[iOS] Option to disable distracting popups

[fmaschmeier]

Account
(Premium, Germany)

Device

(iPhone 12 Mini)

Operating System

(iOS 16.0)

My Question or Issue

Since a few weeks I am from time to time get popups inside the iOS app (see enclosed screenshots) which distract my flow in usage (e.g. while scrolling through a playlist). Worst thing is, that closing this popup brings me on top of the playlist again so I need to scroll all the way down again.
None of the popups was relevant and customer service confirmed there is no option to disable such popups in contrast to disabling app-push-messages.
So my urgent request is to add an option to disable such popups. 
Additionally product management needs to make sure it's not breaking flow in usage of the app. Usually someone would implement such feature when returning to home screen or alike but not in the middle of scrolling through a playlist.

[AlejaR]

Hey @fmaschmeier,

Thanks for your posting in the Community and welcome 🙂

We understand what you mentioned and why you want to see this implemented in the app. Another user had a similar request, so they posted this idea about it. Feel free to add your vote in the thumbs up icon and you can also Subscribe to it in the three-dot menu; that way you can stay up-to-date with any relevant news about this.
 

We really appreciate your feedback; it's very important to us! We know you want to make the best out of your listening experience. 

We'll be here if anything else comes up. Once again, thanks for the feedback.
 

Take care!

[1210553193]

The link you posted is a closed idea. You are sending people where they will never be helped, so I'll post my complaint again here:

I am a premium subscriber. It makes no sense that if I have turned off to receive notifications about things like Spotify news, promos, song releases etc. I have all push notifications turned off. I am still bombarded with popups multiple times daily. Most recently I have had to dismiss a popup promoting audiobooks TWICE. I don't pay a subscription fee to receive ads on top of it. Please make your notifications match with the notification preferences you provide and stop overwhelming people with things they don't want to see and negatively impact their opinion of your product. I don't want audiobooks or podcasts, I would love to  disable that as well so I don't get bizarre suggestions, but at the very least don't advertise to me about things I already pay for. 

[fmaschmeier]

There is no solution so I can't press "Accept as a solution".
The "idea" you send me too is closed - but looking at the dozens of comments there, I am not the only one being annoyed from these popups. In my eyes this topic needs escalation to product team.
You need to implement a switch to turn off these pop-ups.

[Scotw]

This is clearly a policy decision by Spotify, despite their own customers preferences. So, no different to other large organizations, they abuse their power to treat their customers badly, while they pretend to care. 

I expected better from Europeans. Ironically, while using this site, an unwanted popup appears. This is deliberate, or dumb, or both. 

[Luciusism]

Pop ups sucks. Why am I paying for Spotify if I’m getting pop up ads? Please let me turn this off. 

[BrianSmithUsa]

I am an off again, on again subscriber because I keep hoping things will change. I pay for a prem subscription so I could simply listen to music playlists without being interrupted. Apple Music can accomplish this but Spotify seems the need to constantly push and push and push unwanted features. Let people who pay for it decide if they want to see these so called "suggestions" and provide a way to disable them. Very simple. Just a single line of text with a checkbox. 

CLEARLY based on the YEARS of posts surrounding the same issues that get the same canned response over and over is an indicator that Spotify is not paying attention to their customers. 

[ConnRed]

I've tried posting my own topic, replying to similar posts, emailing customer support, chatting to customer support, and now messaging on both Twitter and Facebook all about this same issue and over the course of about 2 years (I've been a customer for about 10 years and have a family plan even).

What I've seen so far is that they may temporarily lay off, but ultimately always return to unwanted pop ups even for premium users. 

The response I get from customer service is basically to pretend it must be a technical error or that my account may be set up incorrectly, but ultimately of course these all prove not to be the case. The most recent times I've reached out, I was told to click on the more info or whatever at the base of the pop-up to change my settings; sadly, I'd already done this once before, and yet the pop-ups came back. In the end, I asked for them to simply pass the complaint along to management OR to send me the contact information for someone who can actually hear and respond to this complaint. They didn't give me any contact info, so I can only hope they somehow escalated the feedback.

It would be nice to have someone actually respond here to say they've heard this complaint and are passing it up the chain or give us some kind of response from the decision makers. 

Alas, we may never get that. 

I feel especially betrayed and annoyed, because I was a major advocate who pushed my friends away from other music streaming services back when no one had heard of Spotify. I've converted so many folks (see family plan above), and yet this BS continues. 

[ConnRed]

When will the run around stop and someone take this issue seriously?

Since we can't create new posts about this and the "case closed" shut this one down, what exactly is our next step?

[126779985]

How do we 'reopen' the idea or get this issue back on the developers radar? I have had a popup the last 3 times I have opened the app. 

[lizzys17]

Spotify, you need to stop treating your subscribers so poorly. Don’t forward these issues to a post that was closed literally 8 months before you shared it. That is absolutely useless. These pop ups are becoming a major problem. As a premium subscriber, I should be able to choose if I would like to receive in-app notifications. They are bombarding me when all I want to do is listen to music. Not be sold to especially on a platform I already pay for!! REOPEN THIS ISSUE. It is NOT resolved in any way shape or form. Get rid of the ads on my ad-free subscription!!!!

[ConnRed]

Since this same thing KEEPS coming up in multiple threads, you'd think ONE would still be open. 

Alas, we all get closed and ignores.

Just FYI, a bunch of those threads have turned into conversations about leaving and shared tips on other options. 

We are tired of the pop ups, the run around BS, and being ignored; please escalate this issue and get someone's attention on it who can actually take action!

[ConnRed]

That seems to be the MO around here 😡

[ConnRed]

  

[ConnRed]

Everything turned off except podcast alerts (which I NEVER see) and yet...

 

[ConnRed]

When trying to use the link in your post, I cannot get to the other post, because my access is "denied" for some reason?!

 

[mblackhurst]

I agree with the sentiments in this thread. I pay for a family premium account and feel disrespected by Spotify when I am also forced to engage with in app pop ups. I simply close Spotify and reopen it. It is misleading to market paid accounts as free from marketing but then force users to engage with marketing. I’d suggest users file complaints with the FTC (in the US). 

Spotify’s community “support” is useless here. I’d suggest users simply poorly rate the app on the App Store instead. 

[ConnRed]

Oooo now there are BANNER ADS on top of the pop up ads. What. The. Actual. **bleep**?!?!

 

[WayneBee]

THESE PEOPLE ARE CRIMINALS. I'm going to sue them for this, I'm calling my lawyer right now.

[jobuthepirate]

Adding my voice. I have been a paying Spotify subscriber for 8 years. I would like to turn off these pop ups.

I am a software engineer. I am in perpetual decision fatigue. Pop ups like this degrade my ability to do my job and live a happy life. I will continue paying Spotify until the end of time so long as it doesn’t do stupid consumer-hostile stuff like this.

Please add an option to disable these. Thank you!