Data being used playing downloaded music

[godzero]

Plan

Premium

Country

USA

Device

Pixel 3

Operating System

Android 11

My Question or Issue

When playing downloaded albums or playlists in my car, network data is being used. It didn't start doing this until recently, after an update I guess.

Please fix asap as it's cost me many dollars already.

Thanks.

[Ivan]

Hey @godzero, 

Thanks for posting - we’re here to help!

First up, try restarting the device and logging out and back in to your Spotify account.  If the issue persists after that, you might need to run a clean reinstall of the Spotify app. This will ensure no corrupted cache is causing the app to use mobile data. 

You can also try disabling any power saving or data cleaning settings on your Android device. Alternatively, you can try authorizing Spotify to run without restrictions despite the mentioned settings being enabled. Make sure you try this since such features can often prevent the app from operating at full capacity.

Hope this helps. Keep us posted.

[godzero]

I tried all those things and it didn't help - but thanks for he suggestions.

What is need is a setting to download from wifi only, like many other apps have.

[CarlosE]

Hey @godzero,

Thanks for keeping in touch.

When the app is online it'll still connect to the servers and use data for streaming even when playing content that you've downloaded. To avoid this, you must download your content and then enable the Offline Mode by following the steps you'll find here.

You can also find an option to download content using WiFi only in the app's Settings > Download using cellular. When that option is toggled off, your content won't be downloaded using your mobile data.

Keep us in the loop on how it goes. If you have any questions, give us a shout.

Cheers.

[godzero]

Download over WiFi only is good, seems to work ok.

The problem is that it will play non-downloaded tracks when not on WiFi. This can cause a lot of data usage on the cell network. This is because the daily lists are updated multiple times a day, at random intervals (hich they shouldn't be in my view). I make sure they're updated before I leave home but still get tracks playing that haven't been downloaded.

There needs to be a "play only on WiFi" option.

Thanks

[OscarDC]

Hey @godzero,

Thank you for keeping in contact.

Remember that the Offline mode avoids the usage of mobile data when the music is not fully downloaded on your device. However, if you think others may like the idea of having a "play only on WiFi" option, you can submit an Idea to our Idea Exchange board.

We'd recommend taking a look at the Guidelines before posting it to avoid any rejections. More info on how your feedback reaches Spotify via the Idea Exchange can be found here.

If anything else comes up, the Community will be here for you.

[godzero]

The problem with Offline Mode is that it sometimes prevents anything being played at all. I gave up using that method as it was too unpredictable.

As for asking whether other people want "play on WiFi only", I don't understand why it hasn't been implemented as a standard feature, like other streaming services.

However, if there's a way to enlist other people to support this request, please let me know.

Thanks