Spotify bluetooth connection

[aturnick54]

I always listen to Spotify while driving. However rather annoyingly when I get in and my phone connects to BT it doesn't play automatically. I have to open the Spotify app and then it starts playing. I'd expect it to start playing whatever was last listened to when it connects.

Anyone else had this issue and found a fix? Happening in multiple cars so definitely not car specific.

[aturnick54]

dibbers006 said:

I can only empathise as it is the same for me too.

Though annoyingly, mine has a habit of dropping the connection and then reconnecting about 10seconds from my house, requiring me to press Play twice on any given journey

I've had that too, although I suspect that's to do with my phone disconnecting from WiFi

[Krikkit]

Seems quite common in my experience, mine will resume if it's playing before Bluetooth connects, so that might be an avenue.

Otherwise I just take a few seconds before setting off to get it set up right and the phone in the cradle etc.

[manracer]

As a workaround, can you not use a routine on your phone?

[aturnick54]

manracer said:

As a workaround, can you not use a routine on your phone?

Yeah I've had a look at Automate thinking that would do it. It sort of works. When phone is locked it won't do anything but as soon as I unlock it the Spotify app opens and it starts playing.

Would be a good workaround if it opened the app when phone locked

[8bit]

aturnick54 said:

I always listen to Spotify while driving. However rather annoyingly when I get in and my phone connects to BT it doesn't play automatically. I have to open the Spotify app and then it starts playing. I'd expect it to start playing whatever was last listened to when it connects.

Anyone else had this issue and found a fix? Happening in multiple cars so definitely not car specific.

Android or iOS?

I've only ever had Android smartphones and I noticed this started happening either when I got my current Pixel 4a, or when it upgraded to Android 12. I'm 99% sure that prior to that it always used to pick up where it left off automatically. Nowadays, sometimes I can get in the car several hours or even the day after last using Spotify and it starts but equally I can get back in after nipping in to Tesco for 5 mins or something and it won't do it automatically.

Saying all that, my wife's iPhone sometimes fails to auto-start in either of our cars too so I'm assuming this is something that Spotify have done. I did read something suggesting to disable battery optimisation for the Spotify app, it made no difference in my case but YMMV.

[aturnick54]

8bit said:

Android or iOS?

I've only ever had Android smartphones and I noticed this started happening either when I got my current Pixel 4a, or when it upgraded to Android 12. I'm 99% sure that prior to that it always used to pick up where it left off automatically. Nowadays, sometimes I can get in the car several hours or even the day after last using Spotify and it starts but equally I can get back in after nipping in to Tesco for 5 mins or something and it won't do it automatically.

Saying all that, my wife's iPhone sometimes fails to auto-start in either of our cars too so I'm assuming this is something that Spotify have done. I did read something suggesting to disable battery optimisation for the Spotify app, it made no difference in my case but YMMV.

Android, Oneplus 8.

I'll try disabling battery optimisation. I'm tempted to try another music app to see if that will auto play, can then rule out whether it's Spotify or the phone

[manracer]

Good point re: lock screen. Ive recently moved to iOS and noticed my routines dont work when phone locked which sometimes defeats the object. If only there was a "run when locked" option.

I seem to recall spotify car view used to help with auto play, perhaps enable that and try?

[aturnick54]

manracer said:

Good point re: lock screen. Ive recently moved to iOS and noticed my routines dont work when phone locked which sometimes defeats the object. If only there was a "run when locked" option.

I seem to recall spotify car view used to help with auto play, perhaps enable that and try?

I think car view was depreciated at the end of last year.

I'm surprised the automation apps can't run an app even while locked

[manracer]

aturnick54 said:

manracer said:

Good point re: lock screen. Ive recently moved to iOS and noticed my routines dont work when phone locked which sometimes defeats the object. If only there was a "run when locked" option.

I seem to recall spotify car view used to help with auto play, perhaps enable that and try?

I think car view was depreciated at the end of last year.

I'm surprised the automation apps can't run an app even while locked

It's still present on iOS, latest version of OS and app. Who knows.

[8bit]

Just checked on my Pixel 4a (Android 12), Spotify seems to have some ability to integrate with Google Maps and Waze and has something called Car Thing which is described as Siri/Alexa-style voice control but that's it for car features within Spotify.

[aturnick54]

8bit said:

Just checked on my Pixel 4a (Android 12), Spotify seems to have some ability to integrate with Google Maps and Waze and has something called Car Thing which is described as Siri/Alexa-style voice control but that's it for car features within Spotify.

Yes I haven't a clue what Car Thing is or how it works. Never seen it until recently

[manracer]

On iOS I have car view and car thing.

Yeah car thing is a dedicated screen that you install in your car purely for Spotify.

Car view loads up on my phone screen as soon as I get in it, pointless when you have wireless car play, but there you go.

I tried car view in there O/Hs car and it started playing immediately.

[8bit]

I don't see "Car view" in the settings on my app, just something about integrating with Google Maps or Waze and the Car Thing option. I seem to remember a little option appearing when I get in the car and it connects via Bluetooth with a timeout, I'll have a look later when I pop out tonight.

[aturnick54]

8bit said:

I don't see "Car view" in the settings on my app, just something about integrating with Google Maps or Waze and the Car Thing option. I seem to remember a little option appearing when I get in the car and it connects via Bluetooth with a timeout, I'll have a look later when I pop out tonight.

Car thing appears to be a dedicated screen you install, bit pointless if you already have Bluetooth and just want that to work properly

[aturnick54]

manracer said:

On iOS I have car view and car thing.

Yeah car thing is a dedicated screen that you install in your car purely for Spotify.

Car view loads up on my phone screen as soon as I get in it, pointless when you have wireless car play, but there you go.

I tried car view in there O/Hs car and it started playing immediately.

Strange, I'll have to check an iPhone and see. Maybe Android is different.