How to fix Spotify not showing on lock screen iPhone (iOS 17)

Last Updated on Sep 5, 2023

Having a Spotify controller on your iPhone’s lock screen makes it handy to play/pause and skip track your Music. Hence, it can be nerve-racking when Spotify not showing on the lock screen iPhone. In this guide, we’ll introduce some troubleshooting tricks you need to perform to resolve the same. So let’s get started.   

Here are 11 ways to fix Spotify not showing on lock screen iPhone. We suggest performing each troubleshooting step without ignoring any one of them.

Solution#1. Turn on Permission for Spotify

One common reason Spotify is not showing on lock screen is you’ve turned off notification permissions for the Spotify app. Thus, the first thing you need to do is enable permission by following the steps below.

1. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone. 
2. Search and select Spotify.
3. Tap Notifications.

1. On the next screen, enable the toggle next to the Allow Notifications.
2. Below the Alert menu, check the box next to the Lock Screen. 

That’s It!

Solution#2. Turn on Lock Screen Widgets

Spotify music player may not show on your iPhone’s lock screen if you’ve turned off lock screen widgets. To cross-check it, follow the steps below.

1. Go to Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Search and select Face ID & Passcode.

3. Jot down the passcode.
4. On the next screen, enable the toggle next to Lock Screen Widgets.

Hopefully, turning on the lock screen widgets will resolve your problem.  

Solution#3. Unlink Focus Mode From Lock Screen

On iOS 16 & later versions, their is an option to link focus mode on iPhone’s lock screen. This feature seems useful for many users, but it can cause Spotify lock screen to stop working on your iPhone lock screen. 

So you must try unlinking focus mode from lock screen to make it work. For this, long press on your Lock Screen and then select Focus Profile located at the bottom. Hit on the linked profile to unlink from the lock screen. 

Note: If your iPhone isn’t showing lock screen controls for Spotify, hit on the lock screen album to reveal them.

Solution#4. Enable keep Spotify Open in Car Mode

Some aspects, like keep Spotify open in card mode and device lock screen in Spotify, enable you to listen to music when locking your iPhone. If such features are turned off, you can stick with Spotify not showing on lock screen of your iPhone. You try turning on such settings and then check for problems.

1. Go to Spotify App on your flagship.
2. Tap on Settings Gear Icon at the screen’s top right corner.

3. Choose Car under the devices section.
4. Turn toggle to the right side next to Keep Spotify Open.

Solution#5. Enable Devices Lock Screen in Spotify

1. Open Spotify app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on Settings Gear icon at the screen’s top right corner.

3. In the Settings menu, tap Devices.
4. Enable toggle next to the Devices Lock Screen. 

Solution#6. Allow Spotify Notifications in Do Not Disturb

1. Head to the Settings app.
2. Search and select Focus.

3. Hit Do Not Disturb.
4. Choose Apps

5. Allow Notifications From.
6. Tap Add Apps. 
7. Search for Spotify in the list of apps

8. Continue to hit Done.

Solution#7. Sign Out and Sign In

At times, there are chances where the issue lies within the Spotify account itself. Signing out and signing back in will resolve such a problem. Here’s how you can do it.

1. Open Spotify App on your iPhone.
2. Hit on the Gear Icon in the screen’s top right corner.
3. Go to Settings Menu.
4. Swipe down and tap Log Out. After this, restart your iPhone. 
5. Now, head back to the Spotify App and log in with the same credentials. 

That’s It!

Solution#8. Update Spotify App

Apps receive frequent updates for various reasons, such as fixing bugs, performance enhancement, adding new features, and more. At the same point, the main issue is most users, including myself, neglect updating apps.

This ultimately leads to incompatibility between an app & a device and causes issues, including Spotify not showing on lock screen iPhone. To solve this hitch, make sure Spotify app is updated to its latest version.

1. Open the App Store.
2. Go to Apple ID by clicking your image in the upper right corner. 
3. Here, you will find a list of apps; search for Spotify.
4. Tap on Update Button.

If there is a Spotify update available, move forward to next solution. 

Solution#9. Delete & Reinstall Spotify App

If their is no Spotify app update available, you can try reinstalling the application. Try deleting and reinstalling the Spotify app by following the steps below.

1. Long press on the Spotify App icon. 
2. Tap Remove App or the “– Minus” icon.

3. Hit Delete App, then select Delete for further confirmation.
4. Tap Done.

5. Wait for a while, then navigate to the App Store.
6. Search for Spotify App in the search bar.
7. At last, hit the down arrow with the cloud icon button. 

Solution#10. Update iOS

If still Spotify controls not showing on lock screen, there’s a good chance an operating system will fix it. So, ensure your iPhone is updated to its latest iOS version. For this, please read our guide on how to update iPhone. 

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Search and select General.
3. Tap Software Update.
4. Now, let your iPhone load a new update. 
5. If available, tap Download & Install. 

Final Thought!

If the issue continues on your iPhone even after performing the abovementioned solution, then it’s time to contact Apple Support Team. Report the issue to the team, and they will offer you a solution accordingly.