Volume buttons on device don't work when casting

[PeterPan58]

As of Spotify 8.9.xx and newer I can't control the volume on my iPhone when casting to a Chromecast device. I need to go into the slider inside the Spotify app to change the volume.

This is not an iOS or apple issue:

My non working version of Spotify is 8.9.16.556 and just today updated to 8.9.18.xx which has the same bug.

On another iPhone a WORKING version of Spotify is 8.9.14.526

The latter works perfectly fine. It is not a iOS problem but a Spotify bug!

Both iPhones run iOS 17.3.1

If this is not being actively solved by Spotify I'm sorry to say I will cancel my subscription and change to Tidal. This is a CORE functionality.

[maceoparker]

Plan

Premium

Country

Sweden

Device

iPhone 13 Pro

Operating System

iOS 17.6.1

My Question or Issue

What sort of nonsense is this? Has the option to adjust the volume with the physical device volume buttons (when playing Spotify from you iPhone to a Spotify Connect-device) been removed?

Before the last update, I could adjust the volume with the buttons, with Spotify in the background as well as in the foreground. Not anymore.

Whenever I try now, with Spotify open in the foreground, a stupid onscreen volume slider pops up, asking me to adjust the volume there. If I don’t have Spotify open in the foreground, trying to adjust the volume with the physical device buttons (while Spotify plays in the background) accomplishes nothing.

This is a major hassle. Especially when listening to music while working out, having to go into the phone, open the Spotify app up to the foreground and then adjusting the volume with the onscreen touch-controls, instead of just quickly pressing the volume buttons a couple of times.

Did someone at Spotify have a brain aneurysm or what happened?

[NPG6]

Absolutely horrible change. Change it back. Obviously you can. This is ridiculous.

[ridesn]

We need a better workaround. The stupid onscreen volume slider pop up is a weak solution.

[Kolslaw77]

Please bring back physical button volume control when casting. This new way is stupid and counterintuitive. Be better 

[Nafrin123]

Same problem not showing enable button

[Nafrin123]

What is the new way?

[Gergonyikos]

If I connect via AirPlay, I’m able to set the volume directly with my iPhone’s volume control. 

[blackjak232]

Dear Spotify,

You cannot simply ignore a thread with 25 pages of people asking what's wrong and why it's not working anymore. The fact that this number people came to this community to find out what's going and actually post a message clearly says something about the UX of your "new way to control your volume" (which is a clear political decision on your end). Even The Verge has taken the time to write an article on this matter for goodness sake.

We, as users, clearly cannot do anything about this on our own. But I, a TEN year paying user, am expecting Spotify, a multi-million dollar corporation, to be grown up enough to work through your problems with Apple and work something out.

Sincerely,
An ex-loving user of Spotify

[ysiegel]

Can we have an update from Spotify?? this is crazy, the pop up does not stay, I often end up skipping song instead of adjusting volume. How can you let this carry one for months??

[mtollhouse]

It's HORRIBLE that Spotify no longer allows the volume of a connected speaker to be changed by pressing iPhone volume buttons on side of phone.  I've read all the articles explaining why, but every other music app still let's you do this, so obviously this was a Spotify decision.

Regardless, Spotify says that the new workaround is that when an iPhone user presses their physical volume rocker, Spotify will display a notification that says “Want to change the volume?” Users will then have to tap the notification and use the volume slider displayed in the app.

Well, I'm not getting that notification when I press the physical volume buttons.  I have notifications on for Spotify.  And I have the most recent iOS and Spotify app.  iOS 18.1.1.  Spotify 9.0.2.419.  Tried clean delete and reinstall, still doesn't work

Please HELP!!!!!!!

[Nikbva]

While I appreciate the Spotify response, claiming it’s Apple is a cop out. Other apps on my iPhone, on current versions, still allow me to use my volume buttons to control casted content to speakers and displays. Spotify made a choice to make the experience worse by adding extra clicks and toggles to change the volume, or else they should have used the same alternatives as other app providers did to allow volume adjusting on connected speakers and screens. 

I had hoped this would be resolved by no, but it’s been over a year. Makes the experience of listening to Spotify on connected devices so clunky and annoying. 

[that_dan]

I've just come back to Spotify and was really looking forward to using Siri to control the volume on my HiFi. Now it turns out it's gone! Stop blaming Apple and fix this.

[tschouwerwou]

when do solve the issue with apple. when you do not solve the volume api issue, I will need to go to Apple Music... this is crucial 

[Nikbva]

An additional point, other app providers have updated their apps. Ie: Twitch had a similar issue where Audio changing via Apple device buttons was not possible when casting to Google cast, but they have since updated (within the last week) to now be able to. 

This is no longer an issue of Spotify vs Apple limitations, it’s a clear issue on Spotify not solving the issue. 

[Maarten79]

I wonder if Spotify still monitors this thread. Well, I’m about to cancel my Premium account, because it’s clear Spotify doesn’t care about delivering on core music player requirements, Volume Control being one of them. Volume slider pops up only erratically and i need to use my JBL’s physical buttons to manage volume. Every other music app I have is able to do this. All Spotify seems to focus on is pushing music, similar to ‘AI driven social feeds’. Give me proper library search and player buttons and I’m happy. Everything else is extraneous.

[Mandroin]

"Every other music app I have" does not implement "Spotify Connect". This is what Apple killed. It is sad that Spotify does not seem to take care of it, true! I am back at AirPlay that also manages to keep my speakers synchronized but it eats my battery way faster than Spotify Connect.

[808_HNDRX]

This issue still exists... Also sucks that when you use airplay you can't use the sleep timer....
Also, just a tip for others who run into the issue as well, I'd recommend using AirPlay and connecting to SONOS instead of Spotify. See the screenshots below for an example:

[smawuascht]

When are you going to fix this with Apple @Spotify?

THis can’t be it.
This was an essential Spotify connect feature!

[smawuascht]

Airplay i not an solution in my opinion as the stream then travels through the phone.
The whole point of Spotify connect is for the Speaker/amp/streamer to take over the stream and the phone only acting as a remote.

[mtollhouse]

Because Spotify just says Airplay is an alternative if you want the physical buttons to control the volume, I'm posting this here because Spotify is completely ignoring my thread that I created that talks about Airplay not working.  

Airplay works with my speaker perfectly for every other app, but it DOES NOT WORK WITH SPOTIFY.  The Spotify App shows that it's connected to my speaker by Airplay, the music timer shows that music is playing, but no sound is playing at all.  I would love to just use Spotify Connect, but changing the volume with my phone buttons is essential.  So if I can't do that with Spotify Connect, and Airplay doesn't work for Spotify, then I'll have no choice but to just give up on Spotify.

Spotify Version 9.0.24.661

iOS 18.3.1

Already tried uninstalling the app numerous times, doing a full clean delete and reinstall, and nothing works.

Here's my thread on this issue:  https://community.spotify.com/t5/iOS-iPhone-iPad/Spotify-Connect-Airplay-not-working-timer-shows-mus...

Please help!!!!