"Your Episodes" broken 15s skip on Android Auto

[albertwenty1]

Plan

Premium

Country

USA

Device

Pixel 8a & Android Auto (Toyota)

Operating System

Android 14

Recently, Spotify's Android Auto controls broke for podcasts, but only for "Your Episodes" playlist. 15s skip forward and backward were replaced with skip ahead and back in the podcast queue, and speedup was replaced with 15s back.

Here is what the UI looks like when playing a podcast episode directly (not via "Your Episodes"):

normal podcast play screen, with speedup, 15s forward and backward buttons

This is important because the two buttons surrounding play/pause are tied to the driver's steering wheel forward/backward tactile buttons. A driver can skip around in an episode without looking down, and without fumbling through multiple layers of touchscreen controls.

Here is what the same interface looks like when playing podcasts via "Your Episodes":

bad controls that default to skipping to next or previous podcast via Android Auto when using "Your Episodes"

Note that this isn't just an "inconsisten UI" bug — it is a major safety issue. Since the default buttons closest to the middle "Play/Pause" button are the ones tied to the steering wheel forward/back controls, these are the only ones available to the driver who wants to keep their eyes on the road. Even worse, navigating to the "forward 15s" control in this "Your Episodes" configuration requires navigating to the three-dot menu and another layer of button overlays on the touchscreen. Moving 15s forward/backward is such a common use-case in listening to podcasts that this is why Spotify has always kept the 15s buttons as default foward/backward interface (in Android Auto, for headphones, on UI, etc), but this was recently changed for some reason - likely a missed regression. And presents a dangerous divergence from user expectation that is likely a ticking time bomb; this will cause road accidents at some point in the future if it has not already.

Please don't mark this as a feature request. It is a bug. Severity high for safety reasons. Spotify does not want to be partly repsonsible for encouraging drivers to stare at their touchscreen instead of using tactile controls for most-used feature paths.

[happy101]

Yes, Spotify, please change it back! 

The buttons when listening to podcasts on Android Auto were flipped and need to be switched back.

The buttons in Android Auto do not match the Spotify app itself. The 15-seconds forward and back buttons should be placed on either side of the play/pause button, as they appear in the Spotify app. Images provided below.

Please update the app in Android Auto!

Android Auto:

Spotify:

[Madmaniac85]

Same issue for me

Plan

Premium

Country

Belgium

Device

Oneplus Nord 2 & Android Auto (Volkswagen)

Operating System

Android 13

[Mdknauss]

Yes. Same issue after spotify 10/8/2024 update.  Exactly as described In initial post.

Galaxy s21 ultra. SM- G998U

One UI 6.1, Android 14

8.9.82.620

U.S.

Android auto Hyundai

[J_Burke]

This is still an issue, can we get an update??

Google Pixel 7 Spotify v8.9.82.620

[Larssa79]

Same problem here...

Galaxy S21 5G. SM-G991B/DS

Android version 14

Spotify version: 8.9.84.594

[Kilpats]

I did everything you said to do and when I sent the link I was told "we are unable to to accept links"

[Kilpats]

It's been over a month and doing everything Spotify has asked me to do and still no fix for this 

[cefm]

I'm having the same issue with the Pixel 7a I can still skip with using the three dots but it takes my eyes off the road and more dangerous than my steering wheel controls.

[vagueonthehow]

Same for me, and also it doesn't work on any other playlists of podcasts. I have a playlist of unplayed episodes of podcasts in the order I want to listen to them, because you can't order Your Episodes aside from the order you add them to the list, but Android Auto treats it like a music playlist instead of giving the podcast controls. New Episodes seems to be the only playlist that works correctly but that's no good when you're listening to old ones.

[albertwenty1]

just noticed a related issue that is more subtle. when playing a podcast on my phone normally (no Android Auto) from Your Episodes, the lock screen controls look like this: 

 

but if playing instead directly (not from Your Episodes) it looks like this: 

 

seems related: default controls for rewind/skip flipped just as with Android Auto interface, affecting headphone and other controls. 

maybe this would be useful to the dev team to know it seems to be a general problem with Your Episodes defaulting to music controls rather than podcast controls?

 

[vagueonthehow]

That's a great find! I tested the same with my playlist of podcasts (not Your Episodes, just a list of what I want to listen to next) and the same occurs so it's podcast playlists in general

[Kilpats]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mVNe8dD5eZRHhC5l5L4Mlfjx-PB71hbB/view?usp=drivesdk since they want proof (I've already sent this to escalation and they said "sorry nothing we can do"

[jwellsntr]

Likewise, on Android Auto it only gives option for next track and previous track. This is a nightmare when listening to podcasts.

[jwellsntr]

I found another post talking about this: 

If you search for a podcast and episode name, the player will work as expected with the 15s forward and 15s back. 

But if you have episodes in queue and play it from your queue, those buttons are replaced with the Forward track and Backward track. 

It's a poor UI design and mistake. Inconsistent.

[vagueonthehow]

And dangerous considering we're talking about Android Auto. The reason I have a playlist of future podcasts is so I don't have to search for something to listen to while I'm driving.

It works correctly from New Episodes too which is also kicking off just a single episode, not a queue, but I've run out of New Episodes and there's now no safe way for me to find something to listen to that also lets me skip back/forward 15 seconds.

[ACNash]

Same issue here, pixel 8 interface with Android Auto/Spotify premium

[Vasil]

Hey folks!

Could you let us know if all of your are still experiencing this issue?

If yes, for anyone who hasn't shared these already, we'd like to know these details in order to take this backstage:

• Your affected devices: make + model;
• Their OS versions;
• Your current Spotify app versions;
• When this has started occurring and if it has been after a particular event like an app or OS update;
• If the issue happens when using the phone only or when connecting to another device. If another device is involved, what is it and how do you connect to it (Bluetooth/ USB/ etc.)?

Many thanks! We'll be on the lookout for your replies.

[Srm9910]

Works fine in New Episodes but nowhere else.  They need to fix it

[Newbrood]

Having the exact same issue for the last month. Extremely frustrating that they've asked for all the data only to go silent when it's supplied. It's not a feature request but rather a bug fix that their tech team has caused. 

[BSn1pes]

I am having the same issue with the 15s skip controls being replaced with skip track when listening to the "your episodes" playlist. In addition to this issue while controlling Spotify via Android auto, it is also present when controlling Spotify on my Galaxy watch.