As a writer, Spotify became my go-to music player for years. I’d like to keep indie music on in the background while I’m preparing for my next blog. But recently, Spotify is having some issues every time I try to play it in the background.
The app crashes and the sound fades when I minimize it. It is still unsure why this issue occurred so suddenly. However, plenty of users thinks it’s an error within the application.
But there are some possible fixes you can take to get around this problem.
What Causes Spotify Not Playing in the Background?
There might be many factors that cause Spotify to fail in the background. We can’t be certain regarding a definitive cause for this issue on your device, as it might be any one of the following:
- Outdated application
- Outdated OS version
- Limited disk space
- Bad network connection and configuration
- Unsuitable system settings
How to Fix Spotify Not Playing in the Background
The fixes vary depending on the device and the operating system you’re using. Nevertheless, I have made a list of all the possible methods to troubleshoot your issue and get your application up and working. Follow these methods in any order you prefer.
The following steps are done through an Android phone. However, you can perform similar steps on an iOS device as well.
Enable Background Data Usage for Spotify
If you enable the background data usage for any application, it consumes slightly more data and power. However, it keeps this particular application updated with recent notifications and alerts. When you enable this feature, Spotify guarantees that it is connected to the internet even when it’s minimized. Therefore, the song will always play in the background.
Here’re the steps:
- Go to “Settings” on your smartphone.
- Click on “Apps.”
- Go to your “App list.”
- Find and then select “Spotify.”
- Click on “Data Usage.”
- Enable your “Background data.”
Disable the Battery Saver Feature for Spotify
Battery saver often stops apps from running in the background as a countermeasure for conserving power. It limits the total data usage on your device as well.
When you turn off your battery saver and any other third-party battery optimization, your apps continuously run in the background without much interruption.
Here’s how you can disable the battery saver feature:
- Go to “Settings.”
- Click on “Apps.”
- Open your “App list.”
- Find and select “Spotify.”
- Click on “Battery Saver.”
- Finally, select “No restrictions” for background settings.
Check Your “Sleeping Apps” List
There is a feature on newer devices called “Sleepings apps.” When you place an application on this “Sleeping apps” list, it disables it from running in the background and abruptly puts it to sleep.”
Hence, it’s favorable to check if Spotify is knowingly or unknowingly in this list on your device. Here’s how you can do it:
- Open “Settings.”
- Go to “Device Care.”
- Tap on “Battery.”
- Select “App Power Management.”
- Open “Sleeping apps.”
- Check if Spotify is on this list. If it is, then hold down “Spotify” to reveal its system options and disable the sleeping app feature.
Update/Reinstall the Spotify App
When we update an outdated application, it resolves the hidden bugs and corrupted data that were preventing the app from functioning at full capacity. Here’s how you can update your Spotify:
- Head towards the app store of your device.
- Search for “Spotify.”
- Click on “Update.“
Similarly, when we uninstall and reinstall an application, it downloads the latest version of that app compatible with your device.
Force Stop Spotify
Force stopping an application ensures that this particular application will not access any of its cache files. It kills the current session the app is running in and can be used in general as a troubleshooting mechanism to fix an unstable application.
- Go to “Settings.”
- Click on “Apps.”
- Select “Manage Apps.”
- Find and then select “Spotify.”
- Now “Force Stop” and see if it resolved your issue.
Log Out and Log In Back Again
Logging out and logging in back on any application starts a new user session. This helps to prevent the issues that were seen in the previous session. Here’re the steps how you can do it:
- Go to your Homepage on Spotify.
- Click the gear icon that’s on the top right corner to reveal your user settings.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Log Out.”
- Log in again with your username and password.
Close Other Apps Running in the Background
Other applications running in the background might be using the audio channel Spotify operates on. It prevents the system from encoding and decoding the audio data to run through Spotify. Hence, you can close any background apps that actively use audio and video formatted data.
Use a Third-party Application
If none of the above methods work, you can use third-party applications to download and play your Spotify playlist offline without any interruptions. “ViWizard Spotify Music Converter” and “Tunelf Spotibeat Music Converter” are the best ones in this category.
However, keep in mind that downloading and converting a media file significantly reduces its audio quality. Moreover, it doesn’t feel as satisfying listening to Spotify through other third-party applications.
How to Fix Spotify Not Playing in the Background [PC]
You can play Spotify in the background of your computer by following a rather simple procedure. A small tweak in the application settings could fix the issue for you. Follow the steps below:
- Run Spotify on your PC
- Click the user icon on the top right-hand side of your window to reveal a drop-down list.
- Go to “Settings.”
- Scroll down to “Show Advanced Settings.”
- Turn on the feature “Close button should minimize the Spotify Window.”
However, If you prefer to listen to Spotify while gaming on a PC, it’s better to add your Spotify account to the Windows game bar. Here’re the steps:
- Launch “Xbox Game Bar” from the start menu.
- A toolbar appears on the top. Now, click on the widget icon to reveal an expanding menu.
- Click on “Spotify.”
- Enter your Spotify username and password.
- Listen to your preferred music.
- You can further add a shortcut to the game toolbar by clicking on the star icon right beside the Spotify icon.
How to Play Spotify in the Background (Xbox and PS4)
You can actually play Spotify in the background while gaming on your console. The process is straightforward and requires no steps other than the basics.
- Go to your console’s app store and download Spotify.
- Launch Spotify from the home screen or your application library.
- Play any song you want.
- Press the home button on your controller to return to the home screen and launch any game you want.
You can enjoy any game you want and the music will continue playing in the background.