Spotify brings Android widget back to its music app

Spotify pulled the widget from its Android music streaming app last month, but that absence will likely be short-lived. The Swedish company announces that it will return the widget.

Spotify says on its forum that the widget will be restored in the Android app, although it does not report when exactly that will happen. The company is talking about an “upcoming release on Android” and says it has made some improvements that should improve the performance and visuals of the Android widget.

Users reacted mostly negatively to the removal of the widget. According to many, this step means that operating the music app requires more actions, because the notification drawer must be used instead of the widget. Spotify’s competitors, such as Google Play Music, Apple Music, Tidal and Soundcloud, all have an Android widget in addition to notification controls.

Spotify decided in the middle of last month to remove the playback widget from the Android app. The Swedish music streaming service was of the opinion that it did not add enough besides the persistent notification in the notification drawer, where the same information and buttons can be found. Spotify doesn’t say why it’s retracing its steps now, but that’s probably related to the heavy criticism of its earlier removal; the company says it has heard the feedback.