Inconsistent playlist sync behavior on iOS vs Android, Windows and Linux

[dawidcwikla1]

Hi,
I'm experiencing an inconsistency with how Spotify shows which playlists a song is already added to — specifically on iOS.

Here’s what happens:

• When I add a song to a playlist on Windows 11,

• Then open Spotify on Android or Linux (Kubuntu),
  I can tap the green checkmark ("Add to Playlist") and immediately see all playlists where the song is already saved — even if I haven’t opened those playlists recently.

On iOS, however, this doesn't work correctly:
When I tap the green checkmark on a song, I don’t see the actual playlists the song is in, unless I first manually open each of those playlists one by one. Only then the app seems to “refresh” and show the correct info.

This behavior makes it difficult to manage playlists on iOS — especially when working across multiple devices. I often don’t remember which playlists I used, and the app gives no hint unless I open them manually. On Android, Windows, and Linux, it just works — so this feels like a bug in the iOS app or how it handles cache and sync.

Please fix or improve this behavior on iOS so that playlist data reflects correctly after cross-device sync — just like on Android and desktop.

Thanks!

I also use Spotify on Linux (Kubuntu) and Windows 11. If I add a song to a playlist on Windows, and then open Spotify on Linux and tap the green checkmark (add to playlist), I can instantly see the playlists the song is in — even without opening them beforehand.

The same works on Android. Only iOS fails to reflect these playlist assignments properly unless each playlist is manually opened.

So this is not a server sync issue — it seems to be a problem with how the iOS app caches or fetches playlist data.

[Ivelina]

Hey @dawidcwikla1,

Thanks for posting this thread in the Community and we appreciate the provided details!

We checked from our end, but on iOS the app still showed us which playlist(s) a song was already added to when tapping the green checkmark so maybe there's a device-related issue happening. Did you notice when this behavior occurred? 

Just to be on the safe side and if you haven't already done this, I recommend giving Spotify on your iPhone a clean reinstall with the steps here. It often helps resolve different performance issues caused by corrupted cache, as well as ensures that you're using the newest app version.

However, if there's no difference it would be very helpful if you could send us a screenshot or two that show how things look like from your end (you can attach them via the Insert Image option in the post editor), as well as include your iPhone's make, model, iOS-version and Spotify-version. 

We'll be on the lookout.

[dawidcwikla1]

You added a song, for example, on your computer and there was immediately information about where (to which playlist) the song was added, available on iPhone, without having to open modified lists on iOS to "refresh"? iOS 18.5, iPhone 14. Today (when I'm writing) there was an update of the application in the App Store. I installed it. Spotify version: 9.0.42. Is this the current version for iOS?

[AlejaR]

Hey there @dawidcwikla1,

Thanks for keeping us in the loop and for all the info shared.

Correct, when I added a song to a specific playlist on my computer, I could see the song immediately added to the playlist on my iOS device. I could also see where I could find the song when tapping the (+) button.

On another note, yes, we can confirm that it is the most recent version of the app available on the App Store. Just to confirm, does this behavior happen while using that version?

We'd like to gather some additional info to investigate further. Please send us:

• Does this happen with a specific playlist?
• Do you use a VPN? If yes, switch it off. Keep in mind Spotify doesn't officially support VPN. This means that issues with the app while using VPN are expected behavior.
• Does this happen if you open a different account on your iPhone? You can ask for the account of a relative or a friend to open it on your devices and check.

It'd be great if you send us a short video recording of what's happening, so we can better visualize what you're mentioning. You can attach the video in your next reply in mp4 format, or you can also upload it to YouTube or Google Drive and make it public, so we can watch it.
 

We'll be on the lookout for your reply.

[dawidcwikla1]

Thanks for the response!

I'd rather avoid posting a screenshot unless it's absolutely necessary, but I’ve observed this issue multiple times and can describe it clearly:

When I add a song to a playlist on desktop, and then check it on my iPhone, the green checkmark shows up correctly. However, when I tap it, it doesn’t display any playlist names — even though I just added it to one.

Once I manually open one of those playlists on iOS (the one where I know the track is), the checkmark then starts showing playlist names correctly again. So it looks like the sync doesn’t fully happen in the background unless I “refresh” the playlist view.

Let me know if this behavior is already being looked into. I can try to catch a screenshot if it helps later on

[dawidcwikla1]

Hi Spotify team,
Here’s a short video showing the issue I experience on iOS 18.5 / iPhone 14 / Spotify 9.0.42:

https://youtu.be/7QUKZ6bSU_s?si=GxQAy0yxVKyJSt3I

This video is "Unlisted". I didn't upload it as "Public" because I didn't want my YT channel subscribers to see it.

🟢 Problem:
When I add a song on another device (like PC or Android), the iOS app does not immediately show which playlist(s) it was added to — even after tapping the green checkmark. I have to manually open and "refresh" the playlists before it shows up.

✅ Important notes:

• This works fine on Android, Windows, and Linux — no need to refresh anything.

• I use AdGuard DNS, but it doesn’t seem to interfere, since Android shows everything instantly.

• This issue affects all playlists, not just one.

• I don’t use a VPN.

• I added the song recently (so sync delay is not the issue).

🎥 Apologies for my spoken English — I hope the video still shows clearly what’s happening.

Let me know if you need more details! Thanks for investigating.

---

Jeśli chcesz, mogę też pomóc przetłumaczyć to na polski albo dopisać coś jeszcze w Twoim stylu. Możesz wkleić to jako komentarz do filmu (jeśli ktoś z supportu go zobaczy) lub bezpośrednio w wiadomości na forum.

[MihailY]

Hey @dawidcwikla1,

Really appreciate you adding a video of the issue, huge thanks!

We've tried again on a different iPhone, but we're still unable to reproduce the issue. Can you check if you have Background App Refresh enabled for the Spotify app in your phone's settings? Also, is it possible to test with a different account as this will help us narrow down the root cause?

Cheers,

[dawidcwikla1]

Hey again,

Thanks for your reply!

I’ve checked and Background App Refresh is enabled for Spotify on my iPhone. Just to clarify, I’m using iOS 17.5 on iPhone 14 and Spotify version 9.0.42.

I understand the idea of testing with another account, but I don’t feel comfortable logging into someone else’s account. I hope that’s okay.

One more thing to consider: I’m using AdGuard DNS on my device. The DNS IPs are:

94.140.14.14

94.140.15.15

Maybe this is somehow related? Although it's interesting that on Android with the same DNS setup, everything works correctly – I can instantly see where a track is added, without needing to manually refresh or open playlists.

Let me know if there's anything else I can test!

Best regards,
[@dawidcwikla1]

[MihailY]

Hey @dawidcwikla1,

Thanks for getting back to us. No worries, if you don't feel comfortable trying a different account, that's perfectly fine. As an alternative, you can create a new account using a different email address and close it after the test using these steps.

On another note, would it be possible to try again with the AdGuard DNS app disabled? Also, can you check if you get the same behavior when the song isn't added to your Liked songs playlist and when you open/start it from one of the other playlists it was added to?

Keep us posted.

[dawidcwikla1]

Hi again,

Thanks for following up. I’ve confirmed that Background App Refresh is enabled for Spotify on my iPhone.

Let me describe the behavior more precisely:
When I add a song to a playlist on another device (e.g., PC or Android), then check it shortly after on my iPhone and tap the green checkmark (or plus sign), it doesn't show which playlist(s) the song is in – unless I manually open and close the modified playlist(s) first. Only then the info appears.

This means that the app on iOS doesn't automatically reflect recent changes until I "refresh" each playlist by opening it manually. On Android, Windows, or Linux, this works instantly without having to do anything.

Also worth noting: I use AdGuard DNS (94.140.14.14 / 94.140.15.15) configured at the Wi-Fi router level, so all my devices use it – but only iOS shows this issue. So DNS is most likely not the root cause.

Hope that helps narrow it down!
Let me know if you need anything else.

I will add that I have purchased Spotify Premium Family.

Also, it doesn't depend on which playlist I add the song to — the issue happens with any playlist. The iOS app simply doesn't reflect the updated playlist info unless I manually open and close the playlist first.

Best regards,

[OscarDC]

Hey @dawidcwikla1,

Thank you for keeping in contact and for the info shared. 

Would you mind confirming if the issue persists in the new account as @MihailY previously suggested? Could you also confirm if it happens on a different playlist than your Liked songs playlist?

In addition, to continue investigating this behavior, would you mind connecting your iPhone to a different Wi-Fi network or use your mobile data to see if the issue persists? We'd recommend this step since not all devices perform as expected with DNS or ad blockers. 

Cheers.

[dawidcwikla1]

Hey again,

Thanks for your message.

Regarding creating and testing a new Spotify account — honestly, I’d prefer not to go that route, as I don’t feel comfortable setting up another email and account just for this purpose. I’m on a Family Premium plan and managing one account is already enough.

Also, yes — this happens with any playlist, not just Liked Songs.

I’ll try switching to mobile data or another Wi-Fi network and let you know if anything changes. But I just wanted to mention again that the issue only occurs on iOS, while on my Android and PC (Linux and Windows), the updated playlist info shows instantly without having to manually open and close the playlists.

[Ivelina]

Thanks as well for the response @dawidcwikla1.

We'd like to point out that we've seen some other comments from users who seem to be experiencing a similar issue as you. The issue goes away after a clean reinstall, but it returns after some time. 

Could you confirm if you also experience this behavior, so that we would be able to establish if this is a trend of more of a separate issue with your set up? You can follow the steps for a clean reinstall here.

Keep us posted.

[dawidcwikla1]

Hi again,

Thanks for staying in touch. I’d like to add that I’m not the only one experiencing this issue.

There are multiple reports from other users describing the same behavior — where newly added songs don’t show the playlist info (when tapping the checkmark) on iOS unless the modified playlists are opened and refreshed manually.

Here are some relevant Reddit threads describing the same issue:

• Spotify playlists not syncing across devices

• Playlists made on PC not appearing on iPhone

• Songs added to playlist on my desktop are not showing up on my phone

As you can see, it seems to be a broader issue affecting more users, not specific to my device or account. I’ve also seen suggestions that reinstalling the app helps temporarily, but the problem usually comes back after some time.

Hopefully this helps in your investigation.

Best regards,

[Ivelina]

Appreciate the cooperation @dawidcwikla1 and for sending these Reddit threads.

We had a look, but they were created some time ago and in order to investigate further, we need fresh examples from the recent few months. We also noticed a user in one of these threads that mentioned a reinstall helped and fixed the issue. 

With this said, it would be very helpful if you could also test and confirm if for you the issue is resolved by a clean reinstall as it's the corner stone of our reporting process. We need to confirm this when escalating to further teams.

Thanks and cheers!

[dawidcwikla1]

Hey again,

Just wanted to update you — I’ve now done a full clean reinstall of the Spotify app on my iPhone (latest iOS, version 9.0.42 of the app), and tested it right after.

I added a new song to one of my playlists, and unfortunately the issue still persists — the app doesn’t show which playlists the song is already in unless I manually open and close each affected playlist to "refresh" them. So the reinstall didn’t fix it in my case.

Let me know what else I can do to help you investigate this.

Thanks!
@dawidcwikla1

[OscarDC]

Hey @dawidcwikla1,

Thank you for keeping in contact and for the shared info.

In order to make sure we covered all the basics, would you mind confirming how it went with a different Wi-Fi network? 

Also and if possible, it would be great if you could log your account on a different iPhone or iPad to see if it has the same behavior. We understand it's not easy to get a second one, but you can try to borrow one from a friend or a family member.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation regarding this case.

Keep us posted. 

[dawidcwikla1]

Hey again,

Thanks for the continued support.

Unfortunately, due to a disability, I spend most of my time at home and I don't have access to a different Wi-Fi network easily. The same goes for testing on another iPhone or iPad — I don't have one available at the moment, and borrowing one isn't really an option right now.

Just a small side note — under Linux, the desktop version of Spotify doesn't even show my recently liked songs properly, and sometimes I can "like" songs again that were already liked elsewhere (e.g. on Windows). So it looks like some syncing issues might go beyond just iOS.

Anyway, I hope the information I've provided so far will be enough to help investigate this bug.

Best regards,

Screenshot from Kubuntu Linux.

Screenshot from Android.

😮

As you can see, I have 3538 on Linux, and under Anndroid and iOS and Windows also - 3542, which is the correct number of songs liked! What's going on! I didn't give a screenshot from Windows and iOS, but please - take my word for it, APT and KERNEL Packages Current. I use Kubuntu distribution 25.04.

hey:

On Linux, the DEB version was removed: sudo apt remove Spotify client and  install the version from FlatHub. (flatpack) Now it's OK on Linux... 🙂

[OscarDC]

Hey again @dawidcwikla1,

Thank you for your message and for all the info you've included.

We want to clarify that since Spotify doesn't officially support Linux, we cannot guarantee its proper behavior. However, it's important to know this piece of information due to investigating purposes.

We also want to confirm that we've passed this info internally to report it to internal teams. We don't currently have a date for this to be resolved but rest assured that it's going to be as soon as possible. Any relevant update will be posted in this same thread.

Thank you again for all the info you provided and for taking the time to report this issue. 

Stay tuned!

[dawidcwikla1 · Accepted solution]

Hi again,

Thanks a lot for your ongoing help.

I wanted to share two important observations that might help your internal investigation:

1. iOS behavior: The issue with the "Added to playlist" info still persists. To see where a song was added, I need to open and close each playlist manually on my iPhone for it to appear in the "Added to" section. This happens regardless of which playlist I use. It works fine on Android and Windows and Linux, where updates appear instantly.

2. Linux behavior: I noticed that the official .deb version of Spotify (from your APT repository) doesn't show my recently liked songs properly. However, after switching to the Flatpak version from Flathub, everything syncs correctly and all liked songs are visible again.

This suggests the problem is not due to my account, device, or network, but possibly related to specific builds or synchronization between platforms.

Hopefully this helps your team narrow things down.

I understand that Linux might not be officially prioritized like iOS or Windows, but Spotify does provide an official .deb version through its own APT repository. If it's published and maintained by Spotify, I believe it should be considered supported – at least to a basic extent.

In my case, that .deb version was missing some recently liked songs, which made it hard to trust syncing. After switching to the Flatpak version from Flathub, everything showed up correctly.

So even if Linux isn't the main focus, I'd encourage the team to ensure that officially distributed packages behave as expected – especially when they affect core features like Library syncing.

Thanks again for your support and efforts!