Apple Removes Volume Control for Spotify on iPhones: What You Need to Know

Apple has allegedly discontinued features that allow Spotify users to control the volume of other output devices from their iPhones while casting audio. 

If you use an iPhone or iPad to stream music from Spotify onto multiple devices, your experience will likely get significantly jarring. You will no longer be able to control the volume of playback on other devices using the physical buttons on your iPhone. 

Spotify recently updated its support page, stating that Apple has ended support for the technology that allowed Spotify to control the volume of connected devices via the device’s volume buttons.

Noting Apple has restricted functionality, Spotify also pointed to a workaround. It suggests you press one of the volume buttons, resulting in a digital volume slider near the bottom of the app. You can drag the slider, which should allow you to control the volume of a connected device. 

This can be infuriating since you need to unlock your iPhone and change the volume. Additionally, you can only access the volume slider from inside the Spotify app on iOS, adding another step to the process. To alleviate this slightly, Spotify will notify you when it detects you are trying to change the volume. Tapping the notification will take you to the app, where you can open the volume slider directly. 

Apple’s Story with Competitors’ Apps

A similar degrading experience was noted for the Sonos app last year and can be expected to affect other third-party streaming services that rely on Apple’s AirPlay to cast audio.

Spotify told The Verge that it had requested Apple to introduce a similar solution for non-Apple media output devices. However, it was informed that third-party apps, such as Spotify and Sonos, must be integrated into Apple’s HomePod smart speaker for seamless volume control. 

While Apple appears bullish on getting third-party service providers to have native HomePod support, Spotify has willingly chosen not to join the platform. That means you cannot stream music directly from Spotify on a HomePod. This differs from other smart speaker ecosystems, such as Google Home or Amazon Echo, which can natively support Spotify. 

Spotify’s reluctance to support HomePod can be linked to the ongoing clash with Apple over hefty commissions, which the latter charge on in-app purchases and subscription renewals. At the same time, Spotify alleged Apple is restricting interoperability between different ecosystems and called it a violation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act. 

The European Parliament has previously rescued critics, including Spotify and Epic Games, and forced Apple to ease its restrictions on in-app purchases and promotions. However, we have yet to see if the EU responds to these claims or takes a more neutral stance, especially after Spotify criticized it for stifling AI innovation in the region.