Hoping someone can share some insight on a solution -

While I had an Andriod (2months ago), the Spotify app on the Kenwood would auto connect via bluetooth to the Spotify app on my phone, thus launching and autoplaying. Cool, right. Have a new iPhone and now the Spotify app on the Kenwood just says (Connecting...)     In order to get the Kenwood Spotify app to connect and receive data, I must remove the phone from my pocket, open the Spotify app, hit play and cycle the Spotify app on the Kenwood to start the search again.  OR - Have my iPhone unlocked before starting the car.  It seems the lockscreen of iOS is preventing the Kenwood Spotify app from launching the Spotify app on the phone.

Runing iOS 11.1, Spotify app on the phone is current at 8.4.20.536 and the Kenwood headunit is on it's most current firmware as well. Have tried a fresh reboot of the Kenwood, removing and reinstalling the Spotify app on the iPhone - and turning off / on the background app refresh on the iPhone in hopes autoplay was hung up in  the setting somewhere.... NO LUCK SO FAR....

How can I have the Kenwood Spotify app auto launch the Spotify app on iOS, while the phone is on the lockscreen? Again, if the phone is already unlocked, the Kenwoood Spotify app performs as it should and will auto luanch the Spotify app on the phone...

Thanks for your time!