How to Solve 'Spotify Not Playing Offline Tracks': A Step-by-Step Guide
Are you facing issues with your Spotify when trying to play tracks offline? It can be a real bummer, especially when you're all set for a jog or a road trip, and your music won't play without an internet connection. Spotify is a fantastic platform for music lovers, offering millions of songs at your fingertips. One of its praised features includes the ability to download and play tracks offline. However, sometimes, things don't go as planned, and Spotify might throw you a curveball by not playing these offline tracks. Don't worry, though; this guide is here to help you troubleshoot and resolve this issue in simple, easy-to-follow steps.
Step 1: Check Your Premium Status
First things first, make sure you have an active Spotify Premium subscription. The offline playback feature is a premium perk, and if your subscription has lapsed, your downloaded tracks won't play offline. Hop into your Spotify account details through the app or website and confirm that your Premium status is active.
Step 2: Verify Your Download
Once you've confirmed your subscription, the next step is to ensure that your songs or playlists were properly downloaded. Look for the little green arrow next to your playlist or album. No green arrow? This means your tracks aren't downloaded. Make sure to download them by toggling the 'Download' switch in your playlist or album view. Remember, you'll need to be connected to Wi-Fi to download these tracks successfully.
Step 3: Check Your Device's Storage
A common culprit behind Spotify’s offline playback issues is a lack of storage space on your device. Spotify requires some wiggle room to store offline music, so if your device is almost at full capacity, this might be the issue. Take a peek at your storage settings and clear some space if needed. This can involve removing unused apps, deleting large files, or offloading photos and videos to the cloud.
Step 4: Log In and Out of Spotify
Sometimes, all tech needs is a little nudge to get back on track. Try logging out of your Spotify account and logging back in. This simple action can refresh your account's connection to Spotify's servers and might just fix the glitch preventing offline playback.
Step 5: Re-download Your Music
If logging in and out didn't solve the problem, it's time to try re-downloading your music. Remove the downloads from your problematic playlists or albums (this won't delete them from your library, just the downloaded versions) and then download them again. Although it might be a bit time-consuming, especially if you have a large number of tracks, this step can often resolve stubborn offline issues.
Step 6: Update or Reinstall Spotify
Running an outdated version of the Spotify app might be the source of the problem. Check if there's an update available for Spotify in your device's app store and install it if there is. If your app is already up to date but still not working correctly, consider reinstalling it. Deleting and then reinstalling Spotify can clear up any corrupted data or glitches that might be causing the issue.
Step 7: Check Your Device's Power Saving Settings
Some devices have power-saving modes that restrict background data usage, which can affect Spotify's offline playback. Ensure your device's power-saving settings are not preventing Spotify from working correctly. You might need to tweak these settings or add Spotify to a whitelist, allowing it to function unrestricted.
Final Suggestions
If none of the above steps work, there might be a more complex issue at play. It could be worth reaching out to Spotify's customer support for assistance. However, before you do, there's one last thing to check - your device's offline devices list on Spotify. Spotify limits the number of devices that can download music for offline listening. If you've reached this limit, you'll need to remove a device before your current one can play tracks offline.
Resolving Spotify's offline playback problems usually involves a few simple troubleshooting steps. Starting from checking your subscription status, ensuring your tracks are downloaded, and making sure your app is up to date, most issues can be resolved relatively easily. Remember, the solution might be as straightforward as logging out and logging back in or as detailed as adjusting your device's settings. Happy listening, and may your offline tracks play without a hitch!