[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).

[jasondebruler]

I quite simply do not understand how anyone could disagree with what you stated here and yet two years later, Spotify won't fix this?

[manolson]

SPOTIFY PLEASE FIX THIS ALREADY.

The community here has already spec'ed out solutions for you

 -  A CUSTOMER AND A SHAREHOLDER

(btw: for the small group who has been vocal about this bug that millions of people certainly experience,  perhaps if we all bring this up with investor relations we can get a little more attention ?? ) 

[Jato4x4]

Has there been a fix for this yet?

[Colinjay39]

Going to add my two cents worth so that maybe one of these comments will be the final straw and Spotify will do something about it. I use Spotify at work but also have it connected to my echo dot at home. Instead of just preventing anyone at home from listening while I use the app it automatically switches to the echo dot. Having recently come from apple music I am not impressed with this "seamless switching" or the inability to turn it off. If this isn't rectified soon (and we all know it probably won't) I will be cancelling my Spotify and moving back to apple music.

[mk3subzero]

I would also like to see the ability to disable device switching. I never have the need for Spotify's device switching, but there are plenty of times where disturb someone in my household because I think I'm about to play music on my phone or laptop, and instead it plays on another device.

[AndiK91]

Yeah please do something about it Spotify! 

Had people in my house and music playing on my Sonos system, wanted to take a call and suddenly the whole house was silent when I took the call, realized it after i was finished. So my guests had to wait for me in silence for 30 minutes. That was really your intent in that feature? I really don't think so...

[bassitic_grunge]

It's as simple as allowing us to disable autoswitching. Good thing people don't pay for this service.

[Ggcoopie]

I have the same issue, my wife and kids will be listening to music on our Alexa device at home and as soon as I hop into my car Spotify will play the music in my car instead. It's a really annoying user unfriendly experience.

[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.