Summary
- It’s not just you: Spotify on Android freezes/crashes on some Wi‑Fi; works on mobile data.
- Spotify says teams are investigating the Wi‑Fi issue (mainly Samsung, Pixel); no ETA yet.
- Annoying fixes: disable Wi‑Fi to use mobile data, or download playlists/podcasts offline.
Have you noticed the Spotify app freezing on your Android phone in the middle of your music listening session? Or does it appear to work weirdly when it’s connected to Wi-Fi? It’s not just you: the app is currently having issues, and thankfully, Spotify is already aware.
A growing number of Spotify users on Android are reporting significant performance issues, including freezing and crashing. The problems, which appear to have started approximately two weeks ago, seem to be directly linked to Wi-Fi connectivity, with the app functioning normally when users switch to mobile data. The issue itself appears to vary in severity, with some folks experiencing occasional slowdowns and others having the app fully broken.
Reports from affected users have flooded Spotify’s official forums, with dozens detailing similar experiences of the app becoming unresponsive or closing unexpectedly. The issue does not seem to be universal, thankfully, but a substantial number of users have been impacted, just enough to consider the issue widespread. Spotify has officially acknowledged the issue, stating:
We’ve received reports from Android users (mainly Samsung and Google Pixel) experiencing issues where the Spotify app becomes unresponsive, freezes, or crashes when connected to certain WiFi networks. The issue doesn’t occur while using mobile data.
The company has confirmed that its technical teams are actively investigating the matter, but as of now, there is no official timeline for a resolution. Some have speculated that it may be related to the app’s interaction with Chromecast-enabled devices on the same Wi-Fi network. The issue appears to be most prevalent among owners of Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices, though reports have surfaced from users of other Android-based smartphones as well, so it’s definitely not a scientific stat.
The most effective, albeit inconvenient, solution right this instant is to disable Wi-Fi on their device and use mobile data when streaming music through the Spotify app. This is annoying—if you need to use your phone while you stream music, this would essentially mean that you can’t connect to your Wi-Fi network to browse the web. Alternatively, you can download playlists and podcasts for offline listening, which would bypass any connectivity-related issues you might have.
Hopefully, Spotify will release a proper fix soon.
Source: 9to5Google
