This change is set to come into force on September 3 – Photo: Thomsen
Digital – The music streaming service announced on its support website that Apple has disabled a central volume control interface. As a result, devices connected via Spotify Connect can no longer be controlled using the iPhone’s physical volume buttons.
iPhone users will now have to adjust the volume directly in the Spotify app. According to a report from The Verge, this change will take effect from September 3, 2024, although some users are already affected.
The Verge further reports that when using the physical volume buttons on the iPhone, a prompt from Spotify appears that takes users directly to the volume menu in the app.
When the Spotify app is open, the volume control appears automatically as soon as the hardware buttons are used. Spotify blames Apple for this cumbersome solution and accuses the iPhone maker of blocking access to necessary technologies that would allow third-party developers to control Apple devices using the physical buttons.
This limitation can make volume control via the iPhone buttons unreliable, resulting in volume fluctuations and other technical issues during playback. For similar reasons, it is no longer possible to control volume using the physical buttons in the Sonos app.
Spotify is calling on Apple to provide a solution similar to that used by developers for the HomePod and Apple TV to control the volume of external devices.
Apple responded that the apps needed to be integrated into the HomePod to be able to control the volume using the physical iPhone buttons. Alternatively, implementing AirPlay would also enable this functionality.
Although some third-party providers have already integrated their music services into the HomePod or implemented AirPlay, a major provider such as Spotify has not yet used the required API.
