Why won't shuffle play turn off on system-created playlists on Android?

[sferguson12]

I'll pull up Spotify and skim through a few Daily Mix playlists, maybe daylist, maybe Discover Weekly, maybe Release Radar, see a few songs at the top of a list that catch my eye, and be like "Yeah, I choose you". I hear the first song, great. Then it starts *shuffling the playlist* and what I'm hearing is _not_ what I was expecting to hear. I've tried turning Shuffle mode on (it's already showing as off) and then off again. I've tried clearing the queue, clearing the cache, reinstalling the app. Nothing works. Why does it insist on shuffling when I want sequential playback?

[MihailY]

Hey @sferguson12,

Thanks for reaching out.

To investigate this further, please let us know the following:

• Your device model, OS version and Spotify version.
• Have you made sure you're logged in your Premium account on your phone?
• Do you get the same behavior in the web player? What about a different device?
• Are you starting the playback by tapping on the green play button or on the first track in the playlist?

Keep us posted.

[sferguson12]

Device: Pixel 8, but also happened on my Pixel 5

OS: At least Android 12 through 15
App Version: 9.0.20.604, but has happened for quite a while now

Premium: I am logged in

Web player: I never use it, but I tried it just now and I'm seeing similar behavior, where the queue is not in the order of the playlist, ditto for the Windows client

Usually I tap play on the first track, because it has been my experience that the big green button at the top is even worse in terms of "implicit shuffle"

I've attached a screen capture showing the problem from the web player.  The queue is showing the previous playlist I was playing.  Pulling up the current daylist, it won't let me start the first track _at all_.  If I start the second one, it inserts into the top of the queue and starts playing, but then returns to what was in the queue.  If I delete everything in the queue one at a time, it just repopulates the songs that were originally there in a different order, and won't start playing the new playlist

[sferguson12]

Also, regarding the above, if I click the green button, it just keeps playing the "Now playing" track instead of starting the playlist as shown.

[sferguson12]

I think I figured out part of the problem.  When I listen to Spotify, I'm usually using my phone to connect to a Sonos speaker, which of course has its own instance of the app (just like between phone/desktop/web).  If I disconnect from the Sonos, then the queue reverts to what I expect.  Just this evening I tried power cycling the Sonos and it started behaving.

So the issue seems to be with the synchronization between the mobile app, the Sonos, and Spotify's backend.

[#6]

I have premium shuffle is off, say I pick first song on playlists if I skip or it finishes the next song is a random song from playlist, but shuffle is off, why?

[Dessi]

Hey @sferguson12,

Thanks for checking and for the information you've provided!

Have you tried re-linking your Spotify account to your Sonos? You can find the steps here. Another thing that comes to mind is asking a friend or relative to log in their Spotify account on your phone and see if they experience the same thing. This way we can determine if this is account- or device-related. 

Also, can you check if there is a shuffle option in the Sonos app itself and if there is, turning it off? You can also try disabling Autoplay if you haven't done that to see if it makes a difference.

Keep us posted.

[sferguson12]

I have recently noticed the same thing, even without the Sonos.  The Sonos seems to make the problem more repeatable, but it is not required for me to see a playlist that refuses to play "unshuffled".  I've confirmed the same thing is happening for another member of my family plan with a different account and different device.

[Dessi]

Hey @sferguson12,

Thanks for the clarification!

Can you confirm if this only happens with dynamic playlists that update every day, such as the daylist, or with other playlists that update weekly like Discover Weekly and Release Radar as well? Keep in mind that you may experience this behavior near the time the playlists update for the day. We're aware of this and it's on our internal teams' radar.

Keep us posted.

[sferguson12]

It's primarily with dynamic playlists like daylist and Daily Mix.  I can't recall ever seeing it happen with one of my own custom playlists, or one of the weekly ones, though admittedly I listen to those a lot less often.

[Ivelina]

Thanks for the response @sferguson12 and for confirming that it's happening primarily with dynamic playlists like daylist and Daily Mix.

We really appreciate your time and all of the details that you provided here and it's really helpful. Your input on the matter with these playlists, as well as the provided feedback is important to us. 

Should you need assistance with anything else, don't hesitate to let us know.