Why does my Spotify keep pausing? Do this to fix it

With over 188 million paid subscribers as of Q2 2022, we know many of you are active Spotify listeners. What happens when Spotify runs into issues, though? Does your Spotify keep pausing? This is actually a very common issue, and we’re here to give you some tips and tricks to help remedy the problem.

Also read: How to upload songs to Spotify

Editor’s note: Steps in this article were put together using a Pixel 7 Pro running Android 13, iPhone 12 Mini running iOS 15.6, and a custom PC running Windows 11. Some steps may be different, depending on your hardware and software.

Is someone else using your account?

This is one of the most common reasons why Spotify may be pausing music. While you can install and log into your Spotify account on as many devices as you wish, the music streaming service doesn’t allow you to play on multiple devices simultaneously. This means that your music will stop if anyone else using your account starts playing music.

There are two things you can do to avoid this. You can either change your account password or log everyone out of your account. You’ll need to use a browser for either method.

How to change your Spotify password:

1. Go to your Spotify Account page.
2. Click on the Change password option in the left column.
3. Type in your current password, then enter your new password twice.
4. Hit Set new password.

How to log out of your Spotify account on all devices:

1. Go to your Spotify Account page.
2. You should be in the Account Overview section. If not, select it.
3. Scroll down and hit Sign out everywhere.

If your Spotify keeps pausing after handling the account issues, then it’s time to start looking at other possible problems. Spotty signal or slow internet connections are common causes for stuttering or frequent pausing, especially when streaming music or video. Streaming can be demanding on your internet connection.

Sadly, there isn’t much you can do but wait until you have a better signal, or connect to a more stable internet connection. Of course, you can also connect to a Wi-Fi network. If you’re already connected to Wi-Fi, try restarting the router. We also have a list of the best phone plans and internet providers, in case you need to upgrade.

If Spotify’s servers go down, chances are you won’t be able to play anything at all, but it’s still worth checking if you’re experiencing degraded performance. You can check by taking a look at the Spotify Status Twitter feed. The company uses this method to announce any possible blackouts. You can also check Down Detector, a crowd-sourced page where people report issues with all services, including Twitter.

Restart the device

We may be starting to run out of solutions for external Spotify problems. Now it’s time to start looking into the actual device you’re using. Let’s start with one of the most common troubleshooting methods around; restart the device!

Restarting an Android phone:

1. Press the Power and Volume Up buttons simultaneously.
2. Select Restart.

Restarting an iPhone:

1. Press and hold the Power and Volume Up buttons simultaneously.
2. Where it says slide to power off, slide from left to right.

If you’re using a computer or browser, either restart the computer or close out the browser and re-open it.

Related: How to hide and unhide songs on Spotify

Update the app

App updates often come with bug fixes, performance improvements, and more enhancements. While running a slightly older version of an app shouldn’t usually be an issue, updating the application is worth a try.

Updating Android apps:

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Tap on your profile avatar, in the top-right corner.
3. Hit Manage apps & device.
4. Select Updates available.
5. You can either find Spotify and tap Update next to it (if available), or select Update all to take care of all available updates.

Updating iPhone apps:

1. Open the Apple App Store.
2. Tap on your profile avatar, in the top-right corner.
3. You can either find Spotify and tap Update next to it (if available), or select Update all to take care of all available updates.

Update your device software

Similarly, updating your device to its latest software version often brings performance improvements that can help general usage.

Updating Android devices:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Go into System.
3. Select System update.
4. Tap on Check for update.
5. The tool will let you know if there’s an available update. Follow instructions if so.

Updating iPhones:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Go into General.
3. Select Software Update.
4. The device will check for updates. Hit Install Now, if there is one available.

Clear the app’s cache

The cache debate continues. Should you clean your cache memory or keep it around? Cache makes your experience faster by storing data locally and using it when needed, as opposed to downloading it every time you access something. This is why cache memory is generally good, but it can get old and corrupted, which often causes failure. Clearing an app’s cache is good in these situations, just to see if it clears any corrupted files.

Clear Spotify cache on Android:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Go into Apps.
3. Tap on See all apps.
4. Find and select Spotify.
5. Hit Storage & cache.
6. Select Clear cache. You can also Clear storage to give the app a clean start.

You can’t clear app cache on iPhones. The next best solution is in the next section.

Uninstall and reinstall Spotify

While uncommon, installations can be faulty. This may cause general issues and performance problems. Maybe try uninstalling Spotify and reinstalling it again to see if all the kinks get worked out.

Uninstall Spotify on Android:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Go into Apps.
3. Tap on See all apps.
4. Find and select Spotify.
5. Select Uninstall.
6. Confirm by hitting OK.

Uninstall Spotify on iPhone:

1. Press and hold on to the Spotify app.
2. Select Remove App.
3. Hit Delete App.