Spotify is one of the most widely adopted music streaming services on Android. Since 2009, the company has continuously supported the application, adding new features and improvements. However, despite all the support, Spotify on Android is not as optimized as on iOS. Over the years, the Android version has fallen behind its iOS counterpart.
There are also some very unfortunate discrepancies in the Spotify software on Android, despite the number of new innovations coming to the service. Users have been vocal about how unreliable the app can be compared to the iOS version. The software is also sometimes considered unreliable, with users finding faulty features or unexpected crashes.
Cosmetic differences come with usability differences
Spotify on Android offers diverse user experiences, impacting the app flow
There is a distinct lack of parity between Android and iOS just in terms of how Spotify looks and works in some ways. Some differences are purely aesthetic, like how album art is displayed. However, in the case of the Settings page, Spotify on Android is quite chaotic. Just to find my “Devices” options, I have to frantically scroll down the page. However, on iOS, Spotify presents all of its subcategory options in a clear and organized manner.
Another difference is the top banner. Spotify lists “Music,” “Podcasts,” and “Audiobooks.” However, on Android there is an additional “All” option that takes you to a page with the latest from each option. However, this is just the standard display page on iOS. iPhone users should exit “Music” or “Podcasts” to return to what is essentially the “All” page. It’s not a major difference, but I appreciate not having an extra tab to click to access my unified content library.
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Broken or missing features affect the app on Android
Maybe today will be the day the crossfade feature works
There are some glaring issues in Spotify optimization on Android. Part of the reason is that some features are downright broken or unreliable. One of them, in particular, is the crossfade option. Designed to eliminate the pause of silence between two songs, crossfading can be set to fade out one song while moving to the next. However, on Android the feature is very unreliable. Honestly, I’ve given up on using it because it just hasn’t worked for me on multiple Android devices in the past. Spotify moderators suggested that reinstalling the app might fix the problem. However, I have yet to personally discover a conclusive solution to the problem.
Spotify also doesn’t have a built-in equalizer on Android. On iOS, Spotify offers the ability to customize EQ settings or use in-app presets. On Android, the Equalizer option redirects you to the device’s system equalizer. The unfortunate result is that Spotify on Android then relies on the individual manufacturer and its settings. The layout of these settings may also differ between devices. Again, this contributes to a lack of cohesion.
Accidents have become far too frequent
Listening experiences are often disrupted by unreliable software
Using Spotify on an Android device can often be a frustrating experience simply because crashes are quite common. All the optimization issues mentioned above are just a drop in the ocean compared to unstable software. Anecdotally, Spotify has crashed on me several times when using the Samsung S24 Ultra and OnePlus 12R in recent months.
I can’t think of anything more disruptive to the listening experience than the app crashing in the middle of a song. There also doesn’t seem to be any connection between the crashes and how the app is being used at the time. I experienced crashes while using headphones, Bluetooth speakers, and even while using Android Auto. This has become such a common problem that many users have decided to clear their cache or reinstall the app on their device. Spotify also hasn’t indicated whether it plans to stabilize its app.
Continuous improvements are made
Despite all the problems that the Android version of Spotify may have, it remains incredibly popular and widely adopted. According to Appinventiv, Spotify app downloads exceeded one billion installations in May 2021.
That said, Spotify continues to actively improve the user experience on Android. Of course, not all of the optimization issues mentioned above are resolved at the moment, but Spotify engineers are actively looking to improve the app experience. Recently, Spotify integrated the long-awaited swipe gesture on the player which allows users to close the mini player. While this may be a game-changing improvement, it’s another step in the right direction toward establishing parity with the iOS app.
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