Cannot Play Downloaded Podcasts Offline

[rkumon]

Plan:  Free

Country: United States

Device: Samsung Galaxy S5 (SM-G900P)

Operating System: Android 6.0.1

Spotify Version: 8.6.88.1104

My Question or Issue:

I am having trouble getting Spotify to play downloaded podcasts (e.g., Armchair Expert) while my device is disconnected from the Internet. I watch the episodes being downloaded until I see the "green down arrow", then I disconnect the WiFi. When I try to play the files, the app complains that there is "No Internet connection available" and will not play   Of course, that statement is correct, but it is my understanding the file should still play, as it has been downloaded. 

According to https://support.spotify.com/us/article/listen-offline/ there is supposed to be an option in the Settings under Playback to switch "Offline" on, but I do not see that option available under Playback.  I was under the impression that even under the Free plan that podcasts could be downloaded and played offline. 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[MafeG · Accepted solution]

Hi @rkumon,

Welcome to the Community and thank you for posting!

At the moment, the Offline Mode switch is available only on Premium accounts. But regardless of that option, with a free subscription you still can download and play podcasts.

Now, are you downloading the episodes to an external SD card? If you are, please switch to the phone's internal storage and try again.

If the issue persists, it's a good idea to clean reinstall of the app, as this one is more thorough than a regular one and can be helpful to get rid of any cache that might be causing trouble. 

Let us know how this goes.

[rkumon]

Thank you for the prompt response.  I found that the files were being saved to the SD card.  The app would not allow me to change to internal storage, so I uninstalled the app and then reinstalled.  I then immediately changed the storage location to the internal storage before the app had a chance to download the files again.  I then downloaded the files again, and now the app appears to be able to play the files while the phone is offline. As such, the problem appears to be resolved.

Thanks for your help!

[Kiril]

Hey @rkumon,

Thanks for getting back and letting us know that everything works fine now 🙂

Remember to always keep your Spotify app updated, so you don't miss any possible fixes or new features. Also, don't hesitate to give us a shout if you have more questions or need other help with the app.

Have a good day and stay safe!