[ANDROID] music keeps stopping when playing in the background

[KA1999]

Everytime I open my app, it tells me to turn on the "allow to play in background" option but this has been switched on since I installed the app. Now I'm unable to listen to my music (both from the app and local files) because the app keeps stopping the audio after a minute or so of playing. I've tried everything but it seems to be due to an update they implemented.

[Eni]

Hey there @KA1999, 

Thanks for reaching out and welcome to the Community!

Can you let us know exactly which troubleshooting steps you've already tried? This is so we don't repeat anything.

If you haven't already, it's worth running a clean reinstall of the app by following these steps. This will help removing any cached files that might be causing trouble. Make sure to restart your phone afterwards.

Keep us posted on how it goes.

[KA1999]

For starters I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app, force closing and reopening the app and even clearing the cache manually. The music will only play for a few seconds to a minute then it'll stop and I have to press play again which will restart the song. 

I've also checked the settings repeatedly because I kept getting a pop up saying that I must allow background play for the music. I have these settings on and they've been on for years. 

[AgentE0464]

I'm actually glad that someone else is having the same problem as I am.

I actually did turn off background usage for a week, and turned it back on. But now it keeps stopping my music everytime to load an AD, and it also stops my music during my "free" 30 minutes.

I also did a factory install of the App.

Needless to say. It didn't work.

[Eni]

Hey @KA1999, 

Thanks for your quick reply. 

If a clean reinstall using this guide didn't do the trick, there're also a few other things we can try. Can you make sure that Spotify has all necessary permissions enabled?
 

1. Open your Settings menu.
2. Scroll to the bottom to find Spotify and open the app settings.
3. Enable everything you see.

It's also a good idea to exclude the app from any Battery optimization software that might be active on your smartphone.

If the issue persists, could you let us know the exact make/model, operating system and Spotify version of your device?

We'll be on the lookout. 

[KA1999]

Everything is enabled, nothing is working to solve the problem. I'm operating android app version 8.7.92.521 on a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with android 13.

[AlejaR]

Hey @KA1999,

Thanks for your reply and for the info shared.

In this case, we'd like to gather some additional info. Is this happening over WiFi? 3G/4G? Both? Do you notice any difference if you switch the internet connection you're using? Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

On another note, is it happen if you open a different account on the affected device? It’d be awesome if you could check. You can ask for the account of a relative or a friend to open it in your device and check.
 

Lastly, did you notice if this started to happen after a specific event, such as an OS update? If yes, please send us the details.

Keep us in the loop!

[KA1999]

It happens on WiFi, 4G and 5G. Each one is the same, it'll play for roughly a minute then abruptly stops. I'm testing it on my iPad Pro 2017 and it's working fine so it is the android app itself that this bug is affecting. 

I want to guess it happened during the last app update for Spotify on the Google play store. I'm not a beta tester either. 

[AlejaR]

Hey @KA1999,

Thanks for your reply and for the info shared.

Would you mind sending us a screenshot of the message you mentioned you received? It'll help us visualize better what you kindly described. Be aware this is a public space, so please don't share any personal info on the screenshot you'll send us.
 

On another note (and just to confirm), is there an external SD card installed on  the affected device? If yes, you can remove it and reinstall the app in the internal memory of your device. Make sure to use the app without inserting the SD card again. Let us know how it goes.
 

Lastly. would you mind trying to open a different account on the affected device? You can create a free account or ask a relative or a friend their account, so you can open it in your device and check.

Keep us in the loop!

[KA1999]

I haven't got an SD card in my phone as Samsung no longer allow that on their newer phones so I only have internal storage. 

It doesn't affect my iPad app oddly enough, only the android app.

[Joan]

Hi @KA1999,

Thanks for the info. Have you made sure to check all battery optimization settings on your device and exclude Spotify from them? This is what most typically causes this behaviour. Also, if you use any third party battery or memory optimization apps, try deactivating those.

Hope this helps.

[KA1999]

I haven't got any battery optimisation settings on nor any third party apps relating to it. I'm still unsure how to fix this. 

[Vasil]

Hey @KA1999,

Thanks for letting us know.

There's this neat link to an article with additional settings you can tweak. They are, however, for Android 11 and I saw in a previous post that you're using Android 13. Some of the settings may be placed elsewhere or look slightly different. I'd still encourage you to test them out though!

Hope this helps 🙂

[KA1999]

I've had a look in my settings but it's still not working. My music still keeps stopping. 

[AlejaR]

Hey @KA1999,

Thanks for all your help and for the info shared so far. 

To continue isolating this behavior, would you mind opening a different account on your Android device? You can ask for the account of a relative or a friend to open it in your affected device and check. You can create a free test account for open it in your mobile device and check. Let us know if this is still happening on that different account.
 

On another note, can you replicate this on a different Android cellphone? It'd be awesome if you could check. You can ask for the mobile device of a relative or a friend to open your account and check.
 

Keep us in the loop!

[KA1999]

I've tried it on a few android devices. It doesn't affect my iPad as I have tried it on there also. I thought it could be my account in some way but I can't think of anything that could cause it. I've also asked some friends to check their Spotify (apple and android users) and it doesn't appear to be affecting their accounts. 

[OscarDC]

Hey @KA1999,

Thank you for keeping in contact. 

To check if the issue could be account-related, would you mind letting a friend or family member log their account on your phone to see if the issue persists? This will give us a better look at the issue.

We'll be on the lookout.

[jjxu368_3-qh]

This happens constantly for me STILL.

Android 13, Sony Xperia 5 iii, latest version of app, often only after a couple of songs and in the middle of playback.

I've disabled all battery saving options for Spotify so it can't be that

[KA1999]

I've done every suggestion you've given me and nothing is working. 

[Alex]

Hi folks,

Can you try logging in with a different account on one of your devices, on which you're having the issue. This way we can check if the issue is caused by the device itself or the original account you're using. 

Keep us posted.