Spotify not working when on mobile data

[RiseUpLights]

Plan

Premium

Country

United States

Device

LG Wing

Operating System

Android 13

My Question or Issue

About half a month ago my Spotify app started not being able to connect to the internet when on mobile data while the rest of my phone apps and sites would be able to use mobile data without issue. I have tried clearing cache, deleting app data, making sure it's not in offline mode, reinstalling the app, deleting the com.spotify folder, and making sure there are no data/battery restrictions on the app in android settings. The app works fine on Wifi but not mobile data. Did a recent update break it or am I missing something?

[Susan_GP]

Hi there @RiseUpLights,

Thanks for reaching out to the Community and welcome!
 
We can see you've already tried all the basic troubleshooting steps, that's great. There are no reports of this issue with recent updates, but let's check what's happening. Have you checked if Spotify has all the permissions enabled to use mobile data from your device's settings? Additionally, make sure your device's OS is up-to-date. 
 
On another note, try logging in with a different Spotify account and check if that makes a difference. It can be a relative or friend's account.
 
Lastly, if you're using an SD card, try removing it, then restart Spotify and check if you get the same message.
 
Keep us posted!

[RiseUpLights]

I have tried all of those steps with no luck, any other ideas?

[AlejaR]

Hey there @RiseUpLights,

Thanks for your reply.

Some apps on your device will require permission for background data usage. Restricting data could cause them not to work without a Wi-Fi connection. In that sense, we'd recommend:

1. Open the Settings app Settings icon.
2. Locate Network & internet> Data usage.
3. Select Spotify below the usage graph, then view the usage. Tap the background data switch to turn on.

If the above doesn't do the trick, we'd like to gather further info:

• Send us the exact Spotify version you're running there.
• Just to clarify, the same happened when you opened a different account on the affected device?
• Did you notice if this started to happen after a specific event such as an OS update? 

Keep us in the loop!

[RiseUpLights]

I have verified that the background data switch was already set to on and I am still having issues. My Spotify app version is 8.9.50.552. Yes I was still having issues with a different account and it started happening a few weeks ago with no event that happened before that potentially caused it. I have tried contacting my mobile carrier and they said there's nothing on their end causing the block and they gave me a Spotify support phone number that didn't work.

[AlejaR]

Hey there @RiseUpLights,

Thanks for the reply and for the info shared.

Just to confirm, do you use a VPN? If yes, try switching it off. Keep in mind Spotify doesn't officially support VPN. This means that issues with the app while using VPN are expected behavior.

On another note, would you mind trying to use a different mobile device to see if you can replicate this behavior? You can ask for the mobile device of a relative or a friend to open your account there and check.

If possible, it'd be really helpful if you could use your mobile data on that different device to see if this continues to happen. Also, try using the mobile date of that relative or a friend to compare.

Lastly, we don't have Customer Support via telephone. You can find other means to contact us here.

Keep us in the loop!

[RiseUpLights]

I cannot take out my SD card or sim card as my phone case is stuck to my phone how it was designed. Due to not being able to troubleshoot like that, I have just fully reset my phone and wiped the SD card and I am still having issues. All other apps still work fine on mobile data.

[Eni]

Hey there @RiseUpLights, 

Thanks for your reply. 

We understand that other apps work with your mobile data, but it'd be helpful if you could try on a different mobile device with the same mobile data since this way we can determine if this only happens on your device or on other mobile devices as well with that specific mobile data. You can create a hotspot on your phone and using that. 

Keep us posted on how it goes. 

[Itsnotworkingon]

Same issue. iPhone 13 and Spotify not working over cellular data, just WiFi. I’ve tried all the recommendations, nothing seems to be fixing the problem. 

[Susan_GP]

Hi @Itsnotworkingon, 

Thanks for your reply in this thread.

If you're using an iPhone, we recommend checking out this article from the Apple Support page to make sure there aren't any data restrictions for the Spotify app.

If nothing helps, does the app tell you you're offline when using your mobile data? Or does it only not work? Additionally, if you haven't, try performing a clean reinstall of the app by following these steps. No worries, you won't lose any content.

We'll be here.

[RiseUpLights]

Found out that it's a problem with T-Mobile and has to do with their "Music Freedom" perk which doesn't reset every month because they messed something up and aren't fixing it. The only way to reset it is to call every month and have them manually reset it. More info can be found at this discussion on their forums: https://community.t-mobile.com/streaming-on-us-44/spotify-doesn-t-load-using-data-how-do-i-fix-this-...

[Naderhkawar]

Hey everyone! I was in the same boat and stumbled upon this thread after trying all the usual fixes with no luck. I finally followed the link you shared, and what ended up solving my issue was activating a VPN, streaming for just a second, turning it off, and boom—the app started working again!

Honestly, I was getting pretty frustrated reading through all the suggested solutions, having tried them all for two straight days without any success. It would be amazing if the app developers provided more straightforward support or quick fixes instead of leaving us to navigate endless forums for answers. Here's hoping they step up soon!

[sdljflq]

Hi, 
I am having the same issue, my spotify is not working when I am offline on my phone. 

When I am on the wifi it works. 
When I am on the data with a vpn it works. 
When I am on data with no vpn it doesnt work (it thinks i'm offline). 

When I'm on airplane mode it doesnt work. 

First time this happens to me, not sure what is going on. 

[Yordan]

Hey folks,

Thanks for sharing what worked for you.

@sdljflq, could you make sure that the Spotify app is allowed access to your mobile data? You can check this in your phone's settings.

Something else you can try is changing the APN Protocol to see if that would do the trick:

1. Search for Access Point Names in your phone's settings (the option is usually found in Network & Internet > Mobile network, but its location may vary depending on your manufacturer).
2. Select your current access point and set the APN Protocol to IPv4/IPv6.

It's also worth switching to another access point, if available, or resetting the APNs to the default from the three dots menu.
 

If the issue persists, I'd recommend resetting your mobile network settings by following the steps in this article.

Cheers 🤘

[New user]

I only stream liked songs, but can't download or access my other downloaded albums

[Kenneth18]

Hello, my spotify version is 8.9.84.594 and I'm having the same trouble as @RiseUpLights, I've also made sure that my data restrictions are on an I also use another account but nothing changed. 

[Novy]

Hey @Kenneth18,

Thanks for reaching out. 

Have you already checked @RiseUpLights's solution above?

If that doesn't do the trick, make sure to give @Yordan's suggestions a try and let us know how it goes.

We'll be on the lookout.

[Solarpower79]

Plan

Premium

Country

United Kingdom

Device

Samsung galaxy A32

Operating System

Android 13

My Question or Issue

For the last two weeks I have not been able to get Spotify to play away from my home wifi connection. Previously had no issues, I've not changed anything in regards to settings on either my phone or the app.

• Attempted quick reinstall 
• Attempted clean install
• Cleared cache
• Connected phone to another wifi connection
• Checked other apps, all work fine, still receiving app notifications from Facebook/Twitter/Twitch etc.
• Spotify has all permissions available
• Spotify version is 8.9.84.594
• Spotify did play back approx. 20 seconds of a track on my On Repeat playlist, so I know that it can play music back, it then stopped, skipping tracks did nothing, changing playlists wouldn't load anything.

[New user]

podcasts without video option works just fine.
all podcasts work in wifi
i have an iphone 12 with the latest update, same with the spotify app. app has all mobile data permitions.
when i try to plan podcast with video, i get a notification about weak conection (but i have 5G and max signal)

[Efftee93]

I've been having this issue for the past two weeks now too! I have an Iphone 13 pro. I get a popup that says "Network connection failed while playing this content."