Spotify revamps tired iOS app with improved UI and faster navigation

Spotify revamps tired iOS app with improved UI and faster navigation
Spot(ify) the difference

Music streaming service Spotify has issued a major update to its app for iOS devices, bringing a revamped user interface and easier, faster navigation for subscribers.

The app's look and feel hadn't altered much since its introduction back in September 2009, but today's update brings a very welcome sidebar navigation tool similar to the UI employed on Spotify's Android app.

Swiping from left to right now brings up the Search, Playlists, and Radio portions of the app, which had previously sat at the foot of the screen. The features sit alongside What's New, Friends, Inbox and Settings tabs.

Version 0.60, as it's been coined, also brings a neat Now Playing title bar, which resides at the bottom of the screen when browsing the app, meaning users are able to see what's playing at all times.

Annoying bugs also fixed

From the Title Bar users can swipe left or right to move back or forward a song, pause and restart, and can also drag up to launch other the full cover art and other playback options.

Users can then tap the cover art for the options to Scan, Share, Star, Add To Playlist or Start Radio from a particular track as well as Shuffle, Repeat or adjust the volume.

Each track listed within search results is now accompanied by a "..." button, which prompts a revamped Track Menu, allowing users to perform much of the above functionality without actually playing the track.

A minor pet peeve of ours previously was actually having to play a track before we could add it to a playlist.

Zippier

Although the release notes do not mention it, the new Spotify update is definitely zippier than its predecessor. Navigation is faster, while custom radio stations begin playing almost instantly.

There's also fixes for a host of annoying little bugs that had plagued the user experience on previous versions.

The app will no longer display a pesky "track won't play offline" notification on start-up, and the correct current track will also appear in the lockscreen.

The update is available to download from the App Store now.

Via TechCrunch

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.

Latest in Software & Services
TinEye website
I like this reverse image search service the most
A person in a wheelchair working at a computer.
Here’s a free way to find long lost relatives and friends
A white woman with long brown hair in a ponytail looks down at her computer in a distressed manner. She is holding her forehead with one hand and a credit card with the other
This people search finder covers all the bases, but it's not perfect
That's Them home page
Is That's Them worth it? My honest review
woman listening to computer
AWS vs Azure: choosing the right platform to maximize your company's investment
A person at a desktop computer working on spreadsheet tables.
Trello vs Jira: which project management solution is best for you?
Latest in News
Hisense U8 series TV on wall in living room
Hisense announces 2025 mini-LED TV lineup, with screen sizes up to 100 inches – and a surprising smart TV switch
Nintendo Music teaser art
Nintendo Music expands its library with songs from Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Tetris
An image of Pro-Ject's Flatten it closed and opened
Pro-Ject’s new vinyl flattener will fix any warped LPs you inadvertently buy on Record Store Day
The iPhone 16 Pro on a grey background
iPhone 17 Pro tipped to get 8K video recording – but I want these 3 video features instead
EA Sports F1 25 promotional image featuring drivers Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman.
F1 25 has been officially announced, with this year's entry marking a return for Braking Point and a 'significant overhaul' for My Team mode
Garmin clippd integration
Garmin's golf watches just got a big software integration upgrade to help you improve your game