The Spotify app on your iPhone has something called “Stranger Things Mode” that ties in with the popular Netflix show. By activating this mode and listening to a compatible album on Spotify, the screen will change to appear as though you are in the “Upside Down” realm from the show.
Our tutorial below will show you where to find this setting in the Spotify app on your iPhone. We also provide a link to an album in Spotify where you can see what Stranger Things mode looks like. Some users appear to have trouble getting this to work, so it’s possible that it’s a little buggy on certain devices, or with certain versions of the Spotify app or iOS.
How to Turn On or Turn Off the “Stranger Things” Mode in Spotify on an iPhone
The steps in this article were performed on an iPhone 7 Plus in iOS 11.2.2. The version of Spotify being used is the most current version of the app available at the time this article was written. Note that “Stranger Things” mode will only activate when you are listening to a compatible playlist.
Step 1: Open the Spotify app.
Step 2: Select the Your Library tab at the bottom-right of the screen.
Step 3: Touch the gear icon at the top-right of the screen.
Step 4: Choose the Playback option.
Step 5: Scroll to the bottom of the screen and adjust the Stranger Things Mode option to suit your preferences. I have Stranger Things Mode turned on in the picture below.
I was able to trigger “Upside Down” mode by listening to the “Stranger Things, Vol. 1” soundtrack at this link –
Stranger Things Volume 1 link (opens in Spotify app)
It’s possible that it will work with others, but that one started working for me immediately in the iPhone app. It should look something like the picture below when it’s working.
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Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.