7 Best Fixes for Spotify Not Playing Downloaded Songs on Android and iPhone
Like other streaming platforms, Spotify lets you download songs for offline listening. You can enjoy your favorite tracks and download playlists on your iPhone or Android phone.
Some users complain that Spotify won’t play downloaded songs offline, which can be problematic if you want to limit mobile data usage. If you’re facing this issue, this post will share the best fixes for Spotify not playing downloaded songs on Android and iPhone.
1. Enable Offline Mode
Whenever you disable internet on your mobile device, Spotify automatically activates Offline Mode. However, if Spotify isn’t working offline, you can manually enable Offline Mode on your Android or iPhone.
Step 1: Open Spotify on your iPhone or Android phone.
Step 2: Tap profile icon at top-left corner and select Settings and Privacy.
Step 3: Tap on Playback and toggle Offline to enable it.
2. Check Internal Storage
If you can’t use offline mode on Spotify, check the internal storage on your iPhone or Android phone. All downloaded songs/podcasts are stored in the device’s internal storage. If storage space is running out, you may experience issues with offline playback. Spotify allows offline listening through an app cache, but this can occupy unnecessary storage. To learn more about why Spotify takes up a lot of storage and how to fix it, refer to our post.
3. Force Quit and Relaunch Spotify
If you can’t listen to downloaded music, force quit and relaunch the Spotify app for a fresh start on your iPhone or Android phone.
On iPhone
Step 1: Swipe up and hold on the home screen to reveal the background app windows.
Step 2: Swipe right to find Spotify and swipe up to remove the app window.
Step 3: Relaunch Spotify and check if the problem is solved.
On Android
Step 1: Long-press the Spotify app icon and tap App Info.
Step 2: Select Force Stop and tap Ok to confirm.
Step 3: Close App Info and relaunch Spotify to check if the problem is solved.
4. Clear Spotify App Cache
If Spotify isn’t playing your downloaded songs, clear the app cache. Spotify accumulates a lot of app cache, especially for offline listening. However, the cache can get corrupted over time and cause issues like this. Clearing the Spotify app cache should fix it. Refer to our post for instructions on how to do this.
5. Download the Song Again
After clearing the app cache, log in to your Spotify account and try downloading your song(s) again. You should be able to download your songs without any hiccups now. If you are downloading a playlist, we suggest switching from Mobile Data to Wi-Fi to fasten the process.
6. Check Your Spotify Account Status
If you can’t download songs, check your Spotify account status. Downloading songs is part of a Spotify subscription, so make sure your payment went through successfully. Use your computer for this.
Step 1: Open the Spotify website on your computer.
Step 2: Click your profile icon at the top-right and select Account.
Step 3: Scroll down and click Manage Your Plan.
Step 4: Check if your subscription is active.
7. Update Spotify
To listen to songs offline on Spotify, update your app to the latest version. This will fix any bugs causing the issue.
Use Spotify Offline
If Spotify isn’t playing your downloaded songs, these solutions will help. You can also set a sleep timer on Spotify to wind down at home. The sleep timer will automatically stop music after a set duration.
As Fred Humiston, the author behind Twothirds.us, I focus on providing practical and easy-to-follow guides and solutions for a variety of technical issues that people commonly face.
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