Video Podcasts will not play in car when connected on bluetooth

[BrewersGrill]

Plan

Premium

Country

USA

Device

Samsung Galaxy S10+

Operating System

Android 10

My Question or Issue

I've noticed when connected to my car via bluetooth (no android auto), the video part of any podcast will not load. The audio will work, but it seems the video doesn't even attempt to load. This happens both when podcasts are downloaded and not downloaded so it can't be an internet issue. I'm unsure if this is intentional or not by Spotify, but messing around in the settings I could not find anything either. Hope there's an easy fix somewhere, thanks!

[BrewersGrill]

Hi folks,

Thanks for your posts.

We understand your frustration from not being able to access the full range of app features while driving.

Many on-board systems do not allow videos to be played on certain apps, while connected to the car via BT/cable, this is why the Video option gets automatically disabled on some vehicles. 

Driving responsibly and with as few distractions as possible is very important.

If you do feel like this policy should change, go ahead and create an idea on the relevant idea board. We always take new ideas and feedback into consideration to improve the app. Here you can read more on how ideas work.

We also suggest checking this help article for useful tips on how to submit an idea. As a heads-up, it's good to know that the higher the number of votes an idea gets, the more likely it is for the idea to be implemented.

Hope this helps. Let us know if you have any more questions.

[Jasonk41588]

I am also having the same problem

[Jim805]

It happens to me using Samsung S10 connected to car audio via bluetooth or usb (android auto).  Is this a feature to make sure people aren't watching video while driving or a glitch?  Either way, passengers also want to watch video.  There should be at least a warning or something, not just black screen.  I pay for this feature and want it to work.  I get the safety concerns, but if I can disable bluetooth and watch it, it should work via usb.  Please let me know if anyone has a fix for this.

[Smsnc20]

I went into bluetooth settings on my phone and i had phone calls turned off on my vehicle radio so it was for audio only. I have a bluetooth headset i use for calls and have media audio turned off on bluetooth headset so the signals dont get mixed up when a call comes in. So i noticed when disconnecting vehicle radio video appeared and connected it disappeared. I turned audio on in settings from bluetooth headset and video came back. So there were e selections on bluetooth settings. I kept call audio off kept mesia audio on then turned on contacts access on bluetooth settings on phone for vehicles radio. I have no clue why that worked but it does for me. Galaxy s10 5g. 

 

[Jeremy]

Hey there folks,

Thank you for your posts. We're sorry to hear that you experience this. We're happy to help.

In this case we suggest that you have a look at this article under Bluetooth and follow the steps that's provided in there.

Let us know how everything goes. We're always one reply away 🙂

Cheers!

[Ducdoc1098]

I am having the exact same issue. It is very annoying! I went to the recommended site from the moderator and that simply explains how to connect Bluetooth.  

I have a note 20 ultra. I've noticed all these similar issues are coming from Samsung devices, not sure if that is the common denominator? I really don't know, not something expected with this new video format from Spotify.  I get it, new stuff is always buggy and usually the issues single out a certain demographic, or certain phones brands or models in particular, which is what I am speculating at the moment. 

I've looked over all settings on the phone and in the Spotify app. Idk what to do. 

Sad noises. 

[BrewersGrill]

None of these resulted in any new result. Videos still do not playback when connected to bluetooth in my car. Hoping a future software update can fix it.

[Smsnc20]

I am still having issues every time i open spotify app. I go through the
Bluetooth settings on my phone and turn on or off features one at a time. I
have to play around with them and can get it going in about 2 minutes but
it is still irritating to have to do every time i open the app. Shouldn't
have to go through all that to watch the video.

[Smsnc20]

I have to go through turning on and off some of these selections in the
bluetooth settings on my phone. The problem is something to do with that. I
have another bluetooth headset connected for phone calls and my car radio
for audio. When i turn audio on for my headset the video starts playing and
then i switch back to turn audio on or off on my radio. After a few tries
the video starts working. I have to do this every time i start spotify to
watch video.

[Jim805]

Thanks for the instructions, but the issue happens when I'm already connected to the car via Bluetooth or USB cable. The issue is strictly with video, not audio. The audio plays great. The video is a blank black screen. As soon as the car is off or disconnected by any means, the video plays properly. Connection doesn't seem to be the issue, since it happens via different connection methods. Please let us know if there are any other recommendations for troubleshooting. Thanks!

[Smsnc20]

Yes my audio works perfectly its playing with those settings that allows
the video to appear

[Mihail]

Hey everybody, 

Thanks for searching for the answer you need here.

Apologies for the confusion on this topic, but @Jim805 is right. As video can cause distractions while driving, many on-board infotainment systems do not allow videos to be played while connected to the car. We ourselves would recommend to keep distractions to the minimum and to use the app responsibly while driving.

Stay safe!

[Smsnc20]

Some of us are not driving. I am in a semi truck and when i am stopped i
like to watch the video and have the sound go through my speakers in my
truck.

[Ducdoc1098]

Well in a way that is unfortunate,  

A lot of the time I ride with a co-worker and I like to listen and watch a podcast from the passenger seat. There should be a function to turn that off or something. 

[Smsnc20]

I got the video to work on mine but it involves switching bluetooth functions on and off a few times in the device settings on my phone. It is just aggravating to have to do this before watching the episode.

[BrewersGrill]

1. Spotify is the only app to block video then as far as I know. YouTube, tiktok, Snapchat, Netflix, and many many other social media and video platforms still work in my car with both audio and video playback. I mean I can go to YouTube and watch old Rogan episodes but if video podcasting is going to be a usable feature Spotify, it should match capabilities with at least that of YouTube, no? It sucks that this was intentional but was mentioned nowhere in any patch notes to date. As far as the infotainment systems go, I don't have one of those - I just want it off my phone. If this really is a feature and not a bug, it should be noted somewhere.  

[Smsnc20]

They are not blocking it. There is some conflicting bluetooth settings with
on the phone. With other bluetooth connections the video appears. I can
change the permissions on the bluetooth settings on my phone and have video
but takes a few minutes everytime i open the app to watch the podcast.

[Jim805]

If Spotify is purposefully blocking video when connected to my car, that is very disappointing.  It is not Spotify's role to police safety in our own cars.  Like the many examples we've seen here, people are not necessarily watching video while driving.  At times, it's a passenger or while parked that we want to see the video.  For example, I commute with my son who watches Netflix shows on the road and I'd rather him not have to wear headphones the entire time.  If ALL other apps allow this (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc.), Spotify is not doing anyone favors by disabling a feature its customers want to use.  They are just alienating the customers who pay for video that aren't getting the full feature set of the subscription.  Please reconsider this feature and allow the customers to make our own decisions about video while connected to the car.  Thanks!

[Ahyhko]

There are passengers who would like to watch the video content while the driver is listening... or while the car is stationary in parking... also, the responsibility of safety is the driver's alone and i don't think spotify should force it. 

[Ducdoc1098]

You guys suck!