Spotify iOS/CarPlay Bug – Podcast Playback Position Not Saved Correctly

[randywalton]

Hello Spotify Support,

I would like to report what appears to be a reproducible bug affecting podcast playback when using the Spotify iPhone app with Apple CarPlay.

Issue

While listening to a podcast through CarPlay, playback works normally. However, after I leave my vehicle and return later, Spotify frequently resumes the podcast at an earlier point instead of the location where I actually stopped listening. As a result, I have to manually search for the correct position and re-listen to content I have already heard.

This happens consistently enough that it has become frustrating to use Spotify for podcasts while driving.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Connect an iPhone to Apple CarPlay.
2. Start playing a podcast in Spotify.
3. Listen for several minutes.
4. Turn off the vehicle and leave.
5. Return later and reconnect to CarPlay.
6. Resume the podcast.

Expected Behavior

The podcast should resume at the exact point where playback stopped.

Actual Behavior

The podcast often resumes at an earlier playback position, causing progress to be lost.

I have spoken with several other Spotify users who have experienced the same behavior, so this does not appear to be isolated to my device.

If it would help your engineering team, I would be happy to provide additional information, including:

• Spotify app version - 91.66.2150
• iOS version - 26.5.2
• iPhone model - 15 Pro
• Vehicle make and model - 2018 Audi Q5 with Apple CarPlay

I would appreciate it if you could investigate this issue or let me know if it is already a known bug.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards

[OscarDC]

Hey @randywalton,

Thanks for getting in touch with the Community, and welcome.

We appreciate all the details included in your post. To continue investigating this issue, we'd first recommend checking whether you have any pending updates on your iPhone or any other device you connect to your car.

Also, would you mind checking with a different iPhone connected to your car to see if it makes any difference? If you don't have another one available, you can borrow one from a friend or family member to test it out.

We'll be waiting for your response.

[randywalton]

Oscar, thanks for the quick response. I have ensured that all updates are processed on the iPhone. In fact, I updated the OS today. I have experienced this issue in my car, my wife's car, and multiple other cars. It is a consistent issue. I then tried this using my wife's phone and experienced the same issue. It does NOT appear to happen when playing music, only on podcasts. 

[Dessi]

Hey @randywalton,

Thanks for checking!

We've passed this on to the respective team, but we're unable to provide an ETA for a fix at this time. Rest assured this will remain on our internal teams' radar. In the meantime, make sure you're always running the latest version of Spotify so you don't miss out on any updates. Thanks again for the extensive info you provided, we really appreciate it and it'll help a lot!

The Community is always here if something else comes up.