To turn off shuffle on Spotify, select the crossed-arrows Shuffle button until it is inactive, cycling past Smart Shuffle when necessary. On Premium for iPhone and Android, tap the Now Playing bar to reach that button. The inactive mobile icon has neither the green indicator nor the Smart Shuffle sparkle.
Your subscription and playback device affect which controls you can use. Free mobile does not offer unrestricted shuffle-off playback, so the mobile steps below apply to Premium. In the desktop app, Free and Premium listeners can turn shuffle off when playback permits it.
The short version
- Phone or tablet: With Premium, open Now Playing and tap Shuffle until its icon is inactive.
- Desktop: Where playback permits, click Shuffle in the playback bar until the crossed arrows appear gray.
- Smart Shuffle: Removing it from play modes still leaves ordinary Shuffle to turn off separately.
- Free mobile: Unrestricted shuffle-off playback is not offered on this tier.
| Place or option | What to use | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Phone playback screen | Shuffle in Now Playing | Premium on iPhone and Android |
| Tablet playback screen | Album artwork, then Shuffle | Premium tablet app |
| Playlist, album or artist page | The page’s Shuffle control | Screens displaying it, with Premium required for unrestricted mobile control |
| Mobile play modes | Include Smart Shuffle in play modes | Premium mobile, with ordinary shuffle controlled separately |
| Desktop playback bar | Crossed arrows beside the previous-track button | Free and Premium where playback permits |
| Desktop play modes | Include Smart Shuffle in play modes | Premium desktop, with ordinary shuffle controlled separately |
| Keyboard shortcut | Ctrl + S on Windows or Option/Alt + S on Mac | Desktop app and desktop web player on Windows and macOS |
| Mobile queue | Shuffle in Play Queue | Premium mobile with redesigned queue controls |
| Spotify Connect | The controlling app’s Shuffle button | Compatible receivers, subject to device and subscription restrictions |
| Sonos mobile app | Shuffle at the top of Queue | iOS and Android with Spotify music playing through the Sonos queue |
| Sonos web app | Shuffle in the bottom playback controls | Spotify playback through Sonos |
| Sonos Controller | Shuffle in the top Now Playing controls | Sonos Controller for macOS and Windows |
| Authorized integration | A playback shuffle-off request | Premium with an authorized Web API integration |
| Current app download | Spotify’s official download page | Preparation when an older installation lacks a documented control |
Turn off shuffle on iPhone or Android
In the Spotify Premium app, tap the Now Playing bar to open the playback view. Find the crossed-arrows Shuffle icon and tap it until it becomes inactive. Keep cycling if you reach Smart Shuffle, which has a sparkle, instead of the off state. Check that neither the green indicator nor the sparkle remains.
The redesigned Premium mobile queue provides another place to change the mode. Open Now Playing, tap the Play Queue icon at the bottom, then use its Shuffle control to select the inactive mode. If your queue does not have the redesigned controls, use the Shuffle button in Now Playing.
Use the tablet playback view
On a tablet with Spotify Premium, tap the album artwork in the side menu to open Now Playing. Tap Shuffle until the inactive icon appears.
Turn off shuffle on your computer
In the Spotify desktop app, find the Now Playing bar and click the crossed-arrows Shuffle icon to the left of the previous-track button. Continue until the icon appears gray. When Smart Shuffle is included among the modes, cycle through it to reach the off state.
A keyboard shortcut also works in the desktop app and desktop web player on Windows and macOS. Focus Spotify, then press Ctrl + S on Windows or Option/Alt + S on Mac. Check that Shuffle is inactive afterward, because the shortcut toggles the mode.
Browser handling can differ, so use the client’s shortcut list if the key combination does not behave as expected. Press Ctrl + \ on Windows or Command + \ on Mac to inspect the supported shortcuts. Follow the combination shown by your client and check the shuffle state again.
Use the control on a playlist or album
A playlist, album or artist profile can also display its own Shuffle control. Open that page and select the icon until it is inactive. On Premium playlists, cycle past Smart Shuffle when it is among the available modes.
When the page does not show the control, use the playback controls described for your device instead. On Free mobile, a page-level control does not provide unrestricted shuffle-off playback.
Remove Smart Shuffle from your play modes
Premium lets you remove Smart Shuffle from the modes you cycle through. On mobile, tap your profile picture, then open Settings and privacy > Playback. Turn off Include Smart Shuffle in play modes.
For the Premium desktop app, click your profile picture at the top right and open Settings. Scroll to Playback, then turn off Include Smart Shuffle in play modes. After changing either setting, turn ordinary Shuffle off separately in the playback controls to play tracks in order.
Control shuffle on speakers and Sonos
For a compatible Spotify Connect speaker, TV, computer or other receiver, open Spotify and start playback. Select the device icon at the bottom and choose the playback device. Use the controlling app’s Shuffle button to select the inactive mode. The receiving device’s restrictions and your subscription still apply.
When Spotify music is playing through the Sonos queue, you can change the mode in Sonos itself. In the Sonos app for iOS or Android, open Now Playing > Queue. Select the active Shuffle button at the top to turn it off.
In the Sonos web app, find the playback controls along the bottom and select the active Shuffle button to switch it off. In Sonos Controller for macOS or Windows, find the Now Playing controls at the top and select the active Shuffle button.
Fix a missing shuffle control
First, match the instructions to your subscription and the app you are using. The phone and tablet steps require Premium, and the queue route specifically requires the redesigned Premium mobile controls. If those queue controls are missing, return to Now Playing and use its Shuffle button.
If an older Spotify installation is missing a documented control, get the current app from Spotify’s official download page. Installing or updating is preparation, so return to the playback controls afterward and turn Shuffle off. An update itself does not switch the playback mode.
Turn off shuffle through an authorized integration
If you use an authorized Web API integration with Spotify Premium, it can send a PUT request to Spotify’s playback shuffle endpoint with state=false. The request requires the user-modify-playback-state OAuth scope. Supply device_id to target a particular device, or omit it to control the active device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does tapping a song turn off shuffle?
Selecting a song while shuffling can play that song next without reshuffling the queue. Use the Shuffle control to turn the mode off.
Why do older instructions tell you to disable Enhance?
Spotify replaced Enhance with Smart Shuffle on Premium for iPhone and Android. Use the current Shuffle button or the Smart Shuffle setting instead of looking for Enhance.
Do you need the same Wi-Fi network to set up a Spotify Connect speaker?
Yes, initial Spotify Connect speaker setup requires both devices to be on the same Wi-Fi network. Playback remains subject to the receiving device’s restrictions and your subscription.
Can an integration enforce an account-wide shuffle policy?
No, Spotify’s playback shuffle API is an automation mechanism, not an account-wide administrative policy. You can use it to control playback on Spotify clients or Connect devices with Premium.