Spotify Family Plan Users Risk Losing Premium for a Year After QR Checks

Spotify is making it harder to share a Premium Family plan with people who live at different addresses. Some subscribers are now being asked to scan a QR code in person to prove they live in the same home as the person who pays for the plan.

The new checks have caught some users by surprise. If they fail to verify their address within seven days, they can lose Premium access and face a 12-month ban from joining another Family or Duo plan. However, some subscribers have already found a way around the new system.

Spotify's Family plan is meant for people who live at the same address. The company has had this rule for years, but it has not always enforced it in the same way.

Now, some members are receiving requests to confirm their home address again. The plan manager opens a QR code on their phone, and the other member must scan it with their own device.

The code changes every few seconds, so sending a screenshot is not enough. Both users need to take part in the check, and they have seven days to complete it after receiving the notice.

If a member misses the deadline or cannot pass the check, Spotify moves their account to the free tier. They can still listen to music, but they will have to deal with ads and lose their Premium benefits.

Losing Premium is only part of the problem. Spotify also says that members who fail the check cannot join another Family or Duo plan for 12 months. They can still pay for an individual Premium subscription.

This could cause problems for people who share a plan with parents, brothers, sisters or friends who live elsewhere. Even if they have used the same plan for years, they may now need to prove that they share a home.

The rule is clear, but the sudden checks may still frustrate long-time subscribers. Some people may have joined a shared plan without realising how strictly Spotify could enforce its household policy.

Some Spotify subscribers on Reddit say they have passed the check by sharing their screen between two devices. This lets one phone display the QR code while another scans it.

The method may not work for everyone, and Spotify could change how its checks work. For now, however, it shows that users are already looking for ways to keep their shared plans.

Spotify has tried to limit account sharing before, but the latest checks suggest it is taking a firmer approach. If you receive a verification request, make sure you read the notice and respond within seven days.

The bigger question is whether these checks will affect more users over time. For people who live together, the process should be simple. For those who share a plan across different homes, keeping Premium may soon become much harder.