Blank page and no access to settings when behind a firewall

[tompabes]

Hi guys,

Recently (after the last update, I think), whenever you have an internet connection but you can't reach the server, Spotify just shows a blank screen and you can't access your offline music or even the settings page, which is blank as well (see attachment).

This is a big problem when you're logged on a wifi where the sysadmin blocks connection to streaming music services, such as in many workplaces, schools and universities, because you can't listen to your offline music anymore, while this should be the major selling point of a premium subscription.

I'd like to point out that if you turn on the offline mode, Spotify works again. I know it. The problem is that you can't access your settings to do it.

The app now seems to assume that, if you have a wifi connection, then you MUST be able to contact the server. It wasn't like that before.

Btw, I never understood why you would need an "offline mode"... if I can't contact the server, just let me play the music I have downloaded. And the app actually worked like this until the last update.

Now I'm forced to either put the app in offline mode *before* logging on a wifi that blocks access to spotify or, if I'm already logged, I have to turn on the airplane mode, put spotify in offline mode and then turn off the airplane mode again.

Both solutions are not acceptable for an app that should be the market leader, especially because there's not a technical reason to force users to manually tell the application "stop trying to contact the server and just show my downloaded songs!". But if you have decided that, to give a meaning to the offline mode, we're now forced to turn it on, al least please let me access the settings.

I'd like to know if Spotify is aware of this issue and if they plan to solve it. 

P.S.: don't tell me to try to clear the cache, clear data, logout and login again, reinstall the application because I've tried all of them before understanding that the problem is exactly what I have said above.

Thanks in advance!

Tom.

[bgelinas83]

I'm having the exact same issue as a lot of people are and still no word from spotify. Why am I paying for premium service when I can't even get free service. Seriously thinking about just switching to something else.

[tompabes]

I'm checking other services too. I tried Napster but it doesn't seem to have all the artists I have on Spotify, then I tried Deezer and it seems to have everything I have right now. The app is not as good, but as good as Spotify may be, it's useless if it doesn't work.

I think I'll also try google play music, then I'll decide what to do... I'll wait for a month and see if the bug is fixed (I still like spotify more than the other apps), but otherwise I'll switch.

What I want is a flawless service, while with Spotify there's always some kind of issue... sometimes your albums disappear and you have to reset the app and download everything again, other times your device deletes everything telling you that you're above the 3 synchronized device limit (I have only 3 devices!), and now this one...

[user-removed]

Hey there.

I'm sorry you have this problem.

To resolve this stuff! In first place do a clean reinstall, if no help to this, please come back with details.

Your App version

Your Android phone version

Your phone model

When problem was here at first time (after previous update etc).?

More details you might think important.

I'm here and more than happy to escalate this if clean reinstall do nothing.

Greetz!

[stuartjohn]

Having exact problem as described above.

Not as savvy as the OP so can't get anything working. In China, so have a spotty connection even on WiFi. So app sometimes doesn't load at all. Get same blank page as before. I'm a paying customer and until the last update happy. Will use a rival if not fixed soon sorry 😞

Fantastic app when it works though 😄

[user-removed]

Hey there stuartjohn - how is in China?

Thank you for your message.

Have you tried to reinstall app? If no help, I can escalate this to team, so please try this out and let me know if reinstall do nonthing. So I send a kind notice to developers.

Greetz!

[stuartjohn]

Yeah hard rebooted my phone and uninstalled app few times. Problem and image matches that in OP. When on 3G (notoriously bad in Beijing) nothing loads, on my home WiFi difficult to recreate the problem but 50% of the time doesn't load (as picture in OP suggests). I suspect its down to internet connection as would account for irregularities. I'm with OP, if can't connect server why doesn't it automatically switch to offline mode. App worked great till last update...and on the whole very happy with it.

Nexus 5
Android 5.0
Not rooted
Not custom ROM.

I'm also using a VPN but problem persists either on or off.

Thanks 😄

[user-removed]

Thank you. I have reported this issue, you should get more information in near future here.

[thai2000]

Same problem here.

I did reinstall , did not help.

Clear everything .. yes everything , reinstalled app and a few playlists..

Did not help...

I try to close  the app... rerstart app and then i get the full listings of playlists to see.

Strange problem , i have this problem after the last update .

[bgelinas83]

I have had this problem for which seems maybe the past week or two. Not sure when last update was. Here are my specs;

Spotify ver.1.8.0.993

Android ver. 4.4.4

Phone. HTC one M8

Nothing but a black screen. I need my music!!!!

[tompabes]

I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one to experience this problem, and to see that others noticed that the problem emerged after the last update.

Now I can tell you how you should be able to reproduce the problem, because I did it at home.

I checked with OS Monitor which servers the app was currently using at the moment while playing, then I added the following two rules to my firewall, to DROP connections towards those networks:

194.132.168.0/8:*

88.221.14.0/8:*

Then I terminated and restarted Spotify and the screen went blank.

It's worth noting that, when I replaced DROP with REJECT in the firewall, Spotify decided to switch to different networks and started working again. This makes me think that the app malfunctions when it can't connect to the server but doesn't receive an explicit connection denial, such as with a DROP rule in the firewall or when the internet connection is present but very poor as described by stuartjohn.

Of course, removing the firewall block solved the issue as well. 

Here is the data you requested:

- the application version is 1.8.0.993

- the problem has been verified on three devices: Xperia V with Android 4.3, Nexus 7 with Android 4.4.4, and Oneplus One with the latest firmware (4.4.4 I think). The Oneplus One was of a colleague of mine, so it's not a problem with my account either.

- I tried anyway to delete data, delete cache, logout/login, uninstall/reinstall, nothing worked

Please let me know if you need further information.

Tom.

[stuartjohn]

Found a temporary fix this morning. While on WiFi switch spotify to "offline mode" then you will have access to files downloaded for when you are commuting to work. When return to WiFi turn off "offline mode" (in settings) and continue as notmal.

This is obviously a pretty big bug in the update. Spotify please get on and fix this....

[thai2000]

Not possible for me because I cannot got to the settings menu when Spotify is starting. I force Spotify to close and retry and most of the time it works then.

[Pete]

Hey everyone,

Thank you for the above information. We're going to pass this on to the relevant team for further investigation. We'll update this topic as soon as we have further information.

[Pete · Accepted solution]

Hey guys,

Just to follow up, this issue should now be resolved in the latest app update on Android. Let us know if you're still experiencing this issue!

[thai2000]

Ok looks better. .now do something about the massive battery usage when using connect.

[tompabes]

Hi Pete, 

I can confirm that the problem is solved! Thank you very much for your help and to the developers for the quick fix.

[Gk53cyyg5]

Not solved.  I just downloaded the app so I must have the most recent version. Tried many times, still got the blank page.  Spotify is VERY unfriendly. My solution:  tap on Spotify icon, Uninstall.   

[Mihail]

Hey there @Gk53cyyg5,

Thanks for searching for the answer you need here!

We can confirm that this issue was fixed a while back. If a black screen opens in the settings menu, the root cause of the problem is most likely a different one. To confirm that we're on the same page - you are also experiencing this when connected to a network, that has Spotify blocked behind a firewall and only the settings menu is affected, correct? 

We recommend that you perform a clean reinstall of the app. It's possible that some of the files have gotten corrupted and are causing such issues. You can find the necessary steps here. Be sure to also restart your device, this is a simple, but often overlooked step.

If the issue persists after that, it would be really helpful if you could post the model/ OS system of your device and the Spotify version as well as a screenshot of what you see. Just make sure that there's no private/sensitive info displayed. 

Hope this helps. Let us know how you get on.

Have a nice day!