What to Do When Spotify Keeps Crashing? 12 Easy Fixes
Get back to your beats yo
Spotify might be the biggest name in music streaming, butit’s not without issues. Whether you’re using the service on a desktop or mobile device, connectivity problems, obsolete files, and incompatible settings can result inrandom pausesanderror codes. Rarely they can be severe enough to crash Spotify.
So if Spotify keeps crashing without warning on your PC, Mac, iPhone, or Android, you must work your way through the fixes below to get it working correctly again.
1. Force-Quit Spotify and Restart
When Spotify crashes or hangs at launch, it’s best to force-quit the app completely before the next attempt at opening it. That helps fix minor problems most of the time.
On Windows, open the Task Manager (pressControl+Shift+Esc) and selectMore details. Then, under theProcessestab, chooseSpotifyand chooseEnd task.
If you use Spotify on a Mac, open theApplemenu and selectForce Quit. Then, chooseSpotifyand select theForce Quitbutton on the list of apps that show up.
On an iPhone or Android smartphone, start by swiping up from the bottom of the screen to reveal the device’s app switcher. Then, select and drag theSpotifycard to the top of the screen to force-quit it.
2. Run as Administrator (Windows Only)
If you use Spotify on Windows, loading it as an administrator can help sort issues brought about by insufficient app permissions. To do that, open theStartmenu and search forSpotify. Then, selectRun as Administrator.
If that helps, learn how toset up Spotify to launch as an administrator always.
3. Restart Desktop or Mobile Device
Bugs and glitches within the system software can crop up randomly and prevent applications from functioning normally and can make Spotify keep crashing. The best way to fix that is to restart your Windows, macOS, iOS, or Android device. So try that now before proceeding with the rest of the fixes.
4. Update the Spotify App
Spotify receives frequent updates that improve the stability of the app. Try updating it to the latest version and check if that helps.
Open theSpotifymenu and selectHelp>About Spotify. If you see any pending updates, selectClick here to downloadto apply them.
Note:If Spotify doesn’t stay open long enough for you to update it, you must re-install the program. More about that later.
Open the App Store (iOS) or the Play Store (Android) and search forSpotify. If you see anUpdatebutton listed next to Spotify on the search results, tap it to update the app.
5. Check for Spotify Outages
If the issue persists, you might want to check if there’s a Spotify outage. You can do that by visiting theSpotify Statusaccount on Twitter. If it has acknowledged an issue, you must wait until Spotify fixes that.
6. Check for Connectivity Issues
Connectivity problems on your end might also cause the app to crash. If you notice poor internet connectivity while navigating the internet or while using other apps, try these quick fixes:
7. Log Out/Log Back In to Spotify
Try logging out and then logging back into Spotify. You can do that by selecting your profile to the top-left of the desktop app and selectingLog out. On mobiles, go toHome>Settingsand selectLog out.
If the app crashes soon after you open it, use theSpotify Web Playerto sign out of your account across all devices.
8. Update the System Software on Your Device
It’s also a good idea to update the system software on your device. That should help fix any Spotify-related issues that stem from incompatibilities with the system software.
Go toStart>Settings>Update & Security>Windows Update. Then, selectCheck for updates. If you see any pending updates, tapDownload and install.
Open theApplemenu and go toSystem Preferences>Software Update. Follow that by selectingUpdate Nowto update to the latest version of macOS.
On the iPhone, open theSettingsapp, go toGeneral>Software Update,and tapDownload and Installto apply all pending updates.
On Android, go toSettings>System>Advanced>System updateto update to the latest system software version as supported by your device.
9. Clear the Spotify Cache
When you stream songs in Spotify, the app caches data locally to speed things up. However, obsolete or corrupt files within the Spotify cache can cause issues, so you should try deleting them.
PressWindows+Rto open theRunbox. Then, depending on whether you use the standard or the Microsoft Store version of Spotify, follow by copying and pasting the relevant folder path:
SelectOKand delete all contents within the folder that shows up.
Open Finder and selectGo>Go to Folder. Then, copy the following folder path and selectGo:
~/Library/Application Support/Spotify/PersistentCache/Storage
Delete all contents within the folder that shows up.
Open the Spotify app and select theHometab. Then, tap theSettingsicon and selectStorage. Follow that by selectingDelete cache.
10. Disable Hardware Acceleration (Windows & Mac Only)
The desktop version of Spotify uses a feature called Hardware Acceleration to improve performance. But sometimes, that can also cause Spotify to keep crashing.
You can fix that by deactivating Hardware Acceleration. To do that, open theSpotifymenu, point toView, and selectHardware Acceleration.
Conversely, the app could crash if you’ve previously disabled Hardware Acceleration. In that case, reactivating the functionality can help.
11. Update Audio and Video Drivers (Windows Only)
If you use Windows, consider updating the audio and video drivers for your PC. You can get the latest driver updates by visiting the device manufacturer’s website. Alternatively, you can use a driver updater tool to get everything up-to-date automatically.
12. Reinstall the Spotify App
If none of the fixes above worked, reinstalling Spotify just might. Not only do you get a fresh instance of the app to interact with, but a reinstallation also guarantees that you have the latest version of Spotify on your device.
However, the procedure will also delete any songs you’ve downloaded locally, so you’ll have to redownload them from scratch.
Open theStartmenu and go toSettings>Apps. Then, locateSpotifyand selectUninstall. Follow by reinstalling Spotify via theSpotify websiteor theMicrosoft Store.
Open Mac’sApplicationsfolder and dragSpotifyto the Trash. Then, reinstall Spotify after downloading the installer from theSpotify website.
On the iPhone, open theSettingsapp and go toGeneral>iPhone Storage>Spotify. Then, tapDelete App. Follow that by reinstalling the app from theApp Store.
On Android, open the Play Store and tap your profile icon. Then, selectManage apps & devices>Installed. On the list of apps that show up, selectSpotifyand tap theTrashicon. Follow that by reinstalling Spotify after searching for it viaPlay Store.
Try the Spotify Web Player
The fixes above should’ve hopefully stopped Spotify from crashing on your PC, Mac, iPhone, or Android. However, if the issue persists,contact Spotify Supportor wait for a newer app update. Of course, you can always use theSpotify Web Playerin the meantime.
Dilum Senevirathne is a freelance tech writer and blogger with three years of experience writing for online technology publications. He specializes in topics related to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Google web apps. When he isn’t hammering away at his Magic Keyboard, you can catch him binge-watching productivity hacks on YouTube.Read Dilum’s Full Bio
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