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

With over 226 million paid subscribers as of Q3 2023, 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.

Editor’s note: The instructions in this article were put together using a Google Pixel 7 running Android 14, an Apple iPhone 12 Mini running iOS 17.3.1, 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 your 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 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 and log in if needed.
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 and log in if needed.
2. Scroll down and hit Sign out everywhere.
3. Confirm by clicking on Sign out everywhere.

Are you having internet problems?

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 music from Spotify can be demanding on your internet connection. Spotify can use up to 2.4MB per minute, depending on the audio quality you pick.

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. Some routers have a reset button; others can be restarted using the app. If you’re unsure how to do this, unplugging the router, waiting for about a minute, and plugging it back in will do the trick.

There is also a chance your internet is interrupted because you accidentally turned off data or roaming (in the case you’re roaming).

How to turn on mobile data on Android:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Tap on Network & internet.
3. Select SIMs.
4. Pick your main SIM.
5. Make sure both Mobile data and Roaming are toggled on. Just remember roaming may incur extra fees from your carrier, depending on your plan.

How to turn on mobile data on iPhone:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Go into Cellular.
3. Toggle on Cellular Data.
4. You can also turn on data roaming by going to Settings > Cellular > SIMs and selecting your main SIM. Then toggle Data Roaming on. Just remember roaming may incur extra fees from your carrier, depending on your plan.

Is Spotify down?

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 side and volume up buttons simultaneously.
2. Select Restart.

Restarting an iPhone:

1. Press and hold the side and either of the volume buttons simultaneously.
2. Where it says slide to power off, slide from left to right.

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

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 or Download and Install 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 only effective way to accomplish this is to delete the app and re-install it. You can find instructions for deleting apps in the next section.

Uninstall and reinstall Spotify

While uncommon, installations can be faulty. This may be why Spotify keeps pausing. Maybe try uninstalling and reinstalling Spotify 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.

After this, just reinstall Spotify from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

Still can’t stop your Spotify from pausing your music? It may be time to reach out to Spotify Support. You can also try other troubleshooting tips we’ve listed in our guide to fixing general Spotify issues.