[Android 4.4.2+]Cache on external SD card is possible

[Joe]

It seems a lot of folk running android 4.4.2+ have had trouble getting spotify to use an external SD card for its cache. I just bought a card for my android so I thought I'd give it a try and it worked!

My mobile

• Samsung Galagy Note 3 - android 4.4.2
• Samsung 64GB SDXC UHS-1 card
• Spotify 1.1.0.113

Steps I took

• Cleared spotify cache from options
• Uninstalled spotify
• Inserted SD card
• Used file explorer to delete residual folder \android\data\com.spotify.music in internal storage (also delete the folder com.spotify.mobile.android.ui if it exists)
• Installed spotify music
• Played some tracks

I still see a com.spotify.music folder in internal storage but it's empty now.

If you have previously been using spotify with an external SD card, I recommend that, in addition to the steps above, you reformat the card in the phone before reinstalling spotify music.

[user-removed]

Ok well as the phone I have is a week new and the android spotify app I got is new it would seem that all cache and user information is going to the SD card. I do have that same empty file spotify folder on internal, so all is good. What is the proper steps when I do update to a bigger SD card? Do I delete the cache only or all data off of the spotify app, then turn off phone and then change SD cards out, turn phone on and then start spotify again?

[Joe]

Clearing the cache from spotify settings should do the trick before swapping cards, yes.

[sturmen]

Thanks man, worked like a charm. I didn't bother removing/inserting my SD card; it still did the trick with it in the entire time.

[Liam]

I'm nitpicking, but Android is UNIX based so you should really be using a forward slash in the file path 🙂

[Walder1234]

THANKYOU! this worked for me. Basically I think the gist of it is to uninstall the app and reinstall it, making sure you manually remove spotify folders from the internal storage before reinstall.

[Joe]

Yeah. My post is totally belt and braces to cater for all possible situations. Glad I could help 🙂

[Morice]

I cannot delete the folder com.spotify.mobile.android.ui, but its empty. how can that be?

[Joe]

If it's on your external SD card, connect to your PC and delete it from there. You did uninstall spotify first?

[Morice]

Yes I did. 

Even on the computer I says, that the folder ist protectet from writing and I can't delete it. 

Is it possible that the reason is Directory Bind? I unmount the Binding, but it doesn't delete the Folder.

Edit: Works now, thank you man! The problem was Directory Bind. 

[rano26]

I have a samsung note 3 too with 32g internal memory and an external with 16g. I've tried different ways to save the music to my external memory like clean the cache, download extreme quality, delete the folder of spotify in my file, uninstall spotify then reinstall, etc. but it doesn't work. Help please. I also tried what you did but it didn't work. Maybe there's still something that I haven't tried that might work this time. Thanks.

[Joe]

Spotify will always install the cache in the location with the greatest free space @rano26 so you either need to get a bigger SD card or temporarily fill up internal storage with junk files then follow the steps in the first post.

[rano26]

Ok thanks.

[Megatastic]

Can anyone comment on upgrading to Android 4.4? I have several Gigabytes of offline music on my SD card in my Xperia Tablet Z running Android 4.3. Sony have just pushed the Android 4.4 update to my tablet and I'm hesitant to upgrade it in case my music disapears. Has anyone else updated recently? Does the SD card offline data stay put when upgrading to 4.4? Thanks.

[Joe]

As long as you are using the most recent version of spotify music, it should be fine as the cache should be recognised as belonging to it and the app should retain full rights to the cache folders.

[maslura]

On my tablet Acer Iconia A1-810 Spotify used to save the cache on external SD card.

Two days ago I upgraded the tablet at Android 4.4. Now launching for the first time Spotify says "No external SD card found" and then creates the cache in the internal memory. I uninstalled and reinstalled Spotify, deleting all the Spotify directories and formatting the SD card, but the error persists.

Anyone else has this problem?

[Joe]

How did you format the SD card? It's usually best to do this in the device and may be worth rechecking that it is physically inserted correctly. Do other apps see the external SD card?

[maslura]

I formatted the SD in the pc, the tablet has no command to format or cancel the SD, only mount and unmount it. By now I don't know if other apps see the SD, i can copy and delete files on it.

[scdavide70]

I have already downloaded 4.5G on the internal memory. There is any tips for moving themto external memory, instead of deleting and re-download?

Many thanks

Davide

[Joe]

It can't be done I'm afraid @scdavide70 .