Offline issues

Question

Plan

Premium

Country

South Africa

Device

Samsung Galaxy A36

Operating System

Android 16, One UI 8.5

My Question or Issue

I have multiple issues with relation to the offline version of the android app and thought it best to write a consolidated list. The details of which are below:

* On offline, the app seems to attempt to connect to a network for 5+ minutes before deciding its offline and then showing the content I have downloaded. This happens when your device does not have a wifi connection and your cellular data option is on but you have no connection through it, such as running out of your data package. This is an inconvenience, especially while using android auto where it takes half my trip before I can actually listen to the music I pay for offline access to.
* When on android auto and while offline, it starts by showing the previously played object however it "refreshes" the display and then starts playing something completely different. This is especially prevelant if you were listening to a podcast and it switches to randomly playing your liked songs as opposed to continuing off from where you finished in the podcast.

MihailY · Answer

Hey @ApolloAwe,

Thanks for the extra details.

I can definitely see how having to manually toggle Offline Mode on and off can become a hassle, especially if you're regularly moving between connected and offline environments. If you haven't already, you might want to add your vote to this recent idea requesting a quicker Offline Mode toggle.

As for the second issue, I've noted your report, but I don't have an ETA to share at the moment. I'd recommend keeping the Spotify app updated so you can benefit from any improvements as they're rolled out.

We're here if there's anything else you wish to address.

ApolloAwe · Answer

Good day Mihail,

Thank you for your promt response.

With regard to point 1, maybe if there was an easier way to navigate to the offline mode button that would be an acceptable solution but I dont believe it is because I have to actively toggle it on and off when I leave my wifi at home and then reenable it when I get to the wifi when I get back. I understand it may seem a small inconvenience but I feel that it should work seemlessly without the administrative hassle for lack of a better word.

With regards to point 2, this happens on every instance when a podcast is playing specifically. It does not happen if already shuffling liked music and it does not change the song playing to a different song to shuffle it, it resumes as expected/intended. I have not tested if it happens before I start android auto but I would imagine it resumes the podcast as intended/expected. I feel it could be in connection with point 1 with the offline searching that causes this error

MihailY · Answer

Hey @ApolloAwe,

Thanks for taking the time to put together such a detailed report!

For the first issue, we've seen similar behavior when the device has mobile data enabled but no stable connection. The app may continue trying to connect before falling back to downloaded content. As a workaround, we'd recommend enabling Offline Mode before going into areas with limited or no connectivity.

Regarding the Android Auto behavior, we'd like to gather a bit more information to better understand what's happening:

* Does it happen every time or only occasionally?
* Does Spotify always switch to your Liked Songs, or can it be different content?
* Does the same thing happen if you start playback before connecting to Android Auto?

In the meantime, feel free to try some troubleshooting like:

* Logging out and back in a couple of times
* Clearing your cache
* Clean reinstalling the app (as a heads up, you'll need to redownload your offline content afterwards)

We'll keep an eye out for your reply.