Updating spotify on android resets settings, deletes downloaded tracks

[gilzow]

Brief description of the issue: Updates for Spotify on Android resets storage settings and deletes all downloaded tracks

Steps to reproduce the issue:

1. Updated Spotify on Android
2. Start Spotify, notified that I'm logged out
3. Log in to discover storage option is set back to device instead of card, all previously downloaded tracks/albums are gone

Your device and operating system (e.g. Samsung Galaxy 4, 5.1.1): Galaxy S5 (SM-G900V), Andoid v6.0.1

Type of Spotify account you have (Free/ Premium): Premium Family 

The app version of Spotify you’re using: 6.9.0.1212 armV7

I frequently have Spotify on my android in offline mode, due to 1. the inability to separate my queue on my desktop from the queue on my phone and 2. signal strength issues which prevent me from streaming higher quality versions, if anything at all (not to mention the data usage).  Consistently (but not every tme) when I go to update the Spotify app, when I launch it after updating, the app will ask me to log in (even though when I used it right before updating I was logged in).  After logging in, I will discover that the app has switched the Storage option from SD Card back to Device storage and all downloaded tracks are no longer available.  This is extremely frustrating, especially when I'm about to begin long travels only to find I now have no stored music to play.

I'm willing to try any troubleshotting steps people can think of, but I'm at the point where I'm going to block updates for the app and refuse to ever update it so that I can get a consistent user experience from it, and not need to download my music over and over again.

[gilzow]

Some more info.  Once I'm logged back in, if I go to My library, then Albums at first it will say I cant see any because of filters.  If I remove the filters, and then add the Downloads filter again, it will list the albums I had previously downloaded, but if I try to play any of those tracks, Spotify shows a "This song is not available" message.

[ektoford]

I hav a kind of the same problem. After each restart of my Samsung Galaxy S4 (Marshmellow) my spotify settingd are reset to internal storage and all downloads are gone.
It does not even require a spotify update.

[gilzow]

I:

1. bought a new phone (Galaxy S7)
2. put a new Samsung 64GB microSD card in
3. formatted it
4. installed Spotify
5. logged in
6. Set storage to SD card
7. Downloaded some playlists, albums
8. Turned on offline mode

First Spotify update and BAM! I'm logged out, storage has been reset to internal and all of my previously downloaded tracks are gone.

[Joe]

Hey @gilzow have you set the following permissions for spotify?

• Contacts
• Storage
• Telephone

[gilzow]

Finally came across this posting: https://community.spotify.com/t5/Android/spotify-doesn-t-save-to-sd-card/m-p/874789#lineardisplaymes...

I have added the Storage permission to the Spotify app. Spotify doesn't need, nor should it have access to Contacts and Telephone.  Will see if this corrects the issue.  

The more interesting question is why doesn't the app simply ask for these permissions on install?  Or why doesn't Spotify customer service (who I had also contacted) doesn't mention the permission issue? They had suggested reformatting the microSD card, uninstalling and reinstalling spotify, clearing cache, etc. (all of which I tried) but never had me check permissions.

[Joe]

Marshmallow changed the way permissions work and, instead of asking for permissions on install, apps should ask for permissions when they are first required. No idea why spotify doesn't conform.

If spotify doesn't pause when you receive calls, you may want to reconsider your decision regarding the other two permissions.

[gilzow]

but see, that's what is odd. Without altering the permissions, Spotify would save the tracks to my SD card. And I know they did because I could see the available space decrease via Disk Usage and/or ES Explorer.  When it resets back to internal, changing it back to SD should force it to ask for Storage permissions, but it doesnt.

Also, without granting Spotify the Phone permission, it already pauses when a phone call comes in (and resumes when the call is ended).  

[gilzow]

Expliciting granting Storage permissions to the app didn't fix.  Upon the next update I again was logged out, the storage option moved back to Internal/phone (instead of SD Card) and all of my previously downloaded tracks were gone.