How to Stop Spotify from Automatically Playing

Part 1. How to Stop Spotify from Automatically Playing

1. Stop music from resuming automatically after pausing

Sometimes, Spotify starts playing music as soon as you open the app—even if you had paused it before. If that's annoying, you can turn off this behavior so Spotify won't automatically resume playback without your input.

For Android:

1. Open your Android device's Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Connected Devices or Connections (depending on your device).
3. Tap Android Auto.
4. In the Android Auto menu, look for Automatically Resume Media.
5. Toggle this setting off—the switch should turn gray.
6. Spotify will no longer auto-resume when you start your car.

2. Check Bluetooth settings for earbuds or headphones

Spotify often begins playing automatically when your phone or tablet connects to Bluetooth devices like your car stereo or wireless headphones. That's because Bluetooth can send a "resume playback" signal to Spotify. This behavior is controlled by your phone or the Bluetooth device, not Spotify itself.

If you want more control over when music starts, try adjusting your Bluetooth settings to stop playback from triggering on connection.

For Mobile:

1. Make sure your Bluetooth device (headphones, car stereo, etc.) is connected.
2. Open the Settings app on your phone.
3. Tap on Sound or Sound & Vibration.
4. Look for Earphone Mode or a similar setting—this may vary by device.
5. Within those options, find Auto Play or similar.
6. Toggle the Auto Play switch off. It should turn gray when disabled.
7. Now, Spotify won't automatically start playing when you connect to Bluetooth.

3. Stop music from running in the background until you open the app again

Spotify can stay active in the background even when you're not using it. This can lead to unexpected playback and unnecessary battery drain. Turning off Spotify's background activity ensures the app only runs when you open it.

Many users find that managing Spotify's permissions helps a lot. You may need to limit or block background activity, Bluetooth control, or auto-start behavior. These options are typically found in your phone's app settings or battery optimization section, depending on your device and OS.

For Mobile:

1. Open your Android device's Settings app.
2. Tap Apps or App Management.
3. Find and tap Spotify from the list.
4. Tap Battery or Battery Usage.
5. Disable Allow Background Activity or similar.
6. The switch should be gray when it's off.
7. This limits Spotify to only run when opened manually.

4. Disable "Content & Privacy Restrictions" for automatic playback through CarPlay

If you use CarPlay or other connected systems, Spotify might start playing music automatically when you connect. To stop this, check your device's Content & Privacy Restrictions settings and make adjustments as needed. Disabling certain restrictions can prevent Spotify from launching automatically.

For iOS:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap Screen Time.
3. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
4. Select Allowed Apps.
5. Find CarPlay in the list.
6. Toggle CarPlay off—the switch should appear gray.
7. This helps stop Spotify from starting automatically when your phone connects to your car.

5. Prevent Spotify from automatically transferring playback between devices

Handoff allows you to switch your Spotify playback between devices—like from your phone to your laptop or tablet. But sometimes, it causes music to start on a device you didn't mean to use. You can stop this by turning off Handoff for Spotify, so playback stays on the device you started with.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Scroll down and tap General.
3. Select AirPlay & Handoff (or just Handoff, depending on your iOS version).
4. Toggle the Handoff switch off—it should appear gray.
5. This stops Spotify from automatically switching playback between Apple devices.

6. Log out of your Spotify account to reset playback control

If none of the settings changes work, logging out of Spotify can help reset playback behavior. Some users also find that logging out and then force-stopping the app helps prevent Spotify from auto-starting when Bluetooth connects. It's not the most convenient fix, but it can give you full control over playback.

For Desktop:

1. Open the Spotify app on your computer.
2. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner.
3. Select Log Out from the dropdown menu.
4. Close the app completely.
5. Reopen Spotify and log in only when you're ready to listen.

For Mobile:

1. Tap the Spotify app to open it.
2. Tap the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner.
3. Scroll down and tap Log Out at the bottom of the settings menu.
4. Confirm if prompted.
5. Close the app. Reopen and log in again only when needed.

7. Force stop the Spotify app to halt all background playback

If Spotify keeps playing music when you don't want it to, try force-stopping the app completely. This stops all background activity and prevents the app from launching or playing music until you manually open it again.

For Android:

1. Open the Settings app on your device.
2. Scroll down and tap Apps or App Management (depending on your device).
3. Find and tap Spotify in the list of installed apps.
4. Tap Force Stop or Stop at the bottom of the screen.
5. Confirm if prompted.
6. Spotify will now close completely and won't play until you open it again.

For iOS:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of your screen (or double-click the home button on older iPhones) to open the app switcher.
2. Locate Spotify and swipe up on the preview to close it.
3. This stops the app from running in the background until you open it again.

8. Prevent music from automatically playing on other devices when Spotify is open on one

Spotify Connect lets you control playback across multiple devices—like your phone, tablet, or smart speaker. But sometimes, music starts playing on a device you weren't expecting. You can turn off this behavior by disabling Spotify Connect or being careful not to leave sessions active on other devices.

For Desktop:

1. In the Spotify app, click the Devices icon (bottom-right corner).
2. Make sure your current device is selected.
3. If other devices are listed, click them and choose Disconnect to stop them from controlling playback.
4. Spotify will now only play on the device you're actively using.

For Mobile:

1. Tap the Devices Available icon at the bottom of your screen.
2. Confirm your current device is selected.
3. If other connected devices appear, tap and choose Disconnect to remove control from them.
4. This ensures playback stays on the device you're using.

9. Prevent AutoPlay from continuing to play similar songs

Spotify's AutoPlay feature continues playing similar songs after your selected content ends. This is useful if you want continuous music, but it can be frustrating if you prefer to choose what plays next. You can turn this off in Settings → Playback → Autoplay. Sometimes you may also need to clear the queue that AutoPlay creates.

Note: Disabling AutoPlay in the app only stops similar song playback after a playlist or album—it won't prevent Spotify from launching or playing automatically when Bluetooth connects.

For Desktop:

1. Open the Spotify app on your computer.
2. Click your profile picture in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
4. Scroll down to the Playback section.
5. Find the setting labeled Autoplay similar songs when your music ends.
6. Toggle the switch off—it should turn gray when disabled.
7. Close the Settings menu. Spotify will now stop playing suggested tracks automatically.

For Mobile:

1. Open the Spotify app on your phone or tablet.
2. Tap the Home icon at the bottom.
3. Tap the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner.
4. Scroll down to the Playback section.
5. Find Autoplay similar songs when your music ends.
6. Tap the switch to turn it off—it should no longer be green or active.
7. Go back to the Home screen. AutoPlay is now disabled.

10. Disable Smart Shuffle to prevent automatic additions to the queue

Smart Shuffle adds recommended songs to your playlists, which can change the order or vibe of what you planned to hear. If you prefer a more predictable queue, turn off Smart Shuffle to keep your playlist exactly how you created it—no surprises.

For Mobile:

1. Open the Spotify app on your phone or tablet.
2. Go to a playlist you've created.
3. Tap the shuffle icon once—it will cycle through regular Shuffle and Smart Shuffle.
4. Make sure the shuffle icon is green (not glowing) to keep Smart Shuffle off.
5. You can also tap again to turn off shuffle completely if you prefer playing in order.
6. Confirm that Spotify is no longer adding suggested songs to your playlist.

11. Turn off AI DJ to stop Spotify from picking music for you

Spotify's AI DJ chooses songs based on what you listen to. It's good for finding new music, but sometimes it plays songs you don't want. If you want to pick your own music, turn off AI DJ to stay in control.

For Desktop:

1. Open Spotify and go to your Library in the side menu.
2. Select any playlist, album, or song to play.
3. Click to begin playback.
4. This will override the AI DJ and return control to you.

For Mobile:

1. From the Home screen, tap the Music Feed at the top.
2. Select Music if not already shown.
3. If AI DJ is currently playing, choose any playlist, album, or song from your library.
4. Tap to start playback. The AI DJ will stop immediately.

Part 2. Best Alternative Ways to Stop Spotify from Automatically Playing

1. Download songs or playlists for offline use to have full control over your music

If you're having trouble playing Spotify in your car, we've got a solution for you. Let's talk about an easy way to enjoy Spotify in your car without any hassles like automatic playback.

Some folks found that the usual settings might not work as smoothly as they'd like. So, here's a simple workaround to play Spotify in your car without any issues.

You can download your Spotify music and turn it into files that can be played anywhere, like your car stereo. Using ViWizard Spotify Music Converter, you can grab all your favorite tunes from Spotify and change them into a format that any device can handle, like MP3. And guess what? You don't need a premium subscription for this – it's totally free.

Once you've converted your music, you can listen to it on any device you like – your car stereo, your phone, or your computer. For example, you can put these files on a USB drive and plug it straight into your car to start jamming out to your favorite tracks.

How to Play Spotify in Car with 6 Methods

This post provides the 6 most popular and easiest ways for you to play Spotify music songs in your car via a cable, Bluetooth, Android Auto, CarPlay, or external drive/CD.

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2. Set a sleep timer to automatically stop Spotify after a set time

If you enjoy listening to music before bed but don't want Spotify to keep playing all night, you can set a sleep timer. Using the Clock app on your iPhone, you can set a timer to stop Spotify (or any other media) automatically after a set time. This is great for those nights when you want the music to fade out without having to manually stop it.

For iOS:

1. Open the Clock app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap the Timer tab at the bottom.
3. Use the dial to set how long you want Spotify to play.
4. Tap When Timer Ends—you'll see a list of sounds.
5. Scroll all the way down and select Stop Playing.
6. Tap Set to confirm.
7. Now tap Start to begin the timer.
8. Let your music play while the timer runs.
9. When time's up, your device will stop playing Spotify (or any other media) automatically.

This is a built-in iOS feature, so it works with any music app—even if the app doesn't have its own sleep timer.

3. Create a custom Siri Shortcut to control when Spotify plays music

For even more control over your Spotify experience, you can set up a custom Siri Shortcut. This allows you to automate actions such as starting or stopping Spotify based on specific triggers, like when you connect to Bluetooth in your car or arrive at a particular location. This makes your Spotify experience more hands-free and personalized to your daily routine.

For iOS:

1. Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the Automation tab at the bottom.
3. Tap Create Personal Automation.
4. Choose App as your automation trigger.
5. Tap Next to continue.
6. From the app list, select Spotify (or any app that triggers auto-play like your car or Bluetooth app).
7. Tap Done after selecting the app.
8. Make sure Is Opened is checked, then tap Next.
9. Tap Add Action to choose what happens when the app opens.
10. In the search bar, type Play and select Play/Pause under the Media section.
11. Tap the word Play to change the action to Pause.
12. Your automation should now read: When Spotify is opened → Pause.
13. Tap Next to review the automation.
14. (Optional) Toggle on Ask Before Running if you want a pop-up before it triggers.
15. Tap Done to save it.

Now, every time you open Spotify, it will either pause automatically—or ask first, depending on your settings.