Spotify crashes on Android

[user-removed]

Hi,

Spotify systematically crashes on my Android phone after 20 to 30 minutes of usage. Every single time. 

This started in mid February somewhen. The fist time it crashed during playing a long track (1h+ from Spotify - not my own). 

Since then it got worse and worse. For the past 2 weeks, it crashed every single time. 

Android version 8.0.0 not rooted / clean

Device: Nokia 5

Android memory monitor says that the app uses 128MB of memory at most

The app seems to have a bit of a hard time when I look at other apps while listening to Spotify (the output is not very clean as if it was struggling - in offline and online mode)

So far I tried:

- Clearing the cache

- Clearing all app data

- Re-install

- All of the above combined

- Offline mode only

- Going in and out of offline mode whilst Spotify is playing (on thread online mentioned it)

- Turning off the notification player (the home screen widget)

Nothing works. If Spotify can't fixe this I will have to stop using the service. It is extremely sub standard as a listening experience. 

[Hangie]

You should contact spotify, to call neither mail them. I otherwise don't know how to fix the issue, maybe a worker knows how to.

[worhan666]

I'm having the exact same issue on the exact same device. I think it started when I updated my Nokia 5 to Android 8.0. I've also tried all the same steps with no help whatsoever. I also disabled Spotify from battery optimisation, which was also suggested in other posts I found on Spotify related crashes on Android.

Spotify team, this looks like a device specific issue, is there anything we can do to help diagnosing this (any logs we can attach)? This is a serious issue for a paid service.

Also, it's a weird sort of crash, because usually Android informs me that an app has stopped working with a pop-up. Unless that's something that's changed in 8.0 and I'm not aware of it

[user-removed]

Interesting.

My crashes also starting happening after the update to Android 8.0

I initially blamed it on a very long track (1 hour+) that I downloaded from the Spotify library (Spotify is known to crash on long tracks). I assumed that the file system got corrupted.

I didn't make the connection to Android 8.0.

One thing that I did find to extend the lifetime between crashes was:

- Force stop spotify

- Clear cache

- Unistall spotify

- Restart Android

- Install an SD card cleaner app (SD Maid)

- Install a cache cleaner app (Clean Master)

- Run the cache cleaner

- Run the SD card cleaner

- Restart

- Install spotify (but don't open it!)

- Go to settings and grant spotify the rights on storage

- Start spotify, log-in and see if it behaves better

Frankly, i am not sure if all of it is necessary but it's a mishmash of all the resolutions for similar problems I have seen online.

The app still crashes but not as fast. I am suspecting bad code and bad memory management.

But I now I stopped using Spotify on mobile altogether and won't renew my yearly subscription when it ends unless it gets solved.

[Chefluigi]

Mine won't even open the app anymore after latest android update and I'm using a note 8. Really sucks because it's the only music I have  😞 

[user-removed]

It seems like a trend. The update to the latest version of Android.

worhan666 flagged it. Same device as me. Android 8.0.0 too.

I personnaly reverted back to the old iPod + downloading mixes from the net. But it's less of a big deal for me as:

- I love electronic music and Spotify has 0 1h+ mixes (I found out painfully after the fact)

- Spotify still works on the iPad at home to play mainstream music when I have guests visiting

- My Spotify subscription is included in my mobile contract. I pay pretty much nothing for it. If I was paying £9 a month, I would be livid.

Let's hope that the Spotify team picks this up otherwise they will lose customers in troves.

[worhan666]

Has anyone tried a factory reset after receiving the Android 8.0 update? I'm going to try it at some point later, however currently I can't due it due to lots of work related apps running on my phone.

[thomasn75]

Same issue here on Nokia 6 android 8 frustrating.

[worhan666]

For me it usually happens within one hour of starting the app - my commute from work to home takes around 40 minutes, and I have to restart the app at least once during this time

@thomasn75 can you click "Me too" on the original post? Maybe it will become more visible to the support team then

[Chefluigi]

I got in contact with a service rep and we solved the issue! Some newer phones haven't fully launched into android Oreo. Spotify has a hard time communicating without.

Uninstall spotify and clear your data for it  

Then use the link below to download an older version of spotify. Once your phone is running Android Oreo then you should be able to update to the newest version of spotify. Hope this helps!!

it. https://d1clcicqv97n4s.cloudfront.net/android/s5/SpotifyAndroid.apk

[user-removed]

Thank you for the pointer Chefluigi.

My Nokia 5 has Android oreo. The full version. Nokia was one of the first manufacturers to implement it.

It is actually after the Android 8 update that it started crashing. It may not be linked at all but the timings may be near.

Just to confirm, are you suggesting to install an old version of spotify?

- Your link seem so indicate something for the Samsung Galaxy S5?

- I am a bit uneasy about downloading things from a random place on the Internet. especially as Androind phones are vulnerable to attacks.

- When the phone decides to update the app again, then what?

I wish someone from Spotify could actually pick this up.

[Chefluigi]

I received the link posted from spotify tech support. After troubleshooting
every possible culprit, they found the newest version of spotify doesn't
communicate with the most current OS on the note 8. To solve the issue we
installed an older version of spotify and it resolved the issue. As for
when the phone updates the app, that's ultimately up to you to allow. Turn
off auto app updates and you should have no issue.

[worhan666]

I'm yet to try this APK, I'm always weary about installing stuff outside of the Play Store.

Has anybody else tried this?

@Chefluigi what route did you take to contact Spotify directly, I can't find any contact forms

Issue still exists.

[Chefluigi]

I went to spotify.com and clicked on customer service and a live chat
option appeared. The issue has been resolved for me since the latest
android update

[worhan666]

Hey, thanks I'll try that. After this nights update my app crashed twice
during a 30 minute bike ride. Annoying.

[Chefluigi]

Very annoying!! Mine wouldn't even open so I was without music at all for a
few weeks before figuring out this loophole. I hope everything works out
for you!

[worhan666]

@ IanDL

My Nokia 5 has been updated to Android 8.1, and it SEEMS that the problem is gone, haven't had this weird crash for the lest couple of bus commutes. Can you try? Maybe I'm just being lucky, so it would be good to verify on the same exact phone 🙂 Cheers

[user-removed]

Hi,

I am sorry I can't confirm / help. Based on 2 months of misery, I closed my
Spotify premium last week.
I deleted the app from most of my devices as well.

For me, if a company, whose sole business is to provide access to streaming
music through an app, cannot make the app work on the latest version of the
most popular OS, then it doesn't deserve my business.
They have been incredibly incompetent. This is a massive red flag for me.
What happens when Android 8.2 or 9 comes up on the Pixel and the Nokia's?
Hit or miss that it will be buggy too?

I sincerely hope that they will fix the problem for all of you on this
thread and for everyone keeping their subscription.

Unfortunately, I'm out. So someone else will have to confirm and mark this
thread as resolved.