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How to Make Spotify Default Music Player on iPhone, Android, Windows & Mac

Photo by Pankaj Patel / Unsplash

Among all popular streaming platforms (which is about five), Spotify takes the lead with its extensive collection of songs, genres, precise recommendation algorithm, podcasts, and playlists catering to diverse tastes. While all our devices, be it smartphones or laptops, come equipped with default music players, the alluring content and user-friendly interface of Spotify often prompt users to make the switch.

In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to effortlessly make Spotify your default music player on various platforms—iPhones, Android devices, Windows PCs, and Mac computers.

Can you make Spotify a default music player on Android?

Yes. Making Spotify your default music player on Android is still an option, even though recent updates to the mobile operating system have introduced some changes to the process. The new key lies in configuring Spotify as the default music player within Google Assistant, Android's built-in voice assistant. Alternatively, you can do that within your phone's settings.

Let's walk you through this to ensure your music seamlessly streams from Spotify with just a voice command.

How to make Spotify your default music player on Android

Option #1. Use the settings

  1. Open the Settings on your Android phone.
  2. Hit Apps or Apps & notifications.
  3. Click Advanced and then tap the Default apps.
  4. From the Default apps page, enter "music" in the search box, then tap Music.
  5. From the next page that opens, tap Spotify and follow the on-screen instructions to set Spotify as your default music player.

Depending on the version of your Android OS, the steps might be slightly different,  such as this:

Settings → Apps → Assistant → See all assistant settings → Music, and choose Spotify.

Option #2. Use Google Assistant

Another way is to use the built-in Google Assistant on your Android to set Spotify as a default music player.

  1. Touch and hold the Home button on your smartphone or simply say "Hey Google" to open Google Assistant.
  2. Click your profile icon at the top right corner to open the Settings.
  3. Scroll down and hit Music.
  4. Choose Spotify to make it the default application of your device.
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See also: How to block a song on Spotify

Can you set Spotify as a default music player on iPhone?

As of now, Apple hasn't rolled out an official setting to make Spotify as a go-to music player on your iPhone. But there's a workaround that lets you school Siri on your music preferences, teaching it to play your favourite tunes on Spotify instead of Apple Music.

How to make Spotify a default music player on iPhone

Note: make sure your device is running iOS 15 or later or update your iPhone.

  1. Open Settings and click Siri and Search (Siri should be enabled).
  2. Say "Hey Siri" to activate it, then ask it to "Play some music". You’ll see a list of apps (Apple Music, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.).
  3. Choose Spotify from the list. Hit OK to let Siri access your Spotify data.

Can you make Spotify a default music player on Windows?

On Windows 10, Groove Music is the default music player, leaving Spotify enthusiasts to ponder if there's a way to swap in their favorite music app. While changing the default app to VLC media player or Windows Media Player is a breeze, setting Spotify as the default music player on Windows 10 isn't that easy.

Even if you follow the standard steps to change your default music player, Spotify is not on the list. But you can try this:

  1. From the bottom-left corner, open the Start menu and head over to Settings.
  2. Enter Set a default app and hit the option.
  3. Type a file type, such as .mp3 or .flac. You'll see the default player, so click on it.
  4. From the list that opens, choose Spotify and press Set default.

Now, Spotify your default music player to play mp3 files. You can repeat these steps to set Spotify to automatically open other audio types.

How to make Spotify a default music player on Mac

The workaround is quite similar to what we wrote for Windows:

  1. Place the audio file in your Finder and right-click it to open Get Info.
  2. Tap on it and select Open with.
  3. Click your current default player and select Other.
  4. Choose Spotify as the player and tap Change All.

After that, all audio files with the same format will be played with Spotify.

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