Spotify crashing usually starts on a normal day. Sometimes it happens on launch. Other times it happens while listening, which is more frustrating because playback stops suddenly and the app closes or returns to the home screen. It often feels random, but is usually linked to cached data, outdated versions, system conflicts, or unstable network connections. These small issues can build up and lead to freezing or sudden closing on different devices.
In most cases, Spotify crashing is not serious. There are still a few workarounds you can try to fix the issue. The fastest fixes are clearing the cache, restarting the device, or doing a clean reinstall. These steps resolve most freezing and unexpected closing issues across devices. Once fixed, Spotify usually returns to normal.
In the next sections, you will go through step-by-step troubleshooting methods and an alternative way to keep listening if the app keeps failing.
Part 1. Why Spotify Keeps Crashing
Before fixes, it helps to know what may cause Spotify to crash.
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Corrupted cache or app data:
One common cause is corrupted cache or temporary data. Spotify uses cached files to load music faster, but these files can break over time. When this happens, the app may freeze, close, or fail to open. Clearing the cache often fixes it.
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Outdated Spotify app or system software:
Using an outdated Spotify version or system can trigger crashes. If Spotify updates but your device does not, compatibility issues can appear. This may cause crashes on launch, during playback, or sudden shutdowns.
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Background apps and software conflicts:
Other apps can interfere with Spotify. On desktop, antivirus, VPNs, firewalls, or proxy settings may block its processes. Audio tools or system utilities can also create conflicts and cause crashes while streaming.
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High memory usage or low device performance:
If your device is under heavy load, Spotify may not run smoothly. Low memory or weak processing power can force the app to close. This is more common on older devices or when many apps are open.
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Corrupted installation or failed updates:
Spotify can also crash due to a broken installation or failed update. The app may open briefly and then close, or not open at all. Reinstalling usually fixes this by restoring clean files.
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Audio drivers or hardware acceleration issues (desktop):
On desktop systems, audio driver issues or hardware acceleration can cause crashes. Outdated drivers may interrupt playback, and hardware acceleration can sometimes create instability depending on the setup.
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Spotify service or server issues:
Sometimes the issue is not on your device. Spotify may have temporary server outages or service problems that affect many users. These issues usually resolve once Spotify fixes them.
Part 2. How to Fix Spotify Keeps Crashing
Once the causes are clear, the next step is simple fixes. These steps usually restore normal performance on iPhone, Android, Windows, or Mac.
01Check Internet Connection
A weak or unstable connection can make Spotify crash when it tries to load or stream music. Make sure your WiFi or mobile data is working properly. Switching networks or restarting your router can often help stabilize things.
Mobile (iOS / Android)
01Go to the Settings app (gear icon on Home Screen).
02Tap Wi-Fi (iOS) or Network & Internet (Android).
03Check that the toggle next to Wi-Fi or Mobile Data is turned ON.
04Tap the connected network name to confirm status.
05Open Safari (iOS) or Chrome (Android).
06Enter https://www.google.com in the address bar.
07If the page fails, switch Wi-Fi OFF and ON or toggle Airplane Mode in Control Center / Quick Settings.
Desktop (Windows / Mac)
01Click Chrome, Edge, or Safari from your taskbar or Dock.
02Go to https://www.google.com.
03Press Enter and check page loading.
04Click the Wi-Fi icon (bottom-right on Windows / top-right menu bar on Mac).
05Select another network or click Disconnect and reconnect.
06Restart router if connection remains unstable.
02Fully Close and Restart Spotify
Sometimes Spotify just gets stuck in the background. Fully closing it clears out small glitches, and reopening it gives the app a fresh start. This alone can fix a lot of random crashes.
Mobile (iOS)
01Swipe up from the bottom edge and pause in the center of the screen.
02In App Switcher, locate Spotify.
03Swipe the Spotify card upward off the screen.
04Press the Home Screen area or swipe up again to exit App Switcher.
05Tap the Spotify app icon on Home Screen or App Library.
Mobile (Android)
01Tap the Recent Apps button (square icon or swipe-up hold gesture).
02Scroll horizontally to find Spotify.
03Swipe Spotify upward or tap Close All (if available).
04Return to Home Screen.
05Tap the Spotify app icon.
Windows
01Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
02Click the Processes tab on the left panel.
03Scroll and locate Spotify.exe.
04Right-click Spotify.exe.
05Click End Task (bottom-right of context menu).
06Open the Start Menu and click Spotify.
Mac
01Click Spotify in Dock (bottom of screen).
02Right-click and select Quit Spotify.
03If unresponsive, press Command + Option + Esc.
04Select Spotify in the Force Quit window.
05Click the Force Quit button (bottom-right).
06Open Launchpad or the Applications folder and relaunch Spotify.
03Clear Spotify Cache
Spotify stores temporary files to help things load faster, but they can get corrupted. Clearing the cache removes those files so Spotify can rebuild them. This often helps when the app keeps freezing or crashing on load.
Mobile (iOS)
01Open the Spotify app.
02Tap the Home tab (bottom-left navigation bar).
03Tap the Settings gear icon (top-right corner).
04Scroll down to Storage.
05Tap Delete Cache.
06Tap Delete Cache again in the confirmation pop-up.
Mobile (Android)
01Open Spotify.
02Tap the Home tab at the bottom navigation.
03Tap the Settings gear icon (top-right).
04Scroll down to Storage.
05Tap Clear Cache.
06Confirm by tapping Clear Cache again.
Desktop (Windows / Mac)
01Open the Spotify desktop app.
02Click your profile avatar (top-right corner).
03Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
04Scroll down and click Show Advanced Settings.
05Under Storage, click Clear Cache.
06Confirm when prompted.
04Restart Your Device
Restarting your phone or computer resets system processes and memory. It can clear hidden errors that affect Spotify and usually helps the app run more smoothly afterward.
iOS
01Press and hold the Side button + Volume Up/Down button.
02Slide the Power Off slider from left to right.
03Wait until the screen turns completely black.
04Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
05Unlock the device and open Spotify.
Android
01Press and hold the Power button (side or back depending on device).
02Tap Restart on the power menu overlay.
03If not available, tap Power Off.
04Wait 10 seconds and press the Power button again.
05Open Spotify from Home Screen.
Windows
01Click the Windows Start button (bottom-left corner).
02Click the Power icon.
03Select Restart from the menu.
04Wait for the reboot screen to complete loading.
05Launch Spotify from desktop or Start Menu.
Mac
01Click the Apple logo (top-left menu bar).
02Select Restart... from the dropdown.
03Click Restart in the confirmation window.
04Wait for the system reboot.
05Open Spotify from Dock or Launchpad.
05Log Out and Log Back into Spotify
Signing out refreshes your account session. If something is off with syncing or login data, logging back in can reset things and stop repeated crashes.
Mobile
01Open Spotify.
02Tap the Home tab (bottom navigation).
03Tap the Settings gear icon (top-right corner).
04Scroll to the bottom of the Settings page.
05Tap Log Out.
06Tap Log Out again in the confirmation pop-up.
07Return to the login screen and re-enter credentials.
Desktop
01Open the Spotify desktop app.
02Click the profile avatar (top-right corner).
03Select Log Out from the dropdown menu.
04Wait for the login screen to load.
05Enter your email/username in the top field.
06Enter your password and click Log In.
06Allow Spotify Through Firewall or Security Settings
Sometimes antivirus software or firewall settings block Spotify from working properly. Allowing it through security settings makes sure it can connect and run without being interrupted.
Windows
01Click the Start Menu and search Control Panel.
02Open the Control Panel app.
03Click System and Security.
04Click Windows Defender Firewall.
05Select Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
06Click the Change settings button (top-right).
07Scroll and find Spotify.exe.
08Tick both Private and Public checkboxes.
09Click OK to save changes.
Mac
01Click the Apple menu (top-left).
02Open System Settings.
03Click Network or Privacy & Security.
04Select Firewall.
05Click the Options... button.
06Locate Spotify in the app list.
07Set it to Allow incoming connections.
08Close the settings window to save.
07Disable Battery Optimization (Android only)
On Android, battery optimization can limit background activity. If Spotify is restricted, it may crash or stop playing music. Turning this off lets Spotify run normally in the background.
For Android
01Go to the Settings app.
02Tap Apps.
03Scroll and select Spotify.
04Tap Battery.
05Tap Battery Optimization.
06Select Not Optimized or Unrestricted.
07Tap Done or the back arrow to save.
08Update Spotify
An outdated version can easily cause bugs or crashes. Updating Spotify makes sure you're getting the latest fixes and improvements that help the app run more smoothly.
iOS
01Open the App Store.
02Tap the profile icon (top-right corner).
03Scroll to Upcoming Automatic Updates or Available Updates.
04Locate Spotify.
05Tap the Update button next to Spotify.
Android
01Open the Google Play Store.
02Tap the profile icon (top-right).
03Tap Manage apps & device.
04Tap Updates available.
05Find Spotify and tap Update.
Desktop
01Open the Spotify desktop app.
02Click the profile avatar (top-right).
03Hover over Help.
04Click About Spotify.
05If an update is available, click Restart to update.
09Update Your System
Your device system also matters. Updating Windows, iOS, or Android can fix compatibility issues that might be causing Spotify to crash in the first place.
iOS
01Open the Settings app.
02Tap General.
03Tap Software Update.
04Tap Download and Install.
05Enter passcode if prompted.
06Wait for restart after installation.
Android
01Open Settings.
02Scroll and tap System.
03Tap Software Update.
04Tap Check for update.
05Download and install updates if available.
Windows
01Click the Start Menu.
02Open Settings.
03Click Windows Update (left panel).
04Click Check for updates.
05Click Restart now if prompted.
Mac
01Click the Apple menu (top-left).
02Open System Settings.
03Click General.
04Click Software Update.
05Click Update Now.
10Reinstall Spotify
If nothing else works, reinstalling can help. It removes broken files and gives you a fresh version of the app, which often fixes more stubborn crashing problems.
Mobile (iOS)
01Press and hold the Spotify app icon on Home Screen.
02Tap Remove App.
03Tap Delete App.
04Open the App Store.
05Tap the search bar at the bottom.
06Type Spotify.
07Tap Install or the cloud download icon.
Mobile (Android)
01Press and hold the Spotify app icon.
02Tap Uninstall.
03Confirm uninstall.
04Open the Google Play Store.
05Tap the search bar at the top.
06Type Spotify.
07Tap Install.
Windows
01Click the Start Menu.
02Search for Add or remove programs.
03Open Apps & Features.
04Scroll and click Spotify.
05Click Uninstall.
06Reinstall from the official Spotify website.
Mac
01Open Finder.
02Go to Applications.
03Drag Spotify to Trash.
04Empty Trash from Dock.
05Go to the Spotify website.
06Download the installer and install Spotify again.
11Perform a Clean Reinstall of Spotify
A clean reinstall goes a bit further. It removes leftover files and hidden data before installing again. This gives Spotify a completely fresh setup, which can help solve deeper or long-term crash issues.
iOS (iPhone / iPad)
01Open Settings, go to General, then tap iPhone Storage or iPad Storage.
02Select Spotify, then tap Delete App.
03Confirm by tapping Delete App again.
04Go to Home Screen, then open the App Store.
05Tap the search bar, search Spotify, then tap Get.
06Install the app, then open Spotify and sign in.
Android
01Open Settings, then tap Apps and open See all apps.
02Select Spotify, then tap Storage & cache.
03Tap Clear cache, then Clear data.
04Tap Uninstall and confirm.
05Open File Manager, go to Android → data, and delete com.spotify.music if present.
06Restart your device.
07Open the Google Play Store, search Spotify, then tap Install.
08Open Spotify and sign in.
Windows
01Open Settings, then go to Apps → Installed apps.
02Select Spotify, then click Uninstall.
03Press Windows + R, type %AppData%, then delete the Spotify folder if present.
04Press Windows + R again, type %LocalAppData%, then remove the Spotify folder if found.
05Restart your PC.
06Go to the Spotify website, download the installer, then install Spotify.
07Open Spotify and log in.
macOS
01Open Finder, go to Applications, then drag Spotify to Trash.
02Empty Trash.
03Click Go, hold Option, then open Library.
04Delete Spotify in Application Support and Caches if present.
05Restart your Mac.
06Go to the Spotify website and download the app.
07Install Spotify, then open it and sign in.
Part 3. Alternative Ways to Use Spotify When It Keeps Crashing
Some Spotify users deal with crashing issues from time to time. Even after fixing it once, the problem can sometimes come back later. It is never a great experience when you try to listen to music knowing the app might crash at any moment without warning. But is there a way to avoid Spotify crashes completely? Yes, with ViWizard Spotify Music Converter, you can download Spotify content and play it using any media player on your phone or computer. Since the songs are saved locally, you do not need the Spotify app anymore, which means you can avoid app glitches altogether.
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Adam Gorden, the digital media specialist at ViWizard, is dedicated to providing the best solutions for digital media management, including audio and video conversion, file optimization, and media workflow enhancements.
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