Spotify causing severe battery drain on iPhone 6S running iOS 10

[jack_206]

This was an issue on iOS 9 and still seems to be happening on iOS 10. Spotify is using 3x more battery than any other app and accounts for about 50% of all battery usage. This never used to be an issue, and I don't understand what it could possibly be doing that is so resource-hungry. Most of my listening is via saved songs on my offline playlist, so it isn't a mobile data issue.

Anyone know how to resolve this? A music player should not be impacting device battery life like this.

Edit Oct 11 2016: Adding a screenshot since this doesn't seem to be getting any traction with Spotify. I unplugged 4 hours ago and my battery is at 13%. And 46% of my battery has been used by Spotify over the last 24 hours.

[JLCNL]

Hi All,

[Update] Unfortunately, the battery drain hapenned again today. So apparently, the solution I posted was not the holy grail. [Update]

I had the same problem (massive battery drain, phone heating up close to the on/off button) and tried solving it. Lately my phone is no longer heating up and the massive drain is no more. I wanted to share my suspected fix:

The temporary workaround that I would use before was to set my phone in battery saving mode. This definitely worked but I would have to do this every day.

Recently, I switched off "Setting timezone" & "Mobile network search" location services  (Settings -> Privacy -> Location services -> System services; I had most other location system services already disabled). This seems to have fixed the issue for me, although I have no more than a few days of evidence to back it up so far...

I hope this is a structural fix and will also work for everyone else. 

Cheers

[SoleusM]

I first posted a while ago, to confirm: nothing has changed.

Still taking up ~70% battery/day, especially on wifi. Not as bad on 4G.

I have two iPhone 7s (one for work), both have the same effect. Latest iOS, latest Spotify. 

Spotify - any official response? Any attempt to fix what is obviously a major, systemic problem?

[user-removed]

Installed a Spotify update today, the issue seems to have disapeared but I'll keep an eye on it.

[Mekeilman]

SPOTIFY!!!! You're burning up my phone and battery!!!!

[woodandrew90]

Show us any evidence that Spotify are even aware of this problem, care, or have any inclination or intention to resolve it.
None at all.
People should just go elsewhere and stop wasting money on a company that doesn't have the decency to even acknowledge a major customer issue.

[6e23]

Still hitting this issue many months later on an iPhone 7 running 10.3.1 and the latest version of Spotify.

Given that the Spotify app on my MacBook attempted to destroy my SSD last year (see https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/11/for-five-months-spotify-has-badly-abused-user... for the gory details) and now the Spotify app on my iPhone continues to destroy my battery life, I've had enough.

I'm signing up for a free three month trial of Google Play Music All Access and using this time to port over my Spotify library (using https://github.com/rckclmbr/pyportify), since this also removes ads on YouTube, allows you to play videos in the background and save videos for offline viewing. Good riddance.

[derwaschbar]

Hi,

I'm adding my little solved story.

My gf had the same problem with the Spotify app on her iPhone 6S.

The temporary solution : activate the "private listening session"

The permanent fix : connecting to facebook.

The problem was that Spotify couldn't connect to Facebook due to some technical problems, so it the app kept on trying to connect. Connecting through the website did the trick.

[DrSubby]

i had no probelms with battery drain, up to now

it seems to happen when i am in airplane mode

with wifi connected on to a source with internet

the phone just starts heating up and boom 50% battery gone in 2 hours

turn the wifi off and it ok

or turn it back to non airplane mode and its ok.

anybody else seeing this?

[amh140]

I am just starting to see this. I just subscribed yesterday (was a free infrequent user) and from when I've subscribed through today, it has burned up my battery. I'm on wifi, not trying to download anything, and just streaming. I also flipped on the private session too.

I have an iphone 6s and am running 10.3.1

good thing I didn't cancel my apple music yet. Spotify, do something. How can you think people burning through their battery in 2 hours is acceptable?

[derwaschbar]

Have you tried connecting with facebook? (You Can disconnect right After)
It's kind of crappy but it worked for me

[amh140]

this seems to have helped. I'll check back tomorrow to see if it's sustained for more time. thanks!

[amh140]

Tried connecting to facebook and seemed better yesterday. This morning I downloaded a couple playlists at home over wifi and left my house with 72%. When I got to work an hour later, my phone was at 11%. What the eff, spotify is unusable.

[shumachine]

I liked the idea of facebook connection, because I am not connected.

I am unsure, but does this only happen, when connected to WiFi? iPhone was again heating up like **bleep**. Stopped Spotify, disconnected from WiFi will keep an eye on the behavior.

[user-removed]

I am having the same battery drain issue on my iPhone 7 iOS 10. I run Spotify in a private session with no internet but it hogs my battery like never before. I don't have a Facebook account so I can't try the new hack. Songs are downloaded at 320 Kbps. **bleep** should I do to fix it? Someone please help!! Thanks in adv.

[bigdaniel]

Spotify used 76 % of the battery in the last 24 hours.

The app runned max. 2 hours.

No streaming, just listened to offline music.

iPhone 6S 64GB

iOS 10.3.1

Spotify 8.4.0.623

[segaokhiria]

I'm seeing the same thing on iPhone 7 iOS 10. But the solution is simple... have a charger everywhere you go. I have a charger beside my bed, in the living room, in my car, and a portable one for when you're an the go and Spotify is draining your battery.

[amh140]

I know I have external power banks everywhere, but still, it's 2017, I should have to lug around a cord and power bank to stream music for 2-3 hours. I don't think that should be a solution that Spotify would recommend

[segaokhiria]

Yeah no, I was kidding. It's ridiculous how much battery it eats up. 😞

[amh140]

haha my bad, i missed the sarcasm

[Bearhog]

I've been having the same problems for a while now. I keep waiting for Spotify to release an update that fixes this, but so far that hasn't happened.

Using iPhone SE on latest iOS (10.3.1.) with latest Spotify. The problems seems to be there always when connected to wifi.

I have a hunch it might have something to do with Spotify Connect when you're using wifi, but I can't tell for sure... All I know is that this battery usage is insane and I doubt it's good for the device.