Spotify interfering with Auto lock

[sarahs16]

Plan

Premium

Country

 USA

Device

iPhone X

Operating System

iOS 12

My Question or Issue

 Lately I’ve noticed that when I’m listening to music on Spotify and a notification pops up or I check my screen, the screen doesn’t auto lock after 30 seconds like I have in my settings. Auto lock works with all my other music apps. Anyone else notice this issue?

[Loxer]

Hi there!

I know it sounds simple, but it's often overlooked. Could you try restarting your device? If that doesn't help, try a quick clean reinstall of the app. Just follow these steps.

If you're still having trouble, could you let me know the exact version of Spotify and the exact version of the operating system you're running?

I'll see what I can suggest next!

[user-removed]

I have the same problem for a few weeks now.

iPhone X with iOS 12.1.4

[Loxer]

Hey @user-removed,

Thanks for your reply 🙂

Could you try a quick clean reinstall of the app? Just follow these steps.

Please let me know.

[sarahs16]

In case this is helpful, my phone is currently running IOSversion 12.1.4, and I'm running Spotify App version 8.4.93.796.

The issue happens intermittently, and killing the app and reopening usually fixes it. I'm just wondering if anyone else has noticed it happening as often as I do. If I'm listening to music for an extended period of time (like an hour or so) it starts happening, almost without fail.

[Katerina]

Hey there folks,

Thanks for reporting this.

If your iOS device won't lock while Spotify is open (but not on the background), we'd first recommend trying a quick reinstall of the app by following these steps. We'd also suggest making sure to try a soft reset of your device. 

If that doesn't do the trick, make sure to click the +VOTE button and leave a comment with the following details, if you haven't already:

• Your device and its OS version
• The version of the Spotify app
• Does the same occur when trying on a different device or when offline/connected to a different network connection?

We'll be keeping an eye out for your replies 🙂

[Loxer]

That was happening to me until today, I tried to reinstall my app again and now it does autolock.

Could you guys try it too?

[Loxer]

It's back again, it won't auto lock.

[sarahs16]

Same here! I did a clean reinstall of the app just yesterday after I got home and noticed it happening. Usually I just kill the app and start over but I saw the earlier post a clean reinstall and thought I would try that. Now I’m at the gym and noticing it again.

[user-removed]

iPhone X iOS 12.1.4 / Spotify Version 8.4.94.812 - having very similar issues, started today?? Not immediately after the last update!! Cleared Cache, removed app (& associated data), restarted phone, reinstalled, logged back in etc. Very odd behaviour?? The auto lock will engage fine until selecting a track from songs and activating the now playing screen (for swiping to change tracks while driving etc). I started to notice that certain tracks didn’t allow the auto lock to engage? Whereas others work fine?? I found that removing the problem songs (that I know about from a vast selection) from the library, searching for it and re-adding it (placing it at the top of the list in recently added order) fixes the issue. Switching the library list to list in title order doesn’t make a difference to the pre fixed problematic tracks?? Thanks in advance for you advice/help with this issue, dread to think how many more of my songs are driving this issue?

[user-removed]

I tried to reinstall the app. It fixed it for like 2 days, but now it won’t lock again.

[sarahs16]

---

@user-removed wrote:
I tried to reinstall the app. It fixed it for like 2 days, but now it won’t lock again.  

Don’t forget to vote on the question so Spotify sees it! 

---

[Jemi]

Hey everyone!

We've let the right team know and will get back to you as soon as we have updates.  If your iOS device won't lock while Spotify is open (but not on the background), we'd first recommend trying a quick reinstall of the app by following these steps. We'd also suggest making sure to restart your device. 

If that doesn't do the trick, make sure to click the +VOTE button and leave a comment with the following details, if you haven't already:

• Your device and its OS version
• The version of the Spotify app
• Does the same occur when trying on a different device or when offline/connected to a different network connection?
• Does this only happen while the app is in the foreground, or also in the background?
• A screen recording (if possible).

We'll be keeping an eye out for your replies 🙂

[sarahs16]

I want to make sure I’m being clear as to what I’m experiencing because moderators keep mentioning a difference between Spotify being “open” and “on in the background”.
Often, when I am listening to music on Spotify, REGARDLESS of whether or not it is open or on in the background, my iPhone won’t Auto-lock. For example: I open Spotify, start a playlist. Then I open Instagram or my email, so Spotify is on in the background. My phone should auto lock after 30 seconds, and it won’t. The same thing happens when I leave the app open. My quick fix has been going back to the Spotify app, killing it, and restarting.

Is there a different fix if I notice the auto lock interference when it’s on in the background vs when the app is open?

I only experience this on my iPhone, not my iPad.

[Pope123]

I am having this exact problem. It is taking a tole on my battery life too since it prevents the screen from dimming too. 

Device: Iphone X running IOS 12.1.4

Spotify Version: 8.4.96.934

Occurs when: Occurs both when in online mode and offline mode. 

started around the same time video playlists were introduced. Would love to have the option to turn them off and gain static album images. 

[themussar]

I have the same issue, it's so annoying.

[sarahs16]

---

@Jemi wrote:

Hey everyone!

We've let the right team know and will get back to you as soon as we have updates.  If your iOS device won't lock while Spotify is open (but not on the background), we'd first recommend trying a quick reinstall of the app by following these steps. We'd also suggest making sure to restart your device. 

If that doesn't do the trick, make sure to click the +VOTE button and leave a comment with the following details, if you haven't already:

• Your device and its OS version
• The version of the Spotify app
• Does the same occur when trying on a different device or when offline/connected to a different network connection?
• Does this only happen while the app is in the foreground, or also in the background?
• A screen recording (if possible).

We'll be keeping an eye out for your replies 🙂

I’m trying to post a screen recording but the comment box won’t allow me to. Just observed it happening again. I was listening to music via AirPods (which I got a week ago, after I noticed this issue so it’s not them) and then paused and put the AirPods to charge. I touched the screen to wake it, and the last song I was listening to appears on the screen in the player box that appears on the lock screen. Screen won’t auto lock. I started the screen recording. I unlock the phone and let it record for about a minute, then I open Spotify and kill the app and leave the home screen open. About 15 seconds later the screen dims, then finally locks, ending the screen recording. 

---

[Katerina]

Hey there @sarahs16,

Thanks for letting us know!

Do you see an error message when you're trying to share your screenrecording? If you haven't already, we'd recommend giving it another try in an incognito or private window in your browser and letting us know how it goes.

If it persists even while incognito, it'd be useful if you could include a screenshot of what you see so we can take a closer look. Just make sure that no private/sensitive info is displayed.

Keep us posted 🙂

[Gwaii]

Same issue. The only way to fix it temporarily is force shut down the Spotify app and re-open it. The issue however resurfaces after a few hours and this keeps recurring many times a day.

iPhone XR 128GB

iOS 12.1.4

Spotify 8.4.99.771

[etiennea56]

• Your device and its OS version
  • iPhone 7 -- iOS 12.2

• The version of the Spotify app
  • 8.5.0.833

• Does the same occur when trying on a different device or when offline/connected to a different network connection?
  • Yes

• Does this only happen while the app is in the foreground, or also in the background
  • Background

I have two problems since not a long time ago, I can't remember since which version, but it's recent. 

- My screen won't shut by itself if Spotify is open in background, despite iOS settings which is set to 1 minute auto-lock.

- Spotify prevents me, sometimes/not always, to play some videos in other app such as Reddit and Facebook, but not Youtube. For more understanding, when I press play on a video, it starts and play for about 1 second, then it pauses for 1 second, then it plays for 1 second, then it pauses for 1 second, and so on.

Both problems started around the same time, and both can be fix by force closing Spotify manually.

When I restarted my iPhone today, it did help with the auto-lock, for about 30min to 1 hour. After this, the Spotify would prevent any screen shut.

Once, the video problem does come back, I won't miss the chance to screen record it.

Anyway, on a personnal note, I've been pretty much happy with Spotify overall since its availability in Canada, but recently, your iOS app is getting more and more frustrating to use. I'm in the I.T. field, and I know bugs can be sometime some pain in the a**, but you got the improve  Q.A., some of these bugs are just nonsense in a final release version.