Why isn’t Shuffle shuffling properly?

Spotify Legend




Sometimes, we see reports from users that Spotify isn’t shuffling properly.


In 2016, we made some improvements to our shuffle algorithm that were set as default for all users. We appreciate the feedback we’ve received since then, and we still continue to pass your thoughts on to our developers.

Occasionally, there are some cases where the Shuffle function genuinely isn’t working for individual users. We have a few troubleshooting steps and threads related to those issues.


Troubleshooting certain types of Shuffle function


A few of you are experiencing only the top tracks in a playlist shuffling or playing when using Connect. This has already been reported here. We’d recommend adding your vote so we can track the number of users reporting this while it’s being investigated.


If you're not using Connect, we’d suggest trying the following steps on a desktop device:


  • Make sure that Shuffle isn’t enabled.
  • Go to any playlist and click Play.
  • Whilst playing, go to your Queue.
  • Click Shuffle on and off. Each time, check for any true duplicates or similar combinations. 

If you can’t find any duplicates or similar combinations of tracks lining up in the queue, the Shuffle function is performing normally.