Spotify recently removed the widget from it’s Android app, and this really ticks me off. No warning, no notification whatsoever, they just took it out. So when my phone updated the app the other day, my widget on my home screen stopped working and the controls disappeared. After a bit of frustration troubleshooting the issue, I searched the web and found this article:

https://www.slashgear.com/spotify-retires-its-android-widget-for-some-reason-13587148

So it wasn’t a mistake, they took it out with no notice or explanation whatsoever and have no plans to put it back in. After reading this I am very frustrated, and now I’m talking a much closer look at Tidal. Tidal’s app still has a widget, but it also has 20 million more songs than Spotify. Spotify sits at 40 million tracks, Tidal at 60 million. Sheesh, I remember when 20 million was ALL that Spotify had. Anyway, Tidal also offers a “Hi-Fi” option, which provides much better quality tracks than Spotify, for those really picky audiophiles. It costs more, but at least it’s an option Spotify doesn’t have.

I was on a Family Plan with Spotify, so I’ll do a trial of Tidal’s Family Plan and I’ll have Kevin try it out too. Tidal really looks like a serious contender, and I think Spotify just made a huge mistake pulling the widget from their Android app. This could result in a lot of users switching to something else!