How to Control Spotify with Siri

Siri can be used to control a whole lot more than just Apple’s devices, apps, and services. One such third-party service is the Spotify iOS app, which just recently began testing Siri support for some users.

The catch here is that you need to have upgraded your iOS device to iOS 13.1 and you have to be using the latest beta version of the Spotify app in order for Siri to control it. Most folks have probably installed the iOS 13.1 update at this point, but just in case you haven’t you can download it by going to Settings > General > Software Update on your iPhone.

As for getting the latest Spotify beta app, you can opt into the Testflight program via the App Store—though, fair warning, it’s a limited beta and only a select number of testers are allowed in at a time.

For those in the Spotify beta, using the basic “Hey, Siri” command will call up the digital assistant, which you can then ask to look up a song, album, or artist on Spotify—though just be sure you clearly ask for Siri to look “on Spotify,” otherwise you’ll get results from elsewhere like Apple Music or Safari.

While it’s great to see Spotify finally moving toward Siri support, there are some limitations. Currently, you can only use Siri with Spotify on iPhones running iOS 13.1—either directly through the phone or with a pair of AirPods—but not in the Spotify apps for HomePod or Apple Watch. Furthermore, you can only use Siri to look up music on Spotify, not podcasts.

These are understandable shortcomings considering the feature is still in the testing phase, but worth pointing out nonetheless. As we always say, beta software can be buggy and unstable, but you can always use the above link to opt out of the Spotify beta if you’re encountering issues.

Whether you skip the beta or simply don’t get in, Siri support should be available in the full-release version of Spotify soon, hopefully with a wider array of supported devices, commands, and content.

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