Spotify Connect doesn’t work... until I turn off my watch.

[skabning]

Plan

Premium

Country

Denmark

Device

iPhone 11 Pro (also on iPhone 8+), Apple Watch 4

Operating System

iOS 13.1.2

Speaker Setup: Heos 1 HS2, Marantz NR1608

So here is what happens:

I try and connect to my speakers using Spotify Connect, but nothing shows up in the menu. However! If - and this took quite a bit of troubleshooting - I turn OFF my watch, they instantly appear along with my PC and my PS4. Very odd. 

What I have tried:

Rebooting all devices

Using my 2.4 GHz network instead of my 5GHz

Unpairing and re-pairing watch (well, I got a new phone so that unpaired it)

Reinstalling Spotify

Deleting Spotify from watch

Signing out and back in

Updating OS/firmware on everything (this issue began for me when I updated my iPhone 8+ to iOS 13.0.0)

Connecting only to one speaker

When I start my watch back up the issue is fixed - until my girlfriend plays something over the speakers using her phone (iPhone XS) and then I'm back to square one.
Oh, and my girlfriend has no problems at all with anything. 

This issue completely stumps me and I hope someone can help!

[skabning]

I should add that turning on airplane mode on the watch doesn't help, it has to be turned off completely. 

[skabning]

I can also add that I have the same issue in a completely different location, with a completely different speaker brand (Sonos). 
There is something really weird happening, since I don't even have the Spotify app installed on my watch anymore.

Perhaps unrelated but worth a mention: my girlfriend had the ability to add our speaker as a favorite in Spotify Connect after a Spotify app update. I never got that prompt. 

[Colh87]

Having the exact same issue here. Had no idea what was causing the issue as my iPad and PC were picking up my Sonos and Xbox devices, but my iPhone with paired Apple Watch was not. Have passed on information via live chat, hopefully this niche issue can be fixed ASAP.

[superuniti]

I have the same problem and was searching for a solution for days and days... The fact that I now know I have to switch off my watch helps me a lot. Thanks for that!

Now hoping Spotify (or Apple?) will fix this soon.

[bbhoff]

Can confirm, I am having the same issue with my iPhone 11 Pro, Apple Watch (gen 3), and my speaker Yamaha RX-A780. I noticed the same thing with the "Favorite" option on my friend's phone as well.

I have no idea how you came to think of the watch being the issue but bless you. I now have a workaround until they figure this one out.

[Colh87 · Accepted solution]

The latest Spotify iOS update that went up on the App Store this weekend has fixed the issue for me!

[bbhoff]

So this whole "It has to be turned off for it to work." Got me thinking... So I tested airplane mode and got nothing just like OP. However, I did notice that even though my phone showed it was disconnected to the watch over Bluetooth that it still showed the battery percentage (screen left of the notification center in a widget). I wanted to see what would happen if I put my watch in a faraday cage. So naturally, I wrapped my watch in aluminum foil. After a few moments, my watch dropped out of the battery widget and my speaker showed up in devices. I know this information isn't the most useful but here ya go.

TLDR; If you wrap your watch in enough tin foil you won't have to turn it off.

EDIT: So I just saw the comment from Colh87 ... The update works for me too. So I'd recommend that route. If it doesn't work for you -- tin foil.

[superuniti]

Looks like the problem is solved with the latest update! 

[ptp1791]

I have latest updates on my iPhone 8 and it cannot find my Harman Kardon AVR 161S. It has worked before but but I have seen failures every now and them. My wife has iPhone 7 and she has problems with it more often.

But now the issue is such that no tricks help and neither of us can connect to the device. I will try to turn off my Apple Watch and see if that really helps...