Playing Spotify While Other Apps Are Open

Spotify is a digital music service that gives you access to millions of songs. Spotify is all the music you’ll ever need. Listening is everything - Spotify. It does not start the media playing after the application is launched. The same thing is also true with iTunes by default but it would be nice if you just had to press play once to open Spotify and start playing music rather than to press the key, wait for the app to start and then press the key again. While the music is playing: 1-Press and HOLD your HOME key to display your recently used apps. 2-Once the apps list shows up see if the music is still playing 3-Select a non media app (ie SMS or email) from the list and once the app opens see if music is still playing. Using Spotify while in a discord voice chat distorts or some times outright mutes Spotify volume occasionally. And it's not like when people are speaking. I was just wondering if there's a way to fix this? Or maybe cellphones aren't designed to play multiple sound sources at the same time? Idk but I'd appreciate if you guys have any info on this. Hello, i am basically looking for shortcuts like skip to next song and pause, etc., however these should work while spotify is minimized, the shortcuts that i've found trough google are only working while Spotify is open.

A lot of Android users are complaining that Spotify doesn't work on their phone's lock screen. Ideally, when you are listening to songs on Spotify and lock your screen, you should be able to see a lock screen widget with a few details — album art, song title, singer, and buttons to control the playback.

During my research, I found that the problem is not specific to select phone models but can happen on any smartphone. That can be frustrating as most people like to listen to music when doing other stuff like working out, traveling and other activities. Unlocking the phone just to interact with the Spotify app seems tedious.

Playing Spotify While Other Apps Are Open

Let’s take a look at some potential solutions.

1. Try to Log out and Log Back In

Some of our readers suggest that logging out and then logging back in helped them resolve this issue. After that, they were able to see the Spotify widget on their smartphone’s lock screen. To sign out, tap on the Settings icon on the upper right and scroll to the bottom of the screen to find the Log out option.

Then you can sign in using your email ID or Facebook account. Use the same method you tried the first time so that you don’t end up creating a new account instead. Check if you can see the Spotify music widget on the lock screen now and if the controls are working.

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Free Spotify App

2. Notification Settings

Every app that you install on your Android smartphone comes with its own set of notification settings that dictates what happens when the phone is locked. Let’s take a look at Spotify notification settings.

Open Settings and then tap on Notifications & status bar. Check that the Show notification icons and Show on Lock screen options are toggled on. Otherwise, you won’t see notifications or shortcuts for any app on the lock screen. Tap on App notifications.

Scroll to the bottom of the screen to find Spotify — the list is always in alphabetical order. Unlike before, these notification settings pertain to the specific app. In this case, Spotify. Make sure that Show notifications and App icon badge is toggled on.

There are two more settings left in the above screenshot. First is Playback which will allow you to control your music on the lock screen. Tap to open it and make sure that Show notifications option is toggled on. Other settings in this screen are optional. Similarly, the Show notifications should be toggled on for Spotify Music too.

Now open Spotify and play a song. Lock your screen and check if you can see the Spotify playback widget there.

Note: Samsung users have shared that setting the View Style to Detailed under Settings-Lock Screen-Notifications-View Style also helped them resolve the issue. If you have that option on your Android, then try it because I don’t. Manufacturers are known to alter stock Android with their spin for some reason!

3. Power Saving Mode Off

Power Saving mode is a handy feature until it gets in the way of how an app functions. Power Saving mode keeps your apps in check and prevents them from consuming too many resources like CPU, GPS, and battery juice unnecessarily when they are not actively being used or when the phone is locked. They can often act like an overprotective parent leading to apps not working correctly.

To check, open Settings and tap on Battery & performance. Again, your smartphone may have slightly different settings (it may be called Battery Optimization instead) depending on your make and model. Tap on Choose apps to configure individual app settings.

Either search for Spotify or open it by scrolling. Tap on it to open. Tap on No restrictions to stop your smartphone from preventing Spotify to function correctly in the background when the phone is locked.

4. Clean Reinstall

Playing Spotify While Other Apps Are Open Tomorrow

Spotify stores all your songs and playlists on its servers, there is no harm in uninstalling the app. But we want to do a clean install. First, log out of Spotify like you did in the first step above. Now open Settings and tap on Installed Apps. Find Spotify and open it.

Tap on Force stop to halt any running activity behind the screen. Tap on Clear data and select Clear all data. That should remove all temporary files and folders from your phone.

Finally, tap on Uninstall on the same screen to remove Spotify from your smartphone. Go back to the Play Store and install Spotify again. See if you can see Spotify music widget on the lock screen now.

5. Lock Screen Manager

The good thing about the Android platform is that it is endlessly customizable. That means there is an app out there that can manage and customize your lock screen. Some of our users have had success with this method. We have already covered three lock screen apps for Android, so check them out. There are many others on the Play Store too.

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Spot It

Spotify is one of the best music streaming app out there. I love it because it makes it easier to follow other's curated playlists. While most of the time it works fine right out of the box, there are times when there is a conflict between app and system settings.

Next up: Do you use Spotify? Here are 21 Spotify Music tips and tricks to help you become a pro at it.


The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read Next21 Spotify Music Tips and Tricks You Must Check OutAlso See#spotify #streaming Playing Spotify While Other Apps Are Open#music

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You can play Spotify directly from your TV, or by using your phone, tablet, or desktop as a remote.

To see if your TV supports the Spotify app, go to the app store on your TV and search for Spotify. If your TV isn't listed, you can upgrade it with a soundbar or streamer that supports Spotify Connect.

For more info on the types of devices Spotify is available on, check out Spotify Everywhere.

Get started

  1. Download Spotify from your TV app store.
  2. Log in one of these three ways to play:
    • With Spotify Connect.
    • With your Spotify email address and password.
      Note: If you usually log in with Facebook, use Spotify Connect to log in instead.
    • With a PIN. Select LOG IN WITH PIN. Then, on your phone or computer, go to www.spotify.com/pair and enter the pin you see on your screen.

You can listen to Spotify on your TV by using the Spotify app on your phone as a remote.

For more information, check out Spotify Connect.

4th Generation and onward

You can download the Spotify app directly from the App Store on your Apple TV.

To use your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad as a remote with your Apple TV, check out Spotify Connect.

1st-3rd Generation

With AirPlay, you can use your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Mac to play Spotify on an Apple TV, AirPlay compatible speaker, or another Mac.

Google Chromecast lets you play Spotify from your phone, tablet, desktop, or web browser to a TV.

For help setting up, visit the Google Chromecast support site.

To use your phone or tablet as a remote with your Chromecast device, check out Spotify Connect.

Listen as you game, or simply play Spotify on your TV with your PlayStation 3™, PlayStation 4™, Xbox One, or Nvidia Shield.

Need help?

Make sure your Spotify and your devices’ software are up-to-date. If you don't know, check with your devices’ manufacturers for how to update the version software.

If you're having trouble, check out I can't play Spotify on my TV.

Check out other articles on our support site for help with your Spotify account, payments, listening offline, or if you can’t play music.