Apple just made a move that left Spotify users 'stunned'

 Spotify's lawsuit ultimately resulted in Apple being fined nearly $2 billion by the EU, and while the iPhone maker recently allowed Spotify to display pricing information to EU customers, it appears the conflict between the two tech giants isn't over yet.

Spotify has just posted a note on its support page that Apple has "discontinued the technology that allowed Spotify to control the volume of connected devices using the volume buttons on the device." In plain English, this means that Spotify users on iPhone can no longer adjust the volume using the physical side button on their iPhone. This feature will be removed when users use Spotify Connect via their iPhone. On the flip side, the iPhone's volume slider still works quite well for the Spotify iOS app.

Apple just made a move that left Spotify users 'stunned' Picture 1

Spotify added that it is working with Apple to find a solution. Until then, iPhone users can use the Spotify app to control the volume on connected devices. You need to press one of your device's volume buttons to access the virtual volume controls from the Spotify Connect menu.

Spotify Connect is a feature that allows users to use their phone to turn on and use Spotify on other devices such as speakers, Smart TVs, computers, etc. Normally, if you want to adjust the volume, users just need to press the button on the side of the phone, but now with the iPhone, this feature is no longer available.

Spotify also accused Apple of violating EU DMA rules that limit third-party app interoperability. But Apple reportedly rejected Spotify's request to allow volume control when streaming music to Apple HomePod or Apple TV devices using Spotify Connect, citing the need for the Spotify app to integrate with HomePod.

Jessica Tanner

Update 31 August 2024