[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.

[jl_]

I read somewhere that if you set the download quality to "Extreme", Spotify will always save to an SD card instead of internal storage.

I have no idea if that "always" is correct; but it worked for me.

[ajzdaddy]

IT WORKS!!! 😄 😄 😄 (LG LS740)

I didn't even have to format my SD.  THAAAANK YOU!!!

[heishzeit]

Hi,

I'm having some problems with offline syncing.

I have a Galaxy S4 with KitKat 4.4.4.

Spotify out of the blue stopped syncing my songs, saying that I don't have enough space.

The thing is that I have around 500 MB left on internal memory, but close to 60 GB left on my SD card.

I tried uninstalling/reinstalling, removing folders/cache, formating the card, using the sdfix or something like that, all to no avail. I did also followed the steps in the first post and they didn't work as well.

My problem is different, though: after doing that, I noticed that Spotify is in fact using the external storage. I checked and I have the folders with the songs and the storage was being filled while it was syncing. But as always, after some songs it just stopped. I didn't reach the limit, I had around 1.300 songs so I guess the problem might be something else.

Can anybody help me?

Thanks in advance.

[kalngford]

How did you deal with Directory bind? I can't delete the cache through the spotify app, or the application manager. Or when I do it through my computer

[Daniel]

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@kalngford wrote:

How did you deal with Directory bind? I can't delete the cache through the spotify app, or the application manager. Or when I do it through my computer

---

This seems to be an android bug, and it strangely seems to mainly affect Samsung devices (you can search the Internet and find the same). The easiest way to get rid of these folders is to first uninstall the Spotify app from the phone. Now backup all data from the SD card to a computer and then perform a full format wiping everything on the card.

Insert the card back into the phone and again format it in the phone to create the right directory tree & structure.

After this install Spotify, log in and it should now be working correctly. You can then restore your pictures etc back to the SD card from your backup.

[Abel89er]

Same problem here, I follow steps but spotify does whatever he wants, furthermore, it lies android saying to it that the files are on the sd card while they are on internal HDD. Any other way to do it? Old app or something like before?

It's a total crap that this is always happening due to lazy app devolopment. No other app has trouble with this. Not Real Racing, not galery.

[doomentia]

I seem to have them saving properly on Xperia z1. Both of my file managers say the files are only on my SD card, with nothing from spotify even in android/data/. When I check the storage in my phone settings it still includes them as being on the device, saying they're taking up room along with the app.
Is this normal? Are they really on my SD card, but because they're cached to the app my phone is giving me an inaccurate read?

[culturalchemy]

Worked like a charm, try it! Just reformat the SD card (unload it first), remove it, remove Spotify, restart the phone, get the SD in again, re install Spotify and it works. I also emptied the Spotify cache first just in case (Galaxy Note II). Thanx! 

[eql]

I've tried formatting the sd card, removing any cache from internal storage, re-installing, removing the sd card, etc. Nothing is really working. I either get a message that it can't detect any sd card OR it just continually crashes with "Spotify has unfortunatelly stopped."

Strangely, of my 58.53gb sd card (advertised as 64gb), it shows available space as 36.99 even after I've formatted. There's nothing on there--stock file explorer and SD maid show that it's empty (says its used up by the system). Is that my old Spotify cache that I can't access due to Android 4.4.2 update limiting write access to sd cards?

[Daniel]

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@eql wrote:

I've tried formatting the sd card, removing any cache from internal storage, re-installing, removing the sd card, etc. Nothing is really working. I either get a message that it can't detect any sd card OR it just continually crashes with "Spotify has unfortunatelly stopped."

Strangely, of my 58.53gb sd card (advertised as 64gb), it shows available space as 36.99 even after I've formatted. There's nothing on there--stock file explorer and SD maid show that it's empty (says its used up by the system). Is that my old Spotify cache that I can't access due to Android 4.4.2 update limiting write access to sd cards?

---

That is odd. I wonder if you've partitioned it previously? I suggest you use a partition manager on PC to format it and check if there are any hidden partitions which should be deleted and the free space merged into the existing partition. 

[eql]

I was able to read my sd card through another device that wasn't Android and that allowed me to finally see the files. I see the com.spotify.music folder that has my old cache, but the entire SD card is completely write protected. I've checked the "lock" thing, tried this SD formatter tool, tried to format on both Mac and Wins disk management/utility, tried other sd cards just to be sure it wasn't anything else, and I cannot for the life of me format this stupid thing. With the Android update, it basically set permissions on everything and I'm powerless to get rid of the old Spotify files or anything else. So beyond frustrating that I'm stuck.

[Daniel]

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@eql wrote:

I was able to read my sd card through another device that wasn't Android and that allowed me to finally see the files. I see the com.spotify.music folder that has my old cache, but the entire SD card is completely write protected. I've checked the "lock" thing, tried this SD formatter tool, tried to format on both Mac and Wins disk management/utility, tried other sd cards just to be sure it wasn't anything else, and I cannot for the life of me format this stupid thing. With the Android update, it basically set permissions on everything and I'm powerless to get rid of the old Spotify files or anything else. So beyond frustrating that I'm stuck.

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Sometimes cards have a physical lock. Try putting th card into the adapter it came with and move the hardware switch up to remove write protection. Now keep the card in the adapter and using a card reader format the card in a PC.

[lordofdascrews]

I Have cleared the cache and data then uninstalled the app but the folders in the internal memory dont seem to exist and the app is still reinstaling to the device instead of the SD card

[Daniel]

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@lordofdascrews wrote:

I Have cleared the cache and data then uninstalled the app but the folders in the internal memory dont seem to exist and the app is still reinstaling to the device instead of the SD card

---

Hi, the app will always install onto phone memory... However what this thread is discussing is how to ensure the cache (offline downloaded playlists, albums etc) are stored to the SD card.

[thaoploeg]

It still wont work for me, i have a HTC m8 and have cleared the cache and data uninstalled the app but havnt been able to find the folder to delete.  i have greater memory on my external SD then my internal phone memory i have even tried the 'extreme' quality that didnt work, im lost any help? i feel as if i have followed all the steps (even if i missed some above) please anything else?

[thaoploeg]

i cant even find the folder to delete its not on my phone storage or SD card storage when using file manager on the phone or htc manager on the computer, i have followed every other step besides re formatting the SD card as i want to avoid losing documents. 

any other advise? 

[rawkinrich]

Guys,

I've messed about so much with this, can you take a look at the attachments and let me know if the sh*t is indeed saving to my SD?

Cheers.

[sturmen · Accepted solution]

The best way to check is to browse your internal storage with a file manager and make sure /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.spotify is either empty or nonexistent.

[thai2000]

My datafile on the sd card isallways getting bigger .

Every time when there are new songs available they are downloaded.But is it no so that sometimes old songs are deleted from the playlists to save place on the sd card ?

Will this happen automatiqly or how does that work ?

Please help

[vegasmassimo]

so whats the deal with this spotify and the SD card .. why can it just simply be moved to the SD card like almost every other app ??

i have a goofy LG F3Q phone and yes its a brand new phone came out this year.. i love it because the full slide out QWERTY keyboard..  very limited on board memory - 4gb.. thats it.. so i have a 32gb SD card..  but spotify is one of those programs it will NOT allow it to move to SD card

do i need to root my phone to move this app ? .. and of course i have no clue how to do that so i will need to pay some geek in a wireless shop to do it for me