Issue with storage option switching from SD Card to internal

[haydnrb7]

Plan

Premium

Country

US 

Device

Moto X4

Operating System

Android Pie

My Question or Issue

 This happened with my last phone, Samsung S7 running Oreo (or whatever the most recent OS is) but it was fixed when I got the Moto X4. I like to keep a lot of songs downloaded offline because my service is terrible and I also spend a lot of time in the mountains. Before I I update my phone to the new Android Pie OS there was no problems. Now everytime I reset my phone I think spotify cannot see my SD card at first and tries to download all the music to its internal storage and I have to go back in and tell it to store it in the SD card. That is extremely annyoing but not the end of the world. What is really frustrating is that I think all of the downloaded songs are still on the SD card and just keep redownloading and taking up space. Eventually this will cause me to reformat the card which will be a major pain for me since I store a large amount of photos on there also. Is anyone else have this problem? I have already uninstalled and reinstalled the application so any other suggestions or help?

[user-removed]

Please look at what I think could be the problem (and possibly the solution):

I noticed that the SD card only mounts AFTER I unlock the first time after the boot. You can see it by the SD card icon who apears quickly at status bar just after the unlock. For security reasons, it make sense, since someone who stole the phone could try to load malicious software via external storage. Spotify service probably loads BEFORE the SD card mount, and then, like a mother who call the police when his son is 30 seconds late to come back home, it switches to the internal memory and starts to download all again. If the PIN is typed before the system boot, the SD card mount and when Spotify service loads, it can find the external storage. Works like a charm. 

This solution did not let Spotify devs off the hook, since many other apps that use external storage didn't present this issue at all.

SOLUTION:

Make sure, if you have a PIN or password set, to Android ask BEFORE the system boot.

Further information here:

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Android/Storage-switched-back-to-internal-at-every-reboot-I-ve-foun...

[michaelhuzie]

Have tried the same thing with uninstall etc etc 

Has still continued switching every couple of weeks.

Samsung 9 SM-G960F

Android Version 9

Spotify Version: 8.4.98.892

[bollecito]

Hi,

Tried but didn't work on my Samsung Galaxy S8, still redownloading all my offline tracks...

Becoming pretty anoying!!

[fcoclavero]

I managed to find a workaround!

Following maxvartuli's insight that the Spotify service might be loading before the SD card mount, I first enabled the "Force allow apps on external" option in the Developer Settings (you must first enable them), and then moved the app to the SD card through the app section of the settings app. Now I can only open Spotify once the SD card has mounted, and thus no problems. 

Hope this helps someone.

Still, Spotify was the ONLY app with issues of this kind.

[VicVicVicx]

Thanks for the suggestion, fcoclavero. I just tried it and will report back tomorrow or later on this week on whether that will stick.

[shrimphead83]

Moving it to SD Card is a temporary solution, no?  When Spotify app gets an update on the Play Store, it will move the app back to internal storage, and you'll have to keep on remembering to move the app back to SD Card. 

Spotify needs to address this ASAP.  I'm getting so many devices that are 'logged in', but it's actually the same device everytime I reboot.  No excuse this isn't fixed already.  Samsung phones in some ways = Android phones because they have the largest user base.  They need to fix this SD card issue once and for all.  I don't have this problem on Netflix downloads, etc.

[user-removed]

This just occurred randomly, I didn't restart or do anything with my SD card and the app decided to switch over. This really needs to be fixed.

Samsung s9+

Android 9

Spotify version 8.5.0.735

[CodyRedfield]

Try to "Force Close" Spotify app before restart your device, and if you forget to "Force Close" just follow this step.

1. After restart, open Spotify App (Sometime all playlist will redownload and saved music changed to Internal Storage) 

2. Log Out your Account

3. Force Close, Clear Data and App Cache

4. Log in again

5. Check "Storage"

6. If changed to SD Card after you Log In again, Check storage status, you will find all your music changed to "cache" or "Downloaded"

7. And then re-sync all your music with your data/wifi on.

8. Dont forget to check "Offline Devices" and remove old devices (if you always log in/ log out)

I hope this is work for you too, for me this is works (Xiaomi Redmi 4X/Pixel Experience/Android Pie)

[bigm]

It's weird, I haven't had the issue in more than two or three weeks (I think a new app version has come out just before that), but suddenly today, it happens again!

For me it doesn't happen after booting, so the solution by maxvartuli is of no use. I tried everything else, the spotify support team has no other idea either, except for changing the SD card... (but if my sd card is broken why on earth is spotify the only app that has problems with it?).

It seems like spotify is too busy completely changing the user interface of their app for no reason every 3 months. So there's no resources for new useful functionality and bug fixing...

[user-removed]

Did you eject the SD card with the phone on bigm?

I' ve this issue with my old phone because SD card was ejecting itself randomly, and the Spotify app (for some reason) can't handle SD card ausence (not even for a second). Spotify is the only app with this issue indeed.