Solved: Spotify Not Working on Lock Screen

Part 1. How to Allow Spotify on Lock Screen

No matter whether you are using an iPhone or Android phone, you can try the methods provided below to resolve Spotify playback issues on the lock screen.

Solution 1: Check Notification Settings:

Before you adjust notification settings, ensure you have the latest version of the Spotify app installed on your device. This ensures you have access to all available features and bug fixes. Make sure that your device's lock screen notification settings are properly configured to display Spotify notifications.

• For Android or iPhone:

Turn on "Notifications" on Spotify:



1. Open the Spotify app on your device.
2. Tap the gear icon or navigate to Settings.
3. Look for "Notifications" or a similar option.
4. Turn on notifications such as "Music & Artist Recommendations" or any relevant notification options available.

Solution 2: Check App Permissions:

Keep in mind that device-specific variations may exist. While the following instructions are tailored for general Android and iPhone settings, it's recommended to refer to your specific device model or version for any variations.

• For Android:

Check "Notifications" Permission:



1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap on "Apps" or "Apps & Notifications."
3. Scroll through the apps list and tap on "Spotify."
4. Find and select "Notifications" or "App notifications," and ensure the toggle switch next to "Show notifications" or similar is enabled.
5. Additionally, check Notification Channels for Spotify and ensure relevant channels are enabled.

• For iPhone:

Check "Allow Notifications" Setting:



1. Unlock the iPhone and head over to the home screen, then open the Settings app.
2. In the Settings menu, scroll down and select "Notifications."
3. Scroll through the list of apps and tap on "Spotify."
4. Switch on the toggle next to "Allow Notifications." Once enabled, more settings will be displayed.



5. If there is an option for "Lock Screen" or "Show Previews," ensure it is set to "Always (Default)" or "When Unlocked" to display Spotify notifications on the lock screen.
6. Customize specific notification settings by tapping on "Spotify Notification Settings," and adjust preferences accordingly.

Solution 3: Check Battery Settings:

Battery optimization settings can significantly impact app performance and notification delivery. While optimizing battery usage may extend battery life, it can also restrict certain app functionalities, including notifications on the lock screen.

• For Android:

  Turn off "Low Power Mode":

  On Android devices, specific battery optimization settings may need to be turned off to allow Spotify to have unrestricted background activity. This can help ensure uninterrupted playback and notifications on your Android smartphone.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down to select "Battery" or similar.
  3. Select "Apps" or "All Apps."
  4. Scroll down to find and select "Spotify" in the list of apps. You should now see and access options related to battery optimization for Spotify.
  5. Choose "Don't Optimize," "Not Optimized," or similar to allow Spotify to operate without restrictions in the background.
  6. Turn off "Low Power Mode" if enabled.
  Disable "Allow Background Activity":

  

  1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.
  2. Scroll down and select "Battery" or a similar option.
  3. Choose "Apps" or "All Apps" from the list.
  4. Scroll down and find "Spotify" in the list of apps.
  5. Tap on Spotify to access its settings.
  6. Look for an option labeled "Allow background activity" or similar.
  7. Toggle off this option to prevent Spotify from running in the background when not in use.

• For iPhone:

  Turn off "Low Power Mode":

  

  On iPhones, certain battery optimization settings may restrict app notifications to save power. If the Spotify app is being optimized or restricted in any way by the battery settings on your iPhone, you may need to exempt Spotify from battery optimization to allow it to display notifications or the music widget on the lock screen.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap on "Battery."
  3. Toggle off "Low Power Mode."
  Disable "Allow Background Activity":

  

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap on "General."
  3. Scroll down and select "Background App Refresh."
  4. Find "Spotify" in the list of apps and ensure the toggle switch next to it is enabled.

Solution 4: Check Lock Screen Settings:

• For iPhone:

  Enable Lock Screen Widgets:



1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll through the Settings menu and select "Face ID & Passcode" or "Touch ID & Passcode" on older iPhones with Touch ID.
3. Enter the passcode or use Face ID/Touch ID to authenticate.
4. Scroll down to the "ALLOW ACCESS WHEN LOCKED" section, and look for "Lock Screen Widgets."
5. Toggle on the switch next to "Lock Screen Widgets" to enable this feature.

Solution 5: Check Other Settings

• For iPhone:

  Disconnect Focus from Lock Screen:

Before disconnecting Focus mode from the lock screen, be aware of its interaction with lock screen notifications and widgets. Disabling Focus mode may affect the visibility of Spotify notifications and widgets on the lock screen.



1. Open Control Center. For iPhone X or later, swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen. For iPhone 8 or earlier, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen.
2. Tap on "Focus."
3. When a Focus is on, tap on it to turn it off.

If you're using Focus mode to manage notifications, you can ensure Spotify notifications and the music widget appear on the lock screen by following these steps:



1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll to "Focus," and tap on "Do Not Disturb."
3. Under "ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS," select the Apps section and add Spotify. Set it to "Allow Notifications From."
4. Back to the "Do Not Disturb" mode, scroll down to "Options," and toggle the switch next to "Allow Notifications" to enable this setting.
5. Even when the device is in "Do Not Disturb" mode, Spotify's music widget will be displayed on the lock screen.

Part 2. How to Fix Spotify Not Working on Lock Screen

Solution 1. Log out and Back in Spotify App

Logging out and back into the Spotify app can refresh the app's settings and potentially resolve any issues with the lock screen widget.

• For Android or iPhone:

  

  1. Open the Spotify app on your device.
  2. Tap on the Gear icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.
  3. Scroll through the Settings and tap the "Log out" button near the bottom.
  4. Reopen the Spotify app and log back in with your account credentials.
  5. Play something on Spotify, and try locking the screen to check if the widget appears on the lock screen.

Solution 2. Clear Cache and Data:

Clearing cache and data can help resolve issues related to temporary files and settings stored by the Spotify app.

• For Android or iPhone:

  1. Open the Spotify app on your device.
  2. Tap on the "Home" tab at the bottom-left corner to go to the home screen.
  3. Tap on "Settings" (gear icon) in the top-right corner.
  4. Scroll down to find "Storage."
  5. Tap on "Clear cache" to clear the temporary cache files.

Solution 3. Restart Spotify App and Device:

Restarting the Spotify app and the device itself can help resolve any temporary glitches or issues that may be affecting the lock screen widget.

• For Android:

  1. Close the Spotify app completely by swiping it away from the recent apps list or tapping on "Force Stop" in the app settings.
  2. Restart your Android device by holding down the power button and selecting "Restart."

• For iPhone:

  1. Double-click the home button to bring up the app switcher.
  2. Swipe up on the Spotify app to close it completely.
  3. Restart your iPhone by holding down the power button and sliding to power off. Then, power it back on.

Solution 4. Clean Uninstall Spotify App:

Performing a clean uninstall of the Spotify app removes all associated data and settings, which can help resolve persistent issues with the lock screen widget.

• For Android - 6.0 or above:

  1. From the Android home screen, open the Settings app.
  2. Navigate to "Apps" or "Applications" and select "Spotify."
  3. Tap on "Storage & Cache" and then choose "Clear Storage."
  4. Once done, go back to the Spotify settings and select "Uninstall."
  5. Return to the home screen, open the File Manager, and navigate to Internal Storage\Android\data.
  6. Locate and delete the folder called "com.spotify.music."
  7. If you're using an SD card, repeat the process to delete the folder from SD Card\Android\data.
  8. Restart your device and open the Google Play Store to reinstall Spotify.

• For Android - before 6.0:

  1. From the Android home screen, tap "Settings" > "Apps" or "Applications" > "Manage applications" > "Spotify."
  2. Tap "Clear Data."
  3. Return to the home screen and navigate to "Storage" > "Android" > "Data," then delete the folder called "com.spotify.music."
  4. Switch off your device and then switch it back on.
  5. Open Google Play and reinstall the Spotify app.

• For iPhone:

  1. From the home screen of your iPhone, open the Spotify app.
  2. Go to "Settings" > "Storage" and tap "Clear Cache."
  3. Return to the home screen, open the "Settings" app, and navigate to "General" > "iPhone Storage."
  4. Find "Spotify" in the list and tap on it, then choose "Offload App" to delete the app while keeping its documents and data.
  5. Confirm the deletion by tapping "Delete App."
  6. Once the app is deleted, shut down the device and reboot it.
  7. Open the App Store and reinstall the Spotify app.

Part 3. Alternatives to Show Spotify on Lock Screen

As both Android and iPhone platform are endlessly customizable, you can manage and customize your lock screen with ease. But sometimes, the customization is useless. At this time, you can play Spotify music by using the built-in music player on your phone. Then the issue of Spotify not showing on lock screen will be solved completely.

If you want to listen to Spotify music with the built-in music player on your phone, you must convert Spotify music to unprotected audio files by using a third-party tool like Spotify music converter. ViWizard Spotify Music Converter could be the best choice for you. With this tool, even Spotify free users can download any track, album, or playlist from Spotify and save them forever. Now this tool with a free trial is open for free to download. Now follow the below steps to download songs from Spotify via ViWizard software.

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 1Add Spotify Songs to ViWizard Software

Open ViWizard Spotify Music Converter on your computer and then it will automatically load the Spotify app. You need to select Spotify songs you want to download. Then you can directly drag and drop your selected songs to the conversion list, or you can copy and paste the music link into the search bar on the converter.

Step 2Customize the Output Audio Parameters

To customize the output parameters, you can click the menu bar on the top-right corner of the window and choose the Preferences option. Then there will pop up a settings window where you can set the output audio format, bit rate, sample rate, and channel. ViWizard software supports six audio formats, including MP3, AAC, WAV, M4A, M4B, FLAC, and you can choose MP3.

Step 3Start to Download Music from Spotify

Click the Convert button at the bottom left corner and then ViWizard software will start downloading and converting Spotify songs. Wait till the conversion is completed, then click the Converted icon to browse those converted Spotify songs in the history list. Then you can move the downloaded Spotify music files to your phone and then start playing them on your phone.

Conclusion

After taking a look at those potential solutions, you may get an answer to the issue or not. Those methods maybe not be suitable for some Android users, and there still exists the situation that Spotify won't work on the lock screen. At this time, you could try to use the music player on your phone to play Spotify songs instead with the help of ViWizard Spotify Music Converter.