To turn off shuffle on Spotify, tap the shuffle control on the Now Playing screen until it is off if you have a Premium account; Free users cannot disable shuffle for most music on mobile, with the exception of some Spotify-curated playlists.
How to turn off shuffle on Spotify with Premium
- Open a playlist, album, or track and go to Now Playing.
- Tap the shuffle control until it is off.
- If Smart Shuffle is on, tap your profile picture, then Settings and privacy, then Playback, and turn off Include Smart Shuffle in play modes.
These steps apply to both iPhone and Android using the Spotify mobile app. The same control path is used for turning off shuffle on the Now Playing screen, and the same setting disables Smart Shuffle. On desktop, use Cmd+S for Mac or Ctrl+S for Windows to toggle shuffle.
How to turn off shuffle on Spotify Free
Spotify’s support documentation confirms that Free accounts cannot choose playback order for most music on mobile; shuffle control is a Premium feature for regular album and playlist play. The documented exceptions are some Spotify-curated collections such as Made for you and Daily Mixes, where non-shuffled listening may be available. No workaround for ordinary music playback on mobile is documented for Free users.
How to find shuffle-free playlists on Spotify Free
Shuffle-free playlists on Spotify Free can be identified by the absence of the shuffle icon on the green play button. When you see a playlist that shows a tracklist and the play button does not have a shuffle symbol, you can play songs in order. These are typically Spotify-curated playlists like Made for you and Daily Mixes, which are generated based on your listening habits. Specific named shuffle-free playlists include Release Radar and Discover Weekly. Checking your homepage for playlists without the shuffle icon on the play button is the way to find them.
Spotify’s strength in song recommendation and music discovery is part of why these curated playlists exist, and they give Free users a taste of in-order playback. Using these playlists is the only documented way to listen without shuffle on a Free account, making it a key workaround when you want to hear tracks in their intended sequence rather than randomly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off shuffle on Spotify desktop with a Free account?
Spotify’s official support documentation does not provide a separate desktop help page for turning off shuffle, and no desktop workaround is documented for Free accounts. The mobile-app limitations apply to desktop as well.
Why does Spotify keep turning shuffle back on?
If shuffle reactivates after you turn it off, it may be due to Smart Shuffle being enabled. Check your Playback settings and turn off Include Smart Shuffle in play modes to prevent this. If someone else is using your account or the app is glitching, sign out everywhere to stop unwanted shuffle behavior. Performance issues that cause shuffle to stick can be resolved by clearing the Spotify cache: on iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Spotify > Delete App, then reinstall; on Android, go to Settings > Storage > Apps (or Other Apps on Android 11 and earlier) > Spotify > Clear Cache.
Does Spotify’s shuffle algorithm play certain songs more often?
No official Spotify help page documents whether the shuffle algorithm is biased or how it works. User reports vary, but Spotify’s documented focus is on music discovery through curated playlists.
Can I listen to albums in order on Spotify Free?
No. Spotify Free accounts cannot choose playback order for most music on mobile, including albums. The only exception is some Spotify-curated playlists like Made for you and Daily Mixes.
How do I know if a playlist allows in-order playback on Spotify Free?
Look for playlists where the green play button does not have a shuffle icon on it. If the icon is missing and you can see a tracklist, you can play the songs in order without shuffle.
For the wider topic, see Spotify mobile features.
