[Connect] Disable automatic switching between devices

[HidalgoF]

Spotify Connect is great but the automatic switching is not for everyone.

Please allow us to disable automatic switching between devices. I understand Spotify doesn't like user to play in more than one device and I am happy with that, but the application shouldn't switch devices if the user does not want to do this. It clearly creates frustration amongst users.

In my particular case I work from home listening to music on my computer. I find really annoying when I plug my headphones in my phone to take a call and suddenly the music starts playing in my headphones.

This is what happens step by step:

• Spotify is in my mobile running in the back.
• Spotify is playing in my computer.
• My phone rings.
• I take the call at the same time that I get my headphones on me.
• I listed to a combination of my client/colleague and the music that I was playing in my computer, usually very loudly.
• I stop the music.
• I comment with my client/colleague how bad is Spotify.
• I finish my call.
• I go to my computer, change the playing device on Spotify to my computer and play again.
• I do this a couple of times until I get fed up of Spotify and I play music from somewhere else.

This problem has been already described here: LINK  but it has incorrectly tagged as repeated (the problems and solutions suggested are different).

[djqwantim]

Here's a new one to add to the list of why this feature sucks. I am at home, playing Spotify via Macbook on my home speakers via Bluetooth. I just got a new Samsung S23 Ultra and plugged in a USB C to headphone jack dongle and my Square card reader to configure it & Spotify seemed to think headphones were connected to my phone and auto switched the music over, despite the fact that it couldn't be heard anywhere as there was no headphones connected, just the card reader. As a Mobile DJ this would be disastrous behavior if I had found out about this during someone's wedding ceremony and killed the music playing. I like being able to skip songs from my phone but I want to have the music playing on the main speakers I have chosen to play them on!

[mk3subzero]

I'm also requesting Spotify add an option to disable this feature.  It's a common occurrence for me to play a song on my phone or computer and not realize Spotify is playing it on another device. But I've never opened Spotify on a device wanting to play it on a different device. I'm sure some people find this useful, but I just want it disabled. I hate that my music can just start playing on another device without me realizing it so easily.

[BNO77]

I am beyond tired of having to manually redirect Spotify to play on the device I want, as opposed to the device Spotify "thinks" I should use.

I just want to start it playing on my echo show for the kids and then not have redirect it repeatedly if I get in a car or use earbuds.

What is so g** d*** hard about fixing this?  

You're going to lose another subscriber.

[cb345]

Please, let us disable this buggy auto-switching. It really drives me mad. Anytime I go close to my home, it switches to my MacBook. And I need to remember to always close the Spotify app on alm devices cause otherwise it's just buggy.

[wschlich]

Plan

Premium

Country

DE

Device

Google Pixel 6 Pro

Operating System

Android 13

My Question or Issue

The Spotify Android app is taking over playback from my desktop app whenever I connect my phone to a bluetooth headsets.

This is annoying me so hard, I'd love to swear a lot in this posting!!!

Spotify devs, just fix this annoying behavior now!

[Solomute]

Dear Spotify,

Blaming the OS is unacceptable. It's your software. You control the behavior of it. The only time, I repeat, the ONLY time, that Spotify should EVER make noise is if my physical finger physically presses an actual play button. This is the ONLY means by which I will ever indicate my desire for my phone to play music, and it is the only circumstance under which it is acceptable for my phone to start playing music. There is never any circumstance where I want my device to "helpfully" make noises unless I explicitly request it to.

If I am playing Spotify on my laptop, I'm probably playing it there for a reason! That's probably where I want Spotify to be making noise! If I want to transfer my session to my phone I will use my finger to indicate that, otherwise, you shouldn't transfer my session to my phone! Again, this is your app and you control its behavior. If the OS is doing a dumb thing and requesting that your app play music, despite me never indicating to my phone that I actually wanted my phone to play music, when I already have music playing on my laptop, you control your app's response to that request! Your app can ignore that request!

I have a similar problem with my car and android auto. Pressing my car's volume button causes spotify to start playing, even if I'm already playing audio from another app. I didn't ask Spotify to play! Again, the only time I ever want Spotify to make noise is if my finger touches a button on the screen. If the OS is sending bogus requests for your app to start playing, your app should ignore them, because the OS is not acting on my behalf. Only my finger is acting on my behalf, and my finger never hit a button requesting for Spotify to make noise.

Fix**bleep**. This is easily the single biggest user experience issue I have with my phone.

[Fedup2023]

Please please please can we disable auto device switching, there are so many times it's really annoying but as an example: if I'm playing lullabys for my baby at night and put my headphones in to watch something on my phone, it plays me the lullaby and leaves my baby in silence, if my husband puts the music on at home and I get in the car then it over rides and the music comes with me instead of staying where he was listening! Utter frustration!

[SCJer]

The reason they don't want to disable this feature is to discourage account sharing and force you to buy a family account. Example: My wife teaches yoga and uses my account to stream music during her classes. If I use my earbuds for anything it cuts her off and starts playing on my phone, even though I wasn't even using Spotify and she is miles away on a different network. It sucks, I agree but I understand. 

[SCJer]

Yeah, I just gave up and uninstalled the app. I will cancel my service at the end of this period. We already have Prime music with our Amzn account. Might as well take advantage of it. Will miss Joe Rogan though. 

[ahvzren]

There are many, many people impacted by this that aren't account sharers. I have a family account - my family members are on it. Their devices are on their own accounts. My devices are on my own account. I can be sitting in the same room playing music out of my laptop and then go to attach my headphones to call someone, and suddenly the music will be blaring into my ears. Or at least, that was the case before I used the workarounds.

Eventually, I'll get fed up enough to just bite the bullet and quit. 

[afootit]

Android app will sometimes cut out while I'm actively listening and switch to my PC app.  This is very frustrating if I'm not at home to turn that off.  Please set up a feature that will stop this automated switch.

[Htbean]

I am writing from the future! Ooooo Spooky!

I can't believe this is still happening. I have Spotify and the baby's room playing some calming music for her, and I leave her with the sitter to go hop in my car to go grab some groceries and it starts playing in the car. It's stopping playing wakes the baby. I want it to stay on with the baby! I don't want to auto connect to my damn car! This isn't some I pick up my phone to make a phone call thing. 

And I don't want to disable these devices. I want it to play in my car sometimes but I want to dictate when it does that. If I say play on the baby speaker, play on the baby speaker until I say otherwise. I don't understand why the people working for Spotify responding here don't understand this simple request and that here in 2023 almost 2024 it's still happening. 

It will happen on my phone sometimes too where it just randomly is playing on the baby speaker and I'm home and the other room in my office and all the sudden it's playing on my phone because I dared to look at my phone cross-eyed. Let the baby have her silly little songs and don't play them on my phone. Grrrrr

[slamhound]

What happens everytime is when I listen to my music on Chromecast speakers and then get a call, I put on my BT headset and answers the call - THEN the music starts playing OVER the call. Please remove the automatic switch to device where headset is inserted! It has been MANY years with this problem!

[slamhound]

The link referred to in the proposed "accepted" answer does not work.

[TS39]

Plan

Premium

Country

Uk

Device

Samsung S22 and echo dot

My Question or Issue

I have a playlist I use when putting my daughter down for a nap that I play through Alexa on an echo dot using voice commands. This issue I have is if I use my phone/switch on my Bluetooth headset or get in the car and my phone is picked up it stops playing in my daughters room and switches to my phone. Equally if Spotify is open on my phone and the volume button is pressed predictably it chnages the volume on the device in my daughters room. Is it possible to have the Spotify playlist playing through Alexa in my daughters room but not active on my phone? Would this require a family account possibly? I just have a single premium account at the moment. Would it be possible to link different Alexa devices to different account so I could being playing one playlist in her room and a different playlist on another device in the house or on my phone? 

Many thanks

T

[Ricketstar]

I absolutely loathe this feature and there should be an option to disable. I like music on in the background while I work. I use my google home. I go to get into a meeting and put my headphones in and music switches. Please disable or give us the option.

[PeedOffSpitify]

Looks like we are all **bleep** until Spotify fixes this.  The only way to make them listen is stop using their product.  If enough people stop using it they will listen or they won't be in business any longer.  Additionally, scream loudly on every internet forum and social media platform until they get the message.

[TS39]

Yeah I'm out, cant be bothered with it anymore 

[soulvoyager]

top... thx a lot... this bug/feature was pretty annoying! 

[user-removed]

Plan

Premium

Country

US

Device

MacBook Pro M2 Pro Apple Silicon Chip (Early 2023)

Operating System macOS Sonoma 14.1

My Question or Issue

hi all. I hope you all are having a great day or night! im wondering if theres a way to disable the spotify auto switching feature between my mac & iphone (see all screenshots). thanks so much!