Spotify is among the most popular streaming services in the world today. Animations are a core part of the Spotify experience, though there’s no denying that it’s not for everyone. Currently, reducing animations in the Spotify app requires a system-level change from the Android accessibility settings. Thankfully, that may change in a future update.
Looking into version 9.1.6.1124 of the Spotify app, Android Authority uncovered a couple of strings that point to a brand-new toggle to disable in-app animations. The text attached to this upcoming “Reduce animations” toggle says it “disables various autoplaying animations that can be distracting.”
A useful setting to get rid of irritating animations
While this code specifically references distractions, some of these animations can also have a negative impact on people with vestibular disorders, with the potential to cause migraines, seizures, or dizziness in some individuals. So this upcoming toggle will achieve a lot more than just helping avoid distractions.
Unfortunately, this is all we know about the feature at the moment. Exactly where it will fit in the Settings menu, and the extent to which it will block these animations, are currently unknown. Since we have only a couple of code strings and not much else, it would be premature to set a rollout date for this Reduce animations toggle. But we hope it rolls out soon, as it could significantly enhance the Spotify experience for some users.
In its current form, reducing animations on Spotify can be achieved by going into Settings > Accessibility > Color & motion > Remove animations (on Pixel phones), or by manually adjusting animation metrics in Developer options. The presence of a built-in toggle within the app will help users avoid that system-wide change for an issue that may be limited to a single app.
This new development comes as Spotify recently rolled out music videos to Premium subscribers in the US and Canada, albeit in beta. Separately, the streaming juggernaut is also testing out an AI-powered Prompted Playlists feature that lets users describe what they want to hear with a text prompt, along with other controls. This is separate from the app’s existing AI Playlist feature, which also pulls up songs based on a text prompt.
In the meantime, US subscribers of Spotify Premium may see a price bump early next year after the company resisted a price increase all year. For reference, Spotify last hiked the price of Premium in the US by $1 in June 2024, suggesting a similar price bump is on the horizon for 2026.
