just not in focus.

If that's the case, then this is expected behavior on iOS devices for now. This is based on how volume control works and that volume sync between Spotify apps on different devices is enabled to allow for remote control. In order to disconnect this control, the app needs to be closed completely.

Please let us know about that and we'll continue from there.

Until then.

[multi]

Yes, in that video Spotify app was running on the background on my phone.

Not long ago it also did the same even when Spotify was not running in the background, which was really weird and even more annoying.

I'm sad to see that this is considered as expected behavior. As mentioned, nobody kills apps from background anymore and I can't find any option to disable the Spotify connect completely as it's only making my Spotify experience worse.

[MafeG]

Hi @multi,

Thank you for your reply!

We understand this may not be ideal, but at the moment this feature cannot be completely deactivated or it would allow two or more people to play music at the same time from the same account, which goes against the Terms and Conditions of service.

As a workaround, you can disable the Spotify Connect functionality by manually putting the Spotify app in Offline Mode from within the Spotify Settings screen when not in use.

There is also an idea to allow the service to be turned on/off at will from within the app. Please add kudos to this idea if you would like to see it implemented. The "Case Closed" status doesn't mean the idea won't be implemented. If it reaches the necessary amount of votes, Spotify will consider it. 

Let us know if you have any questions.

[jadwahab]

Same issue as above, this is extremely annoying. There should be an option to turn this off...

[ad100]

Same problem. it blows up the volume on my phone, it will make me deaf!

[ad100]

It happens also when the app is not running in the background for me