Local files not showing on mobile

[Esptho]

Plan

Premium

Country

Norway

Device

(iPhone 11 Pro max)

Operating System

(iOS 14.7.1, , Windows 10)

My Question or Issue

So i had to do a fresh install of my phone for an unrelated issue, but now i have to redownload my local files on my phone, but weirdly enough they dont appear at ALL, not even grayed out. Ive tried a fresh install of the mobile app and the web app. I don't know how to proceed with this.

[Alex]

Hey @Esptho,

Thanks for the post!

Go into the Spotify app > Settings > Scroll down to Local Files >Toggle the Local audio files switch ON.

Let us know if that helps 🙂

[isalinaglosoli]

For me, "Local files" is simply not showing in the Settings menu. (Version 8.6.54.818, device Huawei Mate 20 Pro and operating system Android 10).

[Jeremy]

Hi there @isalinaglosoli,

Thank you for your reply in this thread.

Can you perform a clean reinstall of the app? This will make sure there's no old cache files causing this.

Just to confirm, do you see them in any device?

We'll keep an eye out for your reply.

Take care!

[isalinaglosoli]

Hi, I did it, it doesn't show. Screenshot attached below

When using Spotify app on computer (Windows 10), Local files show in the Settings menu. I switched them on already yesterday.

 

[MafeG]

Hi @isalinaglosoli,

Thank you for your swift reply. 

Unfortunately, we're not able to see the screenshot properly due to the size. Would you mind uploading the image to any online service and share with us the link? 

Also, can you log in with another account, such as a friend's or a family member's to see if the setting shows? Alternatively, you can create a free account here, just make sure you're logged out of your own account before creating a new one.  

Keep us posted. 

[isalinaglosoli]

Thank your for your reply. I was able to see the screenshot better by clicking it open and increasing the page zoom (Ctrl and +). But if that doesn't work for you, here's the screenshot in an online service https://ibb.co/VpJ2jQb

I created a free account, the Settings menu looks similar to my own account.

[MafeG]

Hey @isalinaglosoli,

Thank you for replying and sending us the link.

We were able to see the full screenshot and can confirm that on the mobile app you don't need to switch on any option for Local Files, that setting is available only on the desktop app. 

If you want to synchronize the files on your phone, please follow the instructions on this article. Start by the "Desktop" steps and then the "Android" steps. 

Let us know if this works for you, the Community will be here to help you. 

[isalinaglosoli]

Thank you. I followed those instructions. When I opened the playlist on my mobile device and clicked the download button, an exclamation mark popped up in the front of all the songs on the playlist, apparently signaling an error (see the screenshot). 

[Alex]

Hey @isalinaglosoli,

Thanks for the reply.

This usually happens when the Router or a firewall is blocking some networking ports.

Can you try to connect both your phone and PC to another network. You can start a mobile hotspot from your phone and connect the devices to that network.

After that check if the playlist can be successfully downloaded on the phone.

Keep us posted.

[isalinaglosoli]

Hello, 

thanks. I set up a hotspot from my mobile device and connected the computer to that network. Something happened as the exclamation marks in the playlist on the mobile device turned to a downward arrow, yet the songs appear as grey and are unplayable. 

[Jeremy]

Hi again @isalinaglosoli,

Thank you for getting back in touch and for the troubleshooting you've done so far 🙂

Another useful step is to change the source folder of the local files on the pc. The steps are: Uninstall Spotify on both devices > create a new folder somewhere else on the pc and move the local files there > install Spotify again > remove any potential source folders and add the new one > download the playlist again with a different network.

We'll be on the lookout for your reply 🙂

Cheers!

[isalinaglosoli]

Hello, I got back to this now. So connected both devices into a hotspot network from another phone, uninstalled Spotify on both devices, moved the local files on the computer into a new folder, re-installed Spotify on both devices, set the local files visible on the computer version of Spotify, created a new playlist and added them there, went to the playlist on the mobile and tried downloading them, the exclamation marks popped up again, so it's not working.

Should it really work that way? It sounds to me quite creepy that the mobile app could be able to download stuff from my computer, when connected to the same wifi.

After all, I would just like that the local files on my mobile would show in mobile Spotify. Sounds really strange that I would have to move the local files from my mobile into my computer and then download them back to my mobile via Spotify, if I want them to show up in Spotify.

Anyhow, wish you a nice weekend 😆

[Alex]

Hey @isalinaglosoli,

Thanks for the reply.

The mobile Spotify app can't read MP3 files. It can only play Spotify cache files. This is why you need to have the MP3s on your PC, uploaded to the cloud on your Spotify account, so that they can be downloaded as playable cache on the phone.

Another thing you can try is to change the default Download location on your phone. Go to Settings > Storage and try setting it to the phone's internal memory.

Keep us posted on how you get on.

[Iushhs]

I still can seem to see it why is that