Solved: Clear Spotify Cache Completely

By Adam Gorden Updated on May 27, 2025

Solved: Clear Spotify Cache Completely

If you're anything like me, you've probably noticed Spotify slowly taking up more and more space on your phone or computer. Even without downloading much music, the app can still grow in size over time. That's because Spotify uses something called cache—a behind-the-scenes tool that helps music load faster and play more smoothly.

The good news is that you don't have to let Spotify eat up all your storage? You can manage this cache without deleting your downloaded songs. It only takes a few quick steps, and it's a simple way to free up space and keep the app running well.

Since Spotify updates often, the settings might look a little different depending on your device. But don't worry—the process is still easy to follow. Read on to learn how Spotify cache works—and how to keep it under control without losing your music.

Part 1. What Is Spotify Cache?

Like many apps, Spotify uses stored—or cached—data to help the app run faster and smoother. Cached data helps songs load quicker and reduces how much the app relies on your internet connection. It's there to make things easier, but it's not absolutely necessary.

Cached data is different from downloaded music. Downloads stay on your device so you can listen offline. Cache files are temporary and can be cleared or replaced anytime without affecting your downloaded songs. If your device is low on storage, checking the cache is a good place to start. Understanding how cache works can help you free up space—without losing your music.

Part 2. Why Does Spotify Use Cache?

Just like web browsers save cache to speed up browsing, Spotify saves cached data to keep your music experience fast and smooth. It stores bits of data each time you listen, such as parts of recently played songs, playlist previews, album covers, and app settings. This makes the app or web player quicker and more responsive.

Cache can take up a lot of space—sometimes over 10GB—even if you haven't downloaded songs for offline use. That's because Spotify saves parts of streamed songs on your device to ensure smooth playback and reduce mobile data usage. Knowing this helps explain why storage fills up over time and why managing cache is important.

Part 3. Why Should You Clear Spotify Cache?

Your Spotify cache is basically a pile of extra data saved to help the app run faster and smoother. Over time, this data quietly builds up and can take up a lot of space. Since Spotify doesn't clear this cache on its own, it's a good idea to clear it yourself now and then—especially if your device is low on storage. Just think of clearing the cache like hitting the reset button on all those stored bits of data that doesn't affect the normal activities but for overall performance.

What happens when you clear your Spotify cache?

Clearing the cache won't delete your downloaded songs or playlists, so your music stays safe. It also won't remove your login info or app preferences. Just remember, if you clear data or uninstall the app, you'll need to download your offline music again.

How often should you clear your Spotify cache?

If you don't regularly clear out digital clutter, your cache can quietly grow to several gigabytes, especially if you listen a lot or replay the same playlists. Making it a habit to clear your cache weekly—or whenever your device feels slow—can prevent problems like buffering and keep everything running smoothly. The small wait while the cache rebuilds is worth it for a faster, more responsive app and extra free space on your device.

Part 4. How to Clear Cache on Spotify

First, check the in-app option to clear the cache:

For Windows/macOS (Within App Settings):

clear spotify cache desktop

  1. Open Spotify on your desktop and log in to your account.
  2. Click your profile icon in the top right corner, then select Settings. Alternatively:
    • Windows: Click the three-dot menu in the top left corner, then select Edit > Preferences.
    • Mac: Click Spotify in the menu bar, then select Preferences.
  3. Scroll to the Storage section.
  4. Click Clear Cache or similar.
  5. A confirmation prompt may appear. Confirm to proceed.

For iOS/Android (Within App Settings):

spotify mobile storage clear cache

  1. Open the Spotify app on your mobile device and log in.
  2. Tap the Settings icon (usually top right).
    • iOS: Scroll down and tap Storage.
    • Android: Look for Storage or Cache.
  3. Tap Clear Cache to proceed.

In case the in-app option doesn't work or you want to be thorough, try clearing cache through your device settings:

For Android (Within Device Settings):

clear spotify cache android

  1. Open your device's Settings.
  2. Tap Apps or Applications.
  3. Find and tap Spotify.
  4. Tap Storage & Cache (or similar).
  5. Tap Clear Cache.

For macOS (Within Finder):

  1. Open Finder, click Go in the menu bar, then select Computer.
  2. Go to Macintosh HD > Users > [Your Username] > Library.
  3. Open the Caches folder, then open com.spotify.client.
  4. Delete all files inside the com.spotify.client folder.

For Windows (Within File Explorer):

Depending on your Spotify version, clear cache from the corresponding location:

  • Official Version:
    1. Go to C:\Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Local\Spotify\Storage and delete all contents.
    2. Or go to C:\Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Roaming\Spotify\Users\[your-user]\ and delete local-files.bnk.
  • Microsoft Store Version:
    1. Open AppData by typing appdata in the Windows search bar.
    2. Go to Packages > SpotifyAB.SpotifyMusic_zpdnekdrzrea0 > LocalCache > Spotify > Data.
    3. Close Spotify, then delete all folders inside the Data folder.

Pro Tip: Remove Downloaded Caches from Spotify

  1. In Spotify, go to Settings > Show Advanced Settings.
  2. Under Offline songs storage, note the file path.
  3. Go to that folder (e.g., /Library/Application Support/Spotify/) and delete watch-sources.bnk.

Part 5. How to Limit Spotify Cache Size

Since there's no official setting to control cache size, users have found some manual workarounds to keep things in check—though these require a bit of technical know-how and come with no guarantees.

For macOS (Within Finder):

  1. Open Finder, click Go in the menu bar, then select Go to Folder.
  2. Enter ~/Library/Application Support/Spotify/ and press Enter.
  3. Find the file named prefs and open it with a text editor (like TextEdit).
  4. Add this line at the end of the file:
    storage.size=8192
    (This sets the cache limit to about 8GB.)
  5. Save the file and restart the Spotify app for the change to take effect.

Note: This is an unofficial tweak and may not work perfectly for everyone. Always back up the prefs file before making any changes.

Part 6. How to Save Storage on Spotify

Move Spotify Cache and Downloads to External Storage

You can save internal storage by moving Spotify downloads and cache to external devices when possible. Here's how to do it on different platforms:

  • For Android:
    1. Open the Spotify app.
    2. Tap the Settings icon.
    3. Scroll down and select Storage.
    4. Tap Download Location or Storage Location.
    5. Choose your SD card as the download location.
    6. Future downloads will save to the SD card, freeing up internal storage.

    Note: The cache usually stays in internal storage and cannot be moved.

  • For Windows/macOS:

    Moving cache or downloads to external storage isn't officially supported. However, advanced users can manually change the cache location by creating symbolic links (symlinks) from the default cache folder to a folder on an external drive. This requires technical skills and may cause unexpected issues. If you choose to try:

    • On Windows: Create a symlink pointing the Spotify cache folder to an external drive folder.
    • On macOS: Use the Terminal to create a symlink for the cache folder to an external location.

    Warning: Manual changes might affect Spotify's performance. Always back up important data before proceeding.

Remove Spotify Downloads You No Longer Need

  1. Open the Spotify app on your device.
  2. Tap the Settings icon, usually in the top right corner.
  3. Scroll down and select Storage.
  4. Look for the option Remove all downloads (or similar).
  5. Tap this option to delete all downloaded music from your device.

Reduce Audio settings for Streaming and Downloads

  1. Open the Spotify app on your device.
  2. Tap the Settings icon.
  3. Select Audio Quality.
  4. Choose Low or Normal for both Streaming and Download.

Clear Spotify App Data to Free Up Space

Android users can find the Clear Data option alongside Clear Cache in app settings. This clears the cache and all stored data, including downloads. Note that you will need to re-download any offline music afterward.

  1. Open Spotify on your Android device.
  2. Tap the Settings icon.
  3. Select Storage.
  4. Tap Clear Data along with Clear Cache.
  5. Confirm your choice to clear both cache and data.

Reinstall Spotify to Reset the App and Clear Caches

If you're facing significant storage issues, try reinstalling Spotify. This can help optimize performance and free up space.

Perform a Clean Uninstall of Spotify to Remove Leftover Files

A clean uninstall removes all app data and corrupted files, ensuring a fresh start. Follow the steps below based on your device:

  • For iOS:
    1. Open your device's Settings.
    2. Tap General > iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage).
    3. Find and select Spotify from the app list.
    4. Tap Offload App to remove the app but keep documents and data.
    5. Return to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
    6. Tap Spotify again, then choose Delete App to remove it completely.
    7. Restart your iOS device to finish the process.
  • For Android:
    • Android 6.0 or Above:
      1. Go to Settings > Apps > Spotify.
      2. Tap Storage & Cache > Clear Storage.
      3. Return to Spotify's app info and tap Uninstall.
      4. Open your File Manager and go to Internal Storage\Android\data. Delete the com.spotify.music folder.
      5. Restart your device, then reinstall Spotify from the official website.
    • Android Before 6.0:
      1. Go to Settings > Apps/Applications > Manage Applications > Spotify.
      2. Tap Clear Data.
      3. Using File Manager, navigate to Storage\Android\Data and delete the com.spotify.music folder.
      4. Restart your device and reinstall Spotify from the official site.
  • For Windows:
    1. Type %AppData% in the Windows search bar and press Enter.
    2. Navigate to AppData\Roaming and delete any Spotify folders.
    3. Optionally, check AppData\Local for any leftover Spotify folders and delete them.
    4. Restart your PC and reinstall Spotify if needed.
  • For macOS:
    1. Hold the Option (Alt) key, then click Go in the Finder menu bar and select Library.
    2. Open the Caches folder, find and delete any folders related to Spotify.
    3. Also check ~/Library/Application Support/Spotify and remove any leftover files.
    4. Restart your Mac and reinstall Spotify if necessary.

Bonus: How to Save Spotify Music Without Using Too Much Storage

If you're not a Premium user—or want more control over your cache, downloads, or files—ViWizard Spotify Music Converter lets you download and move Spotify tracks directly to your computer for external devices like SD cards or USB drives. It works with both Free and Premium accounts.

How Does ViWizard Spotify Music Converter Work?

Simply choose the Windows or macOS version and sign in via its built-in Spotify Web Player. Select your favorite songs, albums, playlists, podcasts, or audiobooks (Premium required), and start converting. ViWizard saves everything locally, removing any app restrictions. It preserves full metadata—track title, artist, album, genre—keeping your library organized and easy to navigate. You can also automatically sort downloads by artist or album to keep your collection tidy.

With bulk download support, you can convert entire playlists or albums at once—though it's best not to download too much at once to protect your account.

spotify music converter
Spotify Music Converter

A brilliant Spotify music downloader designed to download and convert Spotify songs, playlists, albums, artists, podcasts, and audiobooks to MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, M4A, and M4B losslessly. The sound stays as clear as the original, and all track details are preserved, offering a seamless experience to enjoy your Spotify music offline on any player or device.

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