Android phone app, How do I stop or close the player within the Spotify app?

[keepaustinugly]

Plan: Premium

Country: USA

Device: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G

Operating System: Android v11, One UI v3.1

My Question or Issue

How do I close or stop playback completely in the Spotify app? Not just pause it. Pausing it leaves it as an active media event and auto playback is triggered whenever a Bluetooth event happens involving a BT audio device. I want to control whether I want that to happen and closing the player in the app or stopping(not pausing) playback is not obvious in the UI.

Top attachement is the Media list showing Spotify paused, I would like this to die.

Middle is the player showing at the bottom, how to stop/close the player?

Bottom is the details of the player, pause is very obvious, the down arrow at the top left of the view minimizes the player with no option to Stop/Dismiss/Close.

[keepaustinugly]

Hey folks,

Thank you for your messages.

To continue investigating this, may we ask you to turn Off a few different settings and report back if the situation improves?

First, we'd recommend trying switching off New Media Controls on Android that displays Spotify even when it's not running. Also, could you try switching off Android Auto Autoplay feature to see if it makes any difference?

After turning these off, If the App still auto starts when you don't expect it to, then please record the time/date that occurs and let us know what time zone you're in.

If you give us this info, can you also state you are happy for us to look up your username and check the logs against your account so we can better identify the cause.

We'll be on the lookout.

[Eni]

Hi there @keepaustinugly, 

Thanks for reaching out about this here in the Community.

This behavior is from the Android system and it can vary across brands and models. You can check this thread to see if any of the suggested solutions there work for your phone.

Let us know how it goes.

[OldTreo]

I'm having the same issue, but only with Spotify.  Other Android music players - YT Music, Amazon Music, Pandora - dont't continue to appear paused in my notification list after I swipe them closed or even restart the phone.  How do I get Spotify to stay closed the same way every other music app using the Android system does?

[Eni]

Hey there @OldTreo,

Thanks for reaching out about this here in the Community. 

We suggest that you check the battery optimization setting in your phone and restrict the app when not in use. However, keep in mind that it can affect the app performance.

On another note, could you let us know the exact make/model, operating system and Spotify version of your device?

We'll be waiting for your reply.

[OldTreo]

Thanks for getting back to me.  I'm using a Galaxy S10 running Samsung's December 1, 2021 security patch of Android 11 and Spotify 8.6.98.900.  Both appear to be at the latest version.  It was already set to optimize battery usage.  I turned off allow background activity.  Now I get a warning when I open Spotify saying it can't play in the background without that permission.  That makes in - I'll see if that keeps the notification from appearing.

[MafeG]

Hi @OldTreo,

Thank you for keeping in touch!

Is it possible for you to access your account with a phone from another brand besides Samsung and see if the same issue happens? 

We ask this because we've received multiple reports of Samsung phones having issues with playback notifications. And this may be because widget and notification behavior can be influenced by the Android ROM and Samsung uses a custom one.

Keep us posted.

[ShannaMitchell]

Hi there,

I have an Essential phone model PH-1 with Android 10 with the same issue.  There's no obvious way to turn off the music player.  Just pause it. I have this issue where every time I start up my car with the app Android auto, it starts playing from Spotify, even though I don't have the app open on my phone. Can't figure out how to stop it -just pause.   

 I updated my settings so that autoplay would stop on both my phone or other connected devices, but to no avail.  My car just keeps pulling from Spotify on my phone.  I hate it.  

[Nextaty]

Same thing on Sony phone. Why not just add a close (×) button at the notification? The only way to get rid of the player is to force stopping it manually. 

[Elena]

Hey @Nextaty and @ShannaMitchell
 

Thanks for replying.

Could you check the device specific options to run/not run Spotify in the background? Try switching between the two.

But keep in mind, that the observed behavior is based on the Android version provided by the device manufacturer, as mentioned in a previous post, and not letting the Spotify app run in the background can hinder its functionality in some aspects.

Keep us posted,

Cheers! 

[Ayamenakmen]

I cant stop Spotify from working in the background

[Nextaty]

I'm going to delete this app and never use it again. 

[Nousername222]

I have the same issue with an iPhone.

We’re not asking about extra settings or run in the background options. We’re asking where the exit button for Spotify is. I just want to close it. Sometimes, it’s fine while it plays when I’m on other apps. Other times, I want to shut it off. But the latter option isn’t available unless I log out.

Where’s the “x” button for Spotify on iPhone?

[Alex]

Hey there @Nousername222,

Thanks for the post.

As with most mobile apps, there is no 'X' button. You can open the app switcher and remove the Spotify window from there. This will close the app.

Hope this helps.

[Med2ts]

Rather than trying to be snappy with idiotic answers like saying "like with most other apps" get the Dev team to sort out this bug.

Even if you close it in the app drawer like with your silly suggestion, it opens itself if you're connected to Bluetooth. This does not happen with Amazon Music, Google or iTunes, only Spotify, and it happens in Android (Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel) as well as latest iPhone.

Take some accountability.

[PewX]

---

@Alex wrote:

Hey there @Nousername222,

Thanks for the post.

As with most mobile apps, there is no 'X' button. You can open the app switcher and remove the Spotify window from there. This will close the app.

Hope this helps.

---

As with most mobile apps, the devs could add a "X" button.
Removing the spotify window from the app switcher, the player/app wont closed complety. In my case the player disappears then but will pop up again when there is any bluetooth interaction (f.e. pressing play). Very annoying. This does not happen with other media apps.

[rhoswen]

Know how on an Android you drag down to clear/read notifications? The Spotify player is still there and there's no way to clear it. The app is not open in the app "drawer." I'm not playing music and would love for that pseudo-notification to go away when I'm done playing music! 

[rhoswen]

Adding screenshot

[Vasil]

Hey @rhoswen,

Thanks for adding the screenshot as well!
We'd suggest taking a look into this thread, as there are a few solutions you may want to try.
If the issue persists afterwards, do let us know 🙂
Much appreciated.

[blitz2kx]

I am completely flabbergasted that there is no way to completely close the player/current song inside Spotify. It's absolutely asinine.

[Szek]

I find it absolutely halarious at how dismissive companies have become of their clientele.

The Corporation has become so powerful and synonymous with modern society that it no longer needs be accountable to individual clients or customers as these brands are almost to big to fail.

When there are little to no consequences, abhorrent behavior becomes the norm in an environment that mandates for increasing the value of holdings above all else.