Spotify is giving the iPad app a proper tablet rewrite, not just a stretched-up phone UI. The new version brings a smarter layout for browsing, navigation, and video, with Spotify saying the goal is to make listening, watching, and discovery feel more natural on larger screens. The redesign is rolling out to iPad and Android tablets.
The rollout also covers Android tablets, which makes this less of an Apple-only tweak and more of a broad cleanup for a category that has too often been treated like an afterthought. That matters because tablet apps live or die on whether they use the extra space well; nobody buys a bigger screen just to see the same cramped controls in slightly higher resolution.
Spotify tablet redesign adds four key features
Spotify says the update is built around four changes. Some are cosmetic, some are the kind of basic usability fixes that should have arrived sooner, but all of them are aimed at making the app feel less like mobile software wearing oversized shoes.
- Adaptive orientation: the interface reconfigures as you switch between portrait and landscape instead of simply resizing.
- A collapsible sidebar: browse and discover alongside playback, or expand it for a deeper view.
- An enhanced video experience: the ”Switch to Video” toggle is now easier to find.
- Parallel browsing: keep music or video playing while you explore recommendations or your library on the other side of the screen.
Why Spotify is leaning into tablets now
Spotify says the update is designed to take advantage of the extra screen real estate instead of merely scaling up phone components. That is the right move, and long overdue: tablet users want split-view-style multitasking, not a giant copy of a tiny interface. Spotify also says improvements made to mobile can now reach tablet users faster, which is a neat way of saying the company wants one design system to do more work.
The redesign arrives after a run of smaller Spotify changes, including the option to disable video, playlist-flow tweaks, and controls for recommendations. Put together, they show a company trying to smooth out the product experience rather than chasing splashy new features for the headline.
What iPad users will notice first
The biggest win here is the split-screen style browsing flow: playback stays visible while discovery happens beside it. If Spotify can keep that behavior fast and predictable, the iPad app should finally feel built for the device instead of merely tolerated on it. The real test is whether users keep the sidebar open, or collapse it the moment it starts getting in the way.