Spotify’s ‘QR code verification’ cracks down on Family Sharing

Spotify is rolling out a new method to crack down on family plan sharing, with “QR code verification,” which isn’t particularly difficult to bypass, but has major consequences if you miss the window.

Crackdowns on passwords and/or account sharing have become very common in the world of streaming subscriptions, and Spotify is now trying a new method to limit the use of its Family plan with a new method: QR code verification.

Spotify details this on a support page, explaining that Family plan members may need to “verify that they live with the plan manager by scanning a QR code.” The code appears on the plan manager’s device and is scannable following a pop-up that appears on the plan members’ device.

Spotify explains the process:

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1. The plan manager opens the QR code on their phone. Find it by tapping your profile picture, then Your bonusSO Manage.
2. The plan participant scans the QR code with their phone’s camera.
3. The manager and member must be in the same location to complete the analysis.

Users on Reddit spotted this deployment, adding that the QR code changes “every few seconds.” This makes it more difficult to use a screenshot of the page to complete the process. Some quickly discovered that by using multiple devices and video calls, they could bypass the process.

Spotify says users have a 7-day window from when the QR code prompt first appears to complete the verification process. Spotify’s Family plan terms require users to live in the same household.

If you miss the 7 day deadline to scan the QR code, there are serious consequences. Spotify says users who miss the window “cannot join another Family or Duo plan for 12 months” but can still sign up for their own Individual plan. Otherwise, they are automatically redirected to the free plan as soon as the window closes.

Plan participants have 7 days to complete the QR code scanning after receiving the notification.

If a member misses the window or cannot complete the check:

• They cannot subscribe to another Family or Duo plan for 12 months.
• They can choose a different plan at www.spotify.com/premium

The same 12-month sharing ban is imposed on address controls that Spotify has used in the past, but the QR code method is significantly harder to circumvent.

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