[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).

[tc68]

This worked for me too. Now I can put headphones in and control which device is played on through the spotify app. Much better.

[Solomute]

I am once again asking for a way to turn off automatic device switching.

I was playing music through my laptop as background noise in my space.

I put in my earbuds to listen to something else privately on my phone.

Spotify started playing in my earbuds.

I never launched Spotify, I don't have Spotify set as a default music provider in my phone, I never pressed any buttons to indicate that I wanted Spotify to make any noises on my phone. I didn't want Spotify to play in my earbuds! If I had wanted that, I would have indicated that by opening the Spotify app and pressing a button, with my finger! I did not open the Spotify app, nor did I use my finger to press any buttons indicating to my phone that I wanted Spotify to play on my phone. Therefore, Spotify should not have played on my phone! It's that simple!

If I have Spotify making noise at a certain location, that is the place where I want Spotify to be making noise. If I want Spotify to change where it is making noise, I will indicate that by deliberately opening the app and deliberately pressing an actual button with my actual finger.

Fix this.

[Monkeyman1]

I mostly listen to Spotify using Spotify Connect on my AV receiver (Denon X2100W). This means that I'll often pause the music and switch inputs when I watch TV or a movie. What's started happening is that it randomly switches inputs and resumes playback, interrupting what I'm doing.

Is there any way to check which device is triggering the music resume? I have a feeling it's not the receiver, but another connected device. Could it be headphones connected to my laptop or something else?

[slamhound]

Solution for Android on my Pixel 5: Disable app permission for Nearby devices for Spotify.

[VicVicVicx]

I have been using Spotify for over a decade and have been a paying Premium member for almost that entire time, but this one "feature" is about to make me switch to a different streaming service. Automatic device switching is ridiculously annoying, especially because I have Spotify on two smartphones and I have multiple speakers in my house.

I could be playing from Spotify on one phone onto an office speaker, but as soon as I turn my living room speaker, the music that should be playing on my office speaker starts blasting through my living room speaker. 

[Hxrjoyc]

I agree, this is so annoying and makes me want to switch music provider even though I've used Spotify since 2009.

1. Play music on Chromecast for the whole house to listen to

2. Put in earphones to listen to a clip without disturbing everyone

3. Music switches to my phone for no reason

Also, this forum has so many annoying popups.

And where is the I also have this problem button?

[Hxrjoyc]

It's definitely a bug the other way around.

1. Listen on Chromecast

2. Connect to Bluetooth headphones

3. Music switches to phone....

4. Switch it back to Chromecast

5. Disconnect Bluetooth headphones

6. Music pauses on Chromecast for no reason

[TheFallenMystic]

Can this be addressed by Spotify support as an actual issue?  4 years of people complaining about this and its still a problem.  Why is the app auto switching devices AND there is no setting to turn this off.  I'm playing from my computer on purpose, if I wanted to play from my phone I would do so, we don't need Spotify to make that decision for us full stop. 

[petehutchison]

I think everyone here understands the functionality is as per Spotify's expected behaviour; What we're asking is that you update your view on the expected behaviour to match that of your customers. No one here has jumped in to suggest they love having music playing via a connected speak re-routed to a phone. You're a paid service. Please be more responsive to customer issues like this. It's borderline on being enough to drive me to alternatives.

[Lemoore]

Don't hold your breath, Pete. Spotify do not **bleep** about their customers. They never respond to anything and they never fix anything. They work on bull£hit features that no one wants, and refuse to even acknowledge the faults in their user experience. 

Have you seen the experience with Audiobooks? Another massive thread with zero response.

they're a disgrace.

[MrGlenn]

Incredibly frustrating that this hasn't been addressed even if it so clearly goes against common sense.

You have described the situation perfectly, forcing users to check if Spotify is active on their phone before taking a call is just ridiculous. Especially when Spotify Connect by design keeps the app active in the background.

[tcyhfug]

Yeap. Just leave Spotify, it's the only way to get it fixed - give money to someone who knows how to do it. They had more than 4 years to fix it.

I had this problem a few years ago, and I quit Spotify for a while. now it randomly reappeared, I guess I'm done for good. There's plenty of alternatives.