Spotify Wants Some Family Plan Members to Prove They Live Together

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Follow on Google Discover Spotify is asking some Premium Family plan members to verify that they live with the person managing their subscription. The check involves scanning a changing QR code in person, and members have seven days to complete it after receiving a notification. A Threads post from androidadepts has brought Spotify’s latest Family plan verification checks into the spotlight.

Some users have also reported receiving similar prompts on Reddit, as Android Authority notes . So, what’s this QR code check all about, and what happens if you don’t pass it? Spotify’s support page has the answers.

11 days left SammyGuru October 2026 Giveaway Smartwatch of your choice, up to $499 4,666 entries so far. Enter free → How Spotify’s QR code verification works According to Spotify’s verification guide , the plan manager and member must be in the same place and have the latest version of the mobile app.

Here’s how the process works: The plan manager taps their profile picture, opens Your Premium , and selects Manage to display the code. The member scans the code using their own phone’s camera. The member must complete verification within seven days of receiving the notification.

The QR code refreshes every few seconds. If address verification fails, Spotify says the member’s account moves to the Free plan, and they can’t join another Family or Duo plan for 12 months. However, Spotify’s guidance also says members can rejoin the same plan, so this isn’t a blanket 12-month ban from Spotify’s paid plans.

Which accounts and countries are affected? Spotify’s guidance specifically mentions some Premium Family members. It doesn’t establish that the same QR code requirement applies to every Duo subscriber or to Individual, Student, Basic Family, or children’s managed accounts.

Both the US support page and the UK version describe the process. Neither gives a country-by-country rollout list, a start date or a timetable for checking everyone. Having localised instructions isn’t confirmation that every account in those markets is receiving a prompt.

There are older user reports of changing QR checks , including comments from people identifying themselves as being in the Netherlands and Spain. Those are anecdotal reports, rather than an official market list, and they predate this week’s coverage. Spotify already requires members of household subscriptions to live at the same address.

Its paid subscription terms allow the company to re-verify members’ addresses. Being related to the plan manager isn’t enough if you live somewhere else. Spotify’s Premium Family plan supports up to six family members living together, with each person getting their own account.

The QR code check is a way to verify eligibility for the existing plan, rather than a new household rule. Spotify hasn’t published a comprehensive list of the countries or accounts that will receive these prompts.