Why does Spotify stop playing when I open Instagram?

Popular audio and media streaming platform Spotify has been offering its services to music and podcast lovers worldwide since 2006. Currently, 345 million active monthly users enjoy Spotify for its wide variety of music and the ability to share music with friends.

However, when songs persistently pause and buffer, the overall experience can be frustrating. If your Spotify keeps pausing, read on to discover things to look at to solve the pausing issue. You’ll see some quick fixes to apply using your mobile phone or computer. Let’s get started.

First Steps to Fix Repeated Pausing in Spotify

Here are some simple things to try if you’re experiencing pauses while listening to Spotify on your mobile device:

• Ensure no one else is streaming while logged into your account at the same time.
• Try clearing out the temporary data. Switch off your phone for 15 or so seconds before turning it back on.
• Disable low power mode. Low power mode can cause interference with your Spotify stream. Try going to Battery Options and choosing Settings, then turn off Low Power Mode.
• Disable data saver mode. A reduction in the amount of data Spotify uses can result in pausing issues; therefore, try going to Settings and then Data Saver and turning it off.
• Try downloading the music to your device for uninterrupted listening in an area with low cellular coverage.

The following sections explain different methods to fix Spotify when it keeps pausing.

Sign Out of all Devices in Spotify from a Web Browser

Signing into your account from other devices can cause the current device to pause intermittently. Try signing out of all devices.

Note: You can only sign out of all your devices via the Spotify website.

1. In a new web browser, navigate to Spotify.com.
2. If prompted, sign in to your account.
   
   
3. Select the Profile icon from the home page towards the top-right.
   
   
4. Choose Account from the pull-down menu.
   
   
5. On the left, click on Account Overview.
   
   
6. Scroll down and click on the Sign Out Everywhere option.
   
   

You’ll now be signed out of all your devices, including the web browser.

Perform a Clean Windows/Mac Re-Install of Spotify

Sometimes deleting cache data, deleting the app, then reinstalling it typically fixes any problems caused by file corruption. It also ensures that you have the latest version of the app installed.

Clean Windows Re-Install

To delete Spotify’s cache and app via Windows:

1. Navigate to the C drive.
   
   
2. Click on Users and then the [Username] folder.
   
   
3. Select AppData, then Local.
   
   
4. Find and click on Spotify.
   
   
5. Locate the Storage folder, then delete it.
   
   
6. Uninstall Spotify on Windows. Select the Start Menu, then click on Settings.
   
   
7. Click on Apps,’ then choose Spotify.
   
   
8. Select Uninstall.
   
   
9. Reinstall Spotify. Navigate to the Microsoft Store to find Spotify and reinstall it.

Clean macOS Re-Install

To delete Spotify’s cache and app via macOS:

1. Launch the Finder on your Mac.
   
   
2. Then from the menu at the top, select Go, then long-press the Alt key and select Library.
   
   
3. Click on Caches, then select and delete the com.spotify.client folder.
   
   
4. Select Application Support, then delete the Spotify folder.
   
   
5. Delete Spotify. Launch Finder.
   
   
6. Select Applications from the sidebar menu on the left.
   
   
7. Locate the Spotify app and drag it to the Trash icon.
   
   
8. Then, empty the trash to delete the app completely.
   
   
9. Reinstall Spotify. Navigate to the Spotify Download Page to download and install it again.

Check for a Corrupt SD Card, HDD, or SSD

Sometimes, your storage drive may become corrupt yet still function. An SD card used to store your music can also start to fail after a time. This scenario often leads to read and write errors or a sluggish PC, but it can also lead to Spotify pausing issues.

If you are using an external SD card to store your music, it can easily lead to pausing problems. As for your HDD or SSD drive, failing sectors or a failing drive, in general, can lead to repeated pauses in Spotify.

For an SD card holding your music, try removing it, cleaning it, and reinserting it.

1. Remove the SD Card from the PC/laptop, clean the input slot, and then clean the SD card contacts.
   
   
2. Reinsert the SD card and try playing Spotify again.
   
   

Try running a scan tool for an HDD or SSD to check for any read and write errors and bad sectors.

Reduce Consumed Storage Space

If Spotify resides on a drive with insufficient space or no space at all, the app has no way to properly store temporary files efficiently. If that’s the case, it can potentially cause Spotify to pause during playback and suffer from other issues as well.

Remove unused programs, clear temporary files, delete app cache, clean your browser’s data, etc. There are many PC cleaning apps available on both Mac and Windows systems. You can also manually browse and delete files you know are safe to erase.

Remove Spotify from the Hosts File

If Spotify keeps pausing on your computer, the cause could be the “hosts” file. Try removing any Spotify data from your hosts file to see if it solves your pausing issue.

Remove Spotify Entries from the ‘hosts’ File in Windows 10

1. Navigate to Notepad, right-click and select Open as Administrator.
   
   
2. Click on File -> Open.
3. Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc using File Explorer.
   
   
4. Towards the bottom-right section of the Open window, click the Text documents (*.txt) dropdown and choose All Files (*.*) from the list. This step displays all files to choose from rather than just displaying text files.
5. In the Open window, click on the hosts file.
   
   
6. Once opened, you’ll see lines of text numbers with a hash “#” sign at the start of each line.
7. Press Ctrl + F to find any entries that include spotify in the address.
   
   
8. Delete the found entries.
9. Save the changes, then restart Spotify.

Remove Spotify Entries from the ‘hosts’ File in macOS

1. Launch Finder.
   
   
2. From the menu, navigate to Go -> Go to Folder.
   
   
3. Enter the following location into the text field: /private/etc/hosts and press Enter.
   
   
4. Another Finder window displaying your Mac’s hosts file appears.
   
   
5. Click on the hosts file, then drag and drop it onto your desktop.
   
   
6. Double-click on the file to open it, and it will open in TextEdit.
7. Look for entries with spotify in the address and delete them.
   
   
8. Now, save your changes and restart Spotify.

Check Your AirPods or Bluetooth Headphones

• First, double-check if the problem is caused by your wireless ear/headphones. Pair them up with another device and listen to something other than Spotify to see if the problem still occurs.
• Ensure other wireless devices are not connected to Spotify at the same time; if this is the case, disconnect them. You could also remove other wireless headphones paired with your device.
• Ensure you have a full battery. A low battery typically causes connection issues.
• Check the supported Bluetooth versions for your device. Your headphones may not be compatible with your device.

Fix Android or iPhone Spotify Pausing Issues

Perform a Clean Reinstall of Spotify on Android/iOS/iPhone

Sometimes, data is corrupt or outdated, leading to app performance issues like when Spotify keeps pausing. A clean, fresh install can often solve performance problems, but you need to delete all cache and saved data for Spotify to ensure you start fresh.

Clean Android Re-Install

To delete Spotify’s cache and app from your Android device:

1. Navigate to and click on Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
   
   
3. Find Spotify, then select it.
   
   
4. Click on Storage, then Clear Data.
   
   
5. Click on Uninstall.
   
   
6. Navigate to the Google Play Store to find Spotify and install it again.

Clean iOS Reinstall

To delete Spotify’s cache and app via your iOS device:

1. Launch Spotify, then from the Home page, select the gear icon.
   
   
2. Scroll down to choose Storage.
   
   
3. Click on Delete Cache, then select it again to confirm.
   
   
4. Select and long-press the Spotify icon on your home screen.
5. Click on the Delete App from the options that appear, then select Delete.
   
   
6. Reinstall the app. Navigate to the iOS App Store to find and reinstall Spotify.

Check for a Corrupt SD Card (Android/iPhone)

Sometimes, an SD card in your Android phone or iPhone starts to fail and leads to read/write issues. Other times, it may not get recognized as a storage device/drive anymore. This scenario especially happens on Android when you make the SD card internal storage. There are still many issues that lead to errors.

To eliminate the possibility that you have a damaged SD card, do the following:

1. Switch off your mobile device.
   
   
2. Remove the SD card.
   
   
3. Brush off and blow onto the contacts to remove any dust that might be causing an issue, and if possible, clean the area where the SD card resides using a brush or vacuum.
   
   
4. Reinsert the SD card.
   
   

Free Up Storage Space in Android, iOS

You may have run out of storage space, or close to it, on your SD card or internal phone storage, and it has trouble finding enough space to cache the app and the files as it plays the music. Ensuring ample space is available for the processes helps prevent Spotify from constantly pausing.

Free Up Space on Android

To free up some space on an Android device:

1. Navigate to and click on Settings.
   
   
2. Towards the bottom of the page, select the Storage option.
   
   
3. Verify that you have enough free space on your device.
   
   
4. If your free space is running low, go through your phone and delete messages, pictures, videos, etc.; everything you don’t need or anything you can store in the cloud.

Free Up Space on iOS/iPhone

To free up space on an iOS device:

1. Navigate to and click on Settings.
   
   
2. Select General, then iPhone Storage.
   
   
3. Verify whether you have enough free space on your device.
4. If you’re running low, go through your phone and delete any messages, pictures, videos, etc., that you don’t need or are stored in the cloud and easily retrievable.

In closing, Spotify’s music and podcast streaming services are enjoyed by millions worldwide. To avoid Spotify always pausing, subscribe to Spotify’s premium service so you can download its content on up to five devices and enjoy non-pausing music again. If that option is not your cup of tea, ensure you do not have a low Wi-Fi connection or weak cellular data access, and try some of the solutions mentioned above.

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