Spotify for Android problems and solutions

Spotify is a magical thing, a global jukebox that streams any music you want to any device you have handy. Or at least, it is when it works. If your Spotify app isn’t behaving, it’s probably suffering from one of the issues we’ve listed here in our guide to Spotify for Android problems and solutions.

If Spotify isn't doing what it should, the solutions are usually pretty simple.

Spotify for Android problems: the solution that usually works for all kinds of stuff

If you’re having Spotify problems, the first thing to try is a reboot: that can solve temporary issues. If that doesn’t work, try logging out of the app and logging back in again to refresh your details.
We’ve detailed a number of fixes here, but if your issue isn’t listed then you might find that a clean install solves it: according to Spotify, a clean install can solve problems including black screen on startup, offline data not being stored on SD cards, random crashes, track skipping and disappearing tracks or playlists.

A clean install can make Spotify shine again. 

Spotify for Android problem: the app keeps crashing

There are several possible culprits here. If your device has an SD card, try taking it out and seeing if the app runs properly without it. Make sure the SD card hasn’t been carried over from another device without being reformatted first, as old data can cause problems too.
Aggressive app and process killers are known to cause issues with Spotify too, so if you’ve got apps that kill off unwanted processes to boost battery life it’s a good idea to try Spotify with those apps switched off, and to add it to their ignore list if they have such a thing.

Spotify for Android problem: can’t log in with Facebook account details

This is usually because Facebook’s authentication is having a bit of a mood, and you can get round it by providing the same login details but tapping on New User rather than Existing User.

Apple Music is coming to Android too. We don't think many people will switch.

Spotify for Android problem: music tracks aren’t being cached

Do you have a cache cleaning app such as Clean Master? By default they clear the Spotify cache, so you’ll need to whitelist the cache folder and Spotify app.

Spotify for Android problem: the Premium stuff isn’t working

Paid-for Premium accounts offer the full selection of Spotify features including offline listening, the highest possible quality music and so on. If your Premium features aren’t there, make sure you’re logged into the same account your subscription applies to. Check you’ve used the same login too: it’s possible to sign in to Spotify using a Spotify ID or Facebook account, but the service doesn’t match your Spotify ID to your Facebook ID or vice-versa - so if your subscription is tied to a Spotify ID, you won’t see any premium features if you use a Facebook login on the app.

Spotify for Android problem: can’t add more offline tracks

Have you hit the limit? Spotify lets you store up to 3,333 tracks for offline listening on up to 3 devices, so if you hit either limit you won’t be able to store anything else for offline listening.

If your running playlist stops running, it could be due to aggressive battery management settings or apps. 

Spotify for Android problem: accidentally deleted or missing playlists

Using your web browser (and the correct account!) log in to www.spotify.com/account to recover your playlists.

Spotify for Android problem: tablet or phablet can only work in Shuffle Play mode

This is a limitation of free accounts: as far as Spotify is concerned, anything with a screen 7 inches or larger is a tablet, and if your device is smaller than that or it doesn’t recognise it (perhaps because your tablet is an unusual model) then you’ll be stuck in shuffle mode. If it’s shuffling when it shouldn’t be, use this contact form to request tech support.

Can't stream over Wi-Fi? It's probably your router's fault. 

Spotify for Android problem: can’t connect on Wi-Fi

This is usually a firewall problem on your network or router. Spotify has router instructions right here. The same solution often fixes issues where files aren’t uploading from a PC so that you can play them on your Android app: if the router doesn’t have the right ports open, Spotify can’t upload anything.

Spotify for Android problem: lock screen buttons don’t work or the widget isn’t updating

There are known conflicts between the Spotify app and other music widgets, but if that isn’t the cause here it could be that Android has sent your app to the background: while the music keeps playing the actual app may have been closed by the system. Bringing the app back to the foreground should bring things back to life.
Have you encountered any other problems with the Spotify app - and if you have, did you find a fix? Let us know below.