How to Keep Spotify Playing in the Background

Part 1. How to Allow Spotify to Play in the Background

Playing Spotify in the background is a fantastic way to keep your favorite tunes flowing while you multitask on your device. However, to do this effectively, Spotify requires permission to continue running in the background or during other activities. This ensures that your music doesn't stop as soon as you switch to another app or lock your screen.

Spotify, like many other apps, needs special permissions to run in the background. Some operating systems, such as Android, may have default settings that limit the behavior of apps running in the background. Here's how you can allow Spotify to play in the background on various operating systems:

• On Android:

  1. Go to the Settings app on your Android device.
  2. Look for "Apps & Notifications" or "Apps" in the settings menu.
  3. Scroll through the list of installed apps and select "Spotify." You may also need to navigate to "Manage Apps" beforehand to find Spotify.
  4. In the Spotify app settings, you'll find a section for "Battery Saver." Tap on it.
  5. Make sure to select the toggle for "No Restrictions." This will allow Spotify to continue playing when you're not actively using the app.

• On iOS (iPhone/iPad):

  

  1. Launch the "Settings" app on your iOS device.
  2. Scroll down the list of apps until you find "Spotify."
  3. Tap on "Background App Refresh."
  4. Ensure the toggle next to "Background App Refresh" is turned on for Spotify. This will allow the app to refresh its content and continue playing in the background.

• On Windows:

  1. Click on the Start menu and select "Settings."
  2. In the Settings menu, click on "Apps" or "Apps & Features."
  3. Scroll through the list of installed apps and select "Spotify."
  4. Click on "Advanced Options" for Spotify.
  5. You'll find a section for "Background Apps" or "Runs in Background." Make sure the toggle is enabled to allow Spotify to run in the background.

• On macOS:

  1. Click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner and select "System Preferences."
  2. Click on "Security & Privacy."
  3. Select the "Privacy" tab at the top of the window.
  4. In the left sidebar, click on "Automation."
  5. You should see a list of apps on the right side. Make sure the checkbox next to Spotify is checked, allowing it to control other apps.

Note: Some devices, especially Android phones, have battery optimization settings that can interfere with background activities. You may need to exempt Spotify from battery optimization to ensure uninterrupted playback. This setting is usually found in the device's Settings > Battery.

Part 2. How to Play Spotify in the Background

Now that you've granted Spotify the necessary permissions to run in the background, let's dive into how you can enjoy uninterrupted music playback on your mobile device or computer:

Playing Spotify in the Background on Phones:

Step 1Start Playback on Your Mobile Phone

1. Launch the Spotify app on your iOS or Android device.
2. Navigate to the song, album, or playlist you want to play.
3. Tap the Play button to start the music.

Step 2Play Spotify in the Background

1. Once the music is playing, press the home button on your device to exit the Spotify app.
2. You should notice the music seamlessly continues playing in the background as you go about using other apps or browsing.

Step 3Control the Spotify Playback

• For iOS Users: Access the Control Center by swiping down from the upper-right corner (iPhone X and later) or up from the bottom edge of the screen (iPhone 8 and earlier).



• For Android Users: Swipe down from the top of the screen to access the Control Center.

From here, you can pause, skip tracks, adjust volume, or even repeat a track without needing to return to the Spotify app.

Playing Spotify in the Background on Computers:

Step 1Start Playback on Your Computer

1. Launch the Spotify app on your PC or Mac, or visit the Spotify Web Player.
2. Select the song, album, or playlist you want to play, and hit Play.

Step 2Play Spotify in the Background

Simply minimize the Spotify window on your computer:

• For Windows Users: Click the Minimize button in the top-right corner of the Spotify window.



• For Mac Users: Click the yellow minimize button in the top-left corner of the window.

The music will continue playing in the background while you work on other tasks or browse the web.

Step 3Control the Spotify Playback

To control the Spotify playback while using other applications, you can either use the playback controls on your keyboard to control the music without having to switch back to the Spotify window.

• Tips for Spotify Desktop Users:
  
  1. Hover your mouse over the Spotify app icon in your taskbar (Windows only).
  2. This displays simple playback controls, allowing you to pause, skip, or adjust volume directly from the taskbar.

  

• Tips for Spotify Web Player Users:
  

  If you're using the Spotify Web Player, consider enabling the MiniPlayer for added convenience.

Note: The MiniPlayer feature is officially available on Spotify Web Player only. To mimic this feature on the desktop app, you might explore options like using the Spotify widget in the Windows Game Bar.

Part 3. How to Keep Spotify Playing in the Background

Even though you've learned how to play Spotify in the background smoothly, sometimes the music stops when you switch to other apps, especially on phones. For example, when you switch to watch YouTube videos on an iPhone, Spotify might pause. But this isn't usually a problem on Windows or Mac computers.

Way 1: Use Sound Assistant (Android)

Samsung's SoundAssistant app offers advanced control over audio settings, allowing users to prevent interruptions in music playback when switching apps.

Note: Currently, the "Separate App Sound" feature is available for Galaxy S8/S8+ only.

1. Visit the Galaxy Store and download the SoundAssistant app.
2. Launch the app and navigate to "Control audio."
3. Disable this option to allow sound from specific apps, like Spotify, to play through headphones or separate audio devices. This feature permits an app to play sound simultaneously with others.
4. Under "Dual App Sound," designate Spotify as the app to play music in the background.
5. Open the YouTube app and play your desired content. You may need to open the Control Center, locate Spotify playback, and press "Play."
6. Spotify should continue playing even when you switch to other apps like YouTube.

Way 2: Use Android Add-Ons (Android)

Certain third-party add-ons for Android browsers, such as Firefox's Video Background Play Fix developed by JanH, facilitate YouTube playback in the background while using the Spotify app.

1. Launch the Firefox browser and navigate to Add-Ons.
2. Look for add-ons like "Video Background Play Fix by JanH" or similar.
3. Install and enable the add-on to gain more control over YouTube playback.

Way 3: Use ViWizard (Windows/Mac)

Up to now, there still are users reporting Spotify can't play in the background issue. For Spotify's frequent users, this could be devastating. But there is a way to get rid of any glitches and restrictions to play Spotify songs in the background while you are using other apps on your phone or locking your phone's screen. That is to use a Spotify downloader to download Spotify songs.

Then you can load these Spotify songs to your phone and play them in the background with a built-in media player, and you'll never get interrupted by other apps on your phone. With ViWizard Spotify Music Converter, you can download all your favorite Spotify songs to MP3 without Premium. After that, you can play Spotify songs anywhere and anytime.

Key Features of ViWizard Spotify Music Converter

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• Download Spotify songs, albums, playlists, podcasts, audiobooks
• Convert Spotify music to lossless MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, M4A, M4B
• Support playing offline Spotify music on any device at any time
• Compatible with Windows and macOS, as well as, the latest Spotify

Step 1Import Spotify Songs to ViWizard Program

Start by opening ViWizard Spotify Music Converter on your computer then the Spotify will be launched simultaneously. Go to browse your music library in Spotify and select songs you want to download. To add them to the conversion list, you can use the drag-and-drop feature or you can copy and paste the music link into the search bar on the converter.

Step 2Set up the Audio Parameters for Spotify

After successfully adding Spotify songs to the converter, you can set the output audio parameters for Spotify. Click the menu bar at the top right of the converter and select the Preferences option then switch to the Convert tab. Here you can select the output format and change the bit rate, sample rate, and channel.

Step 3Start to Download Music from Spotify

Once all the setting is finished, click on the Convert button to start downloading Spotify songs. After the conversion, all the converted Spotify music files will be saved to your specified folder. You can browse all the converted Spotify songs by clicking the Converted icon and navigating to the output folder.

Step 4Play Spotify Songs in the Background Offline

After downloading these Spotify songs, you can transfer these Spotify songs to your phone via a USB cable or wireless connection. These Spotify songs can be played through any media player on your phone in the background without interruptions.

Part 4. How to Fix Spotify Stop Playing in the Background

Spotify music may sometimes cut off when you exit the app on your mobile phone due to various reasons such as battery optimization, data usage settings, app configurations, or technical glitches. If you're still experiencing issues with playing Spotify in the background, here are some effective fixes to try:

Way 1: Turn off Battery Saver for Spotify

1. Go to your phone's Settings.
2. Select "Apps" or "Manage Apps" and find the Spotify app.
3. Tap on Spotify to open its settings.
4. Look for the "Battery Saver" option.
5. Set the background settings to "No Restrictions" to ensure Spotify can continue running in the background.

Way 2: Allow Spotify to Use Data in the Background

1. Navigate to Settings on your device.
2. Select "Apps" or "Manage Apps" and find Spotify.
3. Tap on Spotify to open its settings.
4. Look for "Data Usage" and tap on it.
5. Toggle the "Background Data" setting to ON to allow Spotify to use data in the background.

Way 3: Check for Ongoing Apps

Sometimes, other apps may occupy the audio output channel, affecting Spotify's playback.

1. Go to your recent apps or open the app switcher on your device.
2. Close as many apps as possible such as YouTube or TikTok, especially those using audio features.

Apps like Waze, Google Drive, or Uber might block Spotify due to voice prompts.

• If you find such apps, consider closing them or adjusting their settings.
• If you want to stream Spotify while driving, turn on Car Mode in Spotify.
• Toggle the "Keep Spotify open." option to green within Car Mode settings.

Way 4: Use Spotify's Official Suggestions

1. Log out of your Spotify account.
2. Go to the Home screen and tap on "Settings."
3. Scroll down and select "Log out" then restart your device.
4. Log back into your Spotify account and check if the issue is resolved.

Way 5: Reinstall the Spotify App

1. If none of the above solutions work, uninstall the Spotify app from your device.
2. Visit the app store (Google Play Store or Apple App Store) to reinstall the latest version of Spotify.
3. After reinstalling, repeat the steps above to allow Spotify to run in the background.

Conclusion

When Spotify stops playing in background, you can follow five solutions on how to make Spotify play in the background again. If none of them work, contact Spotify. You can also use an alternative way - use a media player on your phone to play Spotify music in the background, after downloading Spotify to MP3 without Premium via ViWizard Spotify Music Converter. Try ViWizard Spotify Music Converter now!