Spotify’s Android update keeps playing music after Google Alarms are dismissed

A recent update to the Android Spotify app is causing issues with alarms set using the Google Clock app, according to 9to5Google. The Clock app is the default for alarms, timers, etc. for Pixel users who have largely reported this new bug in a Reddit thread. If users connect their Spotify account to their alarm, the alarm rings normally, but the song will begin playing again like a skipping CD/record in approximately three minutes. When you open Spotify, the time marker is moving, but the app indicates that the song is paused.

Who’s affected? — The thread seems concentrated on Pixel phones, but having the Clock app as the phone’s default is likely contributing to the bug's prevalence. I confirmed the bug on my Pixel 3a running the affected Spotify version (8.5.43.724), but a Samsung Galaxy 9+ running the same version operated normally. In the Reddit thread, however, a Galaxy 8 and OnePlus 7T also experienced the glitchy alarms.

Reddit user, Deedlebagger, shared a video documenting the phenomenon:

What you can do — While waiting for a fix, you can use the default tones or connect to YouTube Music or Pandora. These other alarm methods seem unaffected by the app update. Users also report restarting their phone stops the phenomenon, at least temporarily. If you haven’t automatically updated to the latest version of Spotify, 9to5Google confirmed that older versions are also unaffected.