Spotify users who listen to music or podcasts on their iPhone via Spotify Connect have to take a few extra steps to control the volume on their audio device, and Spotify seems to be unhappy about this.
According to SpotifyApple has “discontinued” the technology that allowed Spotify users to control volume with physical buttons on their iPhone when streaming to speakers, smart TVs, games consoles, and other devices via Spotify Connect.
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When attempting to use the iPhone’s physical buttons to turn the volume up or down, Spotify will display a notification informing the user that they should use the volume slider within the Spotify app. Clicking on this “Change volume?” notification will take Spotify users to the slider within the app.
The change is scheduled to be officially introduced on September 3, but some users Report If you try to change the volume, you’ll see that a notification has already been sent.
An example of the Spotify notification that appears when you try to use the physical buttons on your iPhone, and what the volume slider looks like in the Spotify app.
Credit: Spotify
The Spotify-Apple battle continues
In its update, Spotify makes it clear that Apple is to blame for making things a bit more difficult for iPhone owners.
“Apple has discontinued the technology that allowed Spotify to control the volume on connected devices using the device’s volume buttons,” Spotify says on its Spotify Connect support page. “While we work with Apple on a solution, you can easily adjust the volume on your connected devices using the Spotify app.”
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Mashable has reached out to Apple for comment and will update this article if we hear back.
As The Verge noted that Apple’s changes caused Spotify users to experience random volume spikes and other bugs, leading Spotify to change how users control the volume. The Sonos app made a similar change earlier this year after users experienced similar issues.
“We asked Apple to introduce a solution for app developers who want to control non-Apple media devices, similar to the solution they offer to HomePod and Apple TV users,” Spotify said, according to The Verge. “Apple told us that to access the technology that controls iPhone volume, apps would need to integrate with HomePod.”
While this particular volume control issue between two of the industry’s biggest companies may seem like a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, it’s actually just one more issue in the larger ongoing battle between Spotify and Apple.
Earlier this year, Apple $2 billion fine The move was taken in the EU after Spotify complained to the iPhone maker about a policy that prevents app makers from sending users outside Apple’s official App Store to sign up for the subscription service.
In response, Apple released a public statement accusing Spotify of using all of Apple’s tools to run its iPhone app without paying Apple.
In a statement, Apple noted that it’s working with Spotify to enable its app to work with “Siri, CarPlay, Apple Watch, AirPlay, widgets, and more,” but controlling Spotify volume with the iPhone’s physical buttons appears no longer to be on that list.
