If your iPhone’s physical volume buttons no longer change the sound on a Spotify speaker, TV, or game console, the buttons are not necessarily broken. The affected feature is remote volume control of a Spotify Connect playback device from the iPhone; Spotify says Apple discontinued the technology that enabled it. You can still adjust the connected device’s volume using Spotify’s on-screen controls or controls on the playback device.
What changed with Spotify Connect volume control?
Spotify says Apple discontinued the technology that let Spotify control the volume of connected devices using the iPhone’s physical volume buttons. The change affects remote control of the Spotify Connect target, such as a connected speaker, smart TV, or game console. It is distinct from changing the iPhone’s own playback volume.
That means the playback connection can still work even if the iPhone’s side buttons no longer adjust the remote device. The change is to the volume-control path, not necessarily to Spotify Connect playback itself.
How to change a Spotify Connect device’s volume from an iPhone
Use the volume-button notification slider
- While Spotify is playing on the connected device, press either iPhone volume button.
- When the notification and on-screen volume slider appear, use the slider to adjust the connected playback device.
Use Spotify’s Connect menu
- Open Spotify’s Now Playing bar.
- Open the Connect device menu and select or view the active playback device.
- Adjust the device volume using the slider shown there.
If the playback device has physical buttons, a remote, or its own app, those controls are another option. Availability depends on the device.
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Does Spotify Connect still work with Alexa, TVs, and game consoles?
The reported change concerns the iPhone hardware buttons’ ability to control remote volume. Connected speakers, smart TVs, and game consoles can remain Spotify playback targets. Spotify support also refers to Amazon Alexa-linked devices; the iPhone button issue does not by itself mean those devices can no longer play Spotify.
For an Alexa-linked speaker, you may be able to change volume through the speaker’s own controls or voice assistant, depending on the device and setup. That is a separate control path from using the iPhone’s side buttons.
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Why does Spotify blame Apple?
Spotify’s support page attributes the lost control to Apple discontinuing the enabling technology. Spotify framed the issue in the context of interoperability under the EU Digital Markets Act, according to TechCrunch’s August 2024 reporting.
Apple’s March 4, 2024 statement made a broader argument about developer access. Apple said Spotify could use more than 250,000 APIs and used 60 of its frameworks, including tools for Bluetooth, notifications, and background audio. These are competing accounts of platform access; they do not independently establish Apple’s intent in changing the volume-control capability.
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Apple also cited market and platform figures: it said Apple had 56% of Europe’s music-streaming market, that Europe’s digital music market had nearly 160 million subscribers in the prior year, and that Spotify’s app had received more than 119 billion downloads, redownloads, or updates on Apple devices. Those figures provide platform context, not a measure of how many people were affected by the volume-button change.
Is there a date when the iPhone buttons will work again?
Spotify says it is working with Apple on a solution, but its support material gives no restoration date. Until Spotify or Apple announces a change, use Spotify’s on-screen slider or controls on the connected playback device.
