[Download for Win - OS X] How to turn back to the previous Spotify 0.9.7 gray design

On January, Spotify announced a redesign of its desktop streaming application, now with a new dark interface. This new version - 0.9.8 - has been available for a small group of users. That is why earlier this year I published in my blog the download of Spotify 0.9.8 for Windows and OS X, as well as an unofficial installer to avoid some headaches.

Finally Spotify is rolling out to all users this new version and design, but not everyone likes the new design. This post is for those who want to keep the old design. Then I am going to explain different ways for getting Spotify 0.9.7, avoiding the automatic upgrade to the new version.

1st method for Windows: automatic, with Unofficial Spotify Installer

Unofficial Spotify 0.9.7 Installer for Windows

As I did several months ago, I have created a simple application to install Spotify 0.9.7 - with the previous gray design -, just click the “Install Spotify” button and you will have the 0.9.7.16 update for Spotify in seconds. Also, it automatically apply a script to prevent automatic updates to the new design.

Download for Windows (Versión 1.0) | Unofficial Spotify 0.9.7 Installer - Mirror

2nd method for Windows: manual, through the official installer

Spotify 0.9.7.16 for Windows (official installer)

Also you can install the previous Spotify design with the official installer. The process is the same as installing any other version of Spotify, but you must to take the next step to avoid the automatic updates.

Remember, with Unofficial Spotify 0.9.7 Installer you do not have to do it manually, so I recommend using the first option.

Download for Windows | Spotify 0.9.7.16 Official Installer - Mirror

Steps for avoid automatic updates

If you’ve opted to use the official installer you need to follow a few simple steps to prevent updates.

Go to the installation patch of Spotify. You can go directly with Windows key + R and typing “%Appdata%\Spotify” (without the quotes). Delete Spotify_new.exe and Spotify_new.exe.sig (if they are there). Now open your favorite text editor, make two blank documents and save them as “Spotify_new.exe” and “Spotify_new.exe.sig”- without the quotes, the same file names as the ones you deleted. Right click each file and go to “Properties”. Check the “Read Only” checkbox on each and close the window. Restart Spotify and enjoy Spotify with the new design and no auto updates!

Method for OS X: manual, with the official installer

Spotify 0.9.7.16 for OS X

Here you are the official installer of Spotify 0.9.7 for OS X (I recommend not using Safari for the download to avoid problems). Remember to continue to the next step.

Download for OS X | Spotify 0.9.7.16 Official Installer - Mirror

Steps for avoid automatic updates

It will also be necessary to perform a simple steps to prevent Spotify updates in Mac.

Go to your ~/Library folder - you can do this in Finder by doing shift+cmd+g and typing “~/Library” without the quotes and hitting enter. Go to Application Support/Spotify. Delete Spotify_new.archive and Spotify_new.archive.sig (if they are there). Now open your favorite text editor, I used TextWrangler Make two blank documents and save them as “Spotify_new.archive” and “Spotify_new.archive.sig” - without the quotes, the same file names as the ones you deleted. Right click each file and go to “Get Info”. Check the “Locked” button on each and close the info window. You should now see a small lock icon on each file. Restart Spotify and enjoy Spotify with the new design and no auto updates!

Thanks to Emil Stahl for the instructions.