Spotify's Family plan now asks some members to scan a QR code

Spotify's support page describes a new check. Some Family members get a notification asking them to verify that they live with the plan manager.

The manager opens a QR code on their own phone. The member scans it with theirs. That's the whole check, and it only works in the mobile app.

TechCrunch says the code appears on the manager's phone, and the member scans it with their own. Spotify tells people to make sure both phones run the latest app version.

9to5Google spells out the path. The plan manager taps their profile picture, then Your Premium, then Manage, and the QR code is there.

The member points their phone camera at it. Nothing is typed, and no address is entered during the scan itself.

That makes the check quick for people who share a roof. A family at the same kitchen table can finish it in under a minute.

This isn't a new rule. 9to5Google quotes the Family plan terms, which say the primary account holder and the other account holders must be family members residing at the same address.

So the QR code is a new way to check an old requirement. TechCrunch makes the same point: the aim is to stop adult children or friends who live apart from getting a cheaper plan by splitting a Family subscription.

9to5Google adds that 12-month limits on joining other plans already applied to Spotify's earlier address checks. What's new is the QR method, which asks for proof that two people are in the same place at once.

Once the notification arrives, the member has seven days to finish the scan. Both people need to be in the same place at the same time.

Spotify also says the code changes every few seconds. That means scanning it in person is the point: a saved picture of the code goes stale almost at once.

In real life Say your sister is on your Family plan and lives in another city. A notification lands on her phone on Monday. She has until next Monday to be next to you, with both phones out.

If the check fails or the week runs out, the member loses access to the Family plan and switches to the free version of Spotify.

There is a second penalty. The member can't join any other Family or Duo plan for 12 months from the date verification failed. TechCrunch notes that the member would have to move to an individual plan they pay for themselves.

Engadget puts numbers on the gap. An individual subscription costs $13 a month, while a Family plan that covers up to six accounts costs $22.

The catch: a family member who is away for more than a week when the notice arrives has a real problem. Spotify's support page doesn't describe an extension.

Yes, though the two are cousins. Spotify's support page says Family members already have to give their full address in three cases:

• When joining: the member enters an address as part of joining the plan.
• When the manager moves: if the manager changes their address, members verify again.
• When Spotify can't confirm: if the company can't confirm an address, it asks again.

When an address check fails, Spotify sends an email asking for reverification within seven days. If the member does it, they keep Premium Family access. If not, they drop to the free version.

One difference stands out. After a failed address check, the member can rejoin the same Family or Duo plan, but not a different one for 12 months. Spotify's QR section is quieter about the details.

Addresses also have to be in the same country as the payment method's origin, according to the same page. If autocomplete doesn't find a home, members can enter the full address and pick their building, street or a nearby public space.

9to5Google reported the rollout on October 19, citing users on Reddit. Engadget says users claimed the codes refresh every few seconds, and that some tried video calls on extra devices to scan them from far away.

That workaround is a Reddit claim, not something Spotify confirmed. Spotify's own page just says to scan the code in person.

Engadget also notes that streaming companies have been tightening shared accounts for years. It points to family plans, and to extra fees for people who don't live with the account holder. Even Strava has a family plan now, the outlet adds.

On Thursday's third-quarter earnings call, an investor asked about the change. Co-CEO Alex Norström pushed back on the word.

"This is not as much a crackdown as it is actually a routine improvement of our verification methods for our Family Plan," he said, according to Engadget.

He added that the Family plan has existed for about 12 or 13 years and makes up "a pretty significant proportion" of the subscriber base, as TechCrunch quotes him. He said there are ways, over time, to find holes in verification, and that Spotify improves it as that happens.

Norström said the work has no end date: "This is not an implementation that is going to complete. This is just ongoing routine."

Why it matters: TechCrunch frames the goal as pushing more people toward their own Premium plans, instead of splitting one Family subscription across separate homes. Spotify itself described it only as better verification.

Spotify hasn't said which countries are seeing the QR check, or how it picks which members to ask. The support page says only that it may ask "some" members.

The page also doesn't say what happens to a member who is traveling when the notice arrives. Those are the questions most readers will have.

Until Spotify answers, the safest assumption is simple: if you share a Family plan, the plan is meant for people who live together. The rest is the company's call.

• Living together: if you share a home with the plan manager, the check should take a minute. Update the app first.
• Living apart: you may get a notification, and you have seven days. Talk to the plan manager now.
• Travelers: if you're away for a week or more, tell the manager ahead of time, since both of you must scan together.
• Alternatives: Spotify points members who can't verify toward their own individual Premium plan.