Spotify Not Working? How to Fix Common App Issues

Spotify is a popular music streaming service with millions of active users worldwide. Most of the time, it’s reliable, but a few common issues can stop it from working. This troubleshooting guide walks you through proven fixes for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android so you can get back to your music and podcasts.

What to do if Spotify won’t open

Follow these easy instructions to fix Spotify issues on Windows and Mac if the application won’t launch.

Restart your device

We know this sounds simple, but it often works. Try restarting your Windows or Mac device before attempting to launch the music service. This can help resolve functionality issues caused by hanging system processes.

Run Spotify as admin (Windows only)

The app might have trouble opening due to permission errors. To put this theory to the test, make sure to run the app with elevation rights, even if you’re signed in as the PC administrator. This step isn’t required on Mac, since apps don’t require admin rights by default.

How to run Spotify as admin on Windows 10/11:

1. Click the Start button and type Spotify
2. Select Run as administrator and approve the UAC prompt

3. Fully quit and relaunch Spotify

This is another solution that may sound too simple to work, but it usually helps if Spotify won’t open on your Windows or Mac computer. Before restarting the app, though, make sure to close all its processes.

How to restart the App on Windows 10/11:

1. Right-click the taskbar and go to Task Manager
2. In the Processes tab, select Spotify (end all Spotify processes/Web Helper if present)
3. Click End task
4. Press the Windows key, type Spotify, and launch it (optionally with Run as administrator)

How to restart the App on Mac:

1. Select the Spotify app window
2. Open the Apple menu
3. Select Force Quit
4. You can also press Option + Command + Esc, select Spotify, and select Force Quit
5. Start the Spotify app

Run in Compatibility mode

Important: Compatibility mode is only available for the desktop installer downloaded from spotify.com. If you installed Spotify from the Microsoft Store, the Compatibility tab won’t appear for that app package.

How to run the App in compatibility mode on Windows (desktop installer):

1. Right-click the Spotify shortcut or Spotify.exe (usually in %LocalAppData%\Spotify) and choose Properties
2. Open the Compatibility tab
3. Enable Run this program in compatibility mode for and try Windows 8
4. Click Apply > OK, then relaunch Spotify

Tip: You can also try the built-in Program Compatibility Troubleshooter in Windows 11 via Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.

Update the App on Windows

Microsoft Store apps get regularly updated. If the app won’t open anymore, it could be obsolete. Here’s how to bring it up to speed.

1. Open Microsoft Store > Library
2. Click Get updates, then update Spotify if available
3. Open the music player after the update

Installed Spotify from spotify.com? Updates are handled in-app; open Spotify and check Profile > Settings > About to verify your version, or reinstall from the official download page.

Check for system updates

Whether you’re running Windows or macOS, your operating system should be updated at all times to avoid app functionality issues caused by a lack of support. Outdated software could be the reason why the music platform won’t open anymore, especially if you haven’t been using your computer for a long time.

For Windows 10:

1. Click the Start button, type Check for updates, and press Enter
2. Click Check for updates and install any available updates
3. Restart if prompted, then check Spotify

For Windows 11:

1. Go to Start > Settings > Windows Update
2. Choose Check for updates, then select Download & install if offered
3. Restart if required, then open Spotify

For macOS:

1. Open Apple menu > System Settings (called System Preferences on older macOS)
2. Go to General > Software Update
3. Install updates, restart, then try Spotify again

Repair the Spotify app on Windows

The Microsoft Store has a repair function prepared for Spotify. It’s not as efficient as the reset mode, but it will spare your data so it’s worth trying. Here’s what to do:

1. Windows 10: Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Spotify > Advanced options > Repair
2. Windows 11: Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Spotify (three-dot menu) > Advanced options > Repair
3. Launch Spotify

Reset the App on Windows

If the app won’t open on your Windows PC anymore, it’s a good idea to reset the app. This will delete the app’s data, including preferences and sign-in data, so you will have to enter your login credentials and customize options again.

1. Windows 10: Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Spotify > Advanced options > Reset
2. Windows 11: Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Spotify > Advanced options > Reset
3. Open the app

Clean reinstall Spotify

If reset doesn’t work on Windows, or if you’re on Mac, we recommend performing a clean reinstall. It takes longer than the reset, but it usually works better.

How to clean reinstall the App on Windows 10/11:

1. Uninstall Spotify from Settings > Apps
2. In File Explorer, delete leftover folders:

   %AppData%\Spotify %LocalAppData%\Spotify

3. Restart the PC
4. Download the app from the Spotify website or install from Microsoft Store
5. Install and launch Spotify

How to clean reinstall Spotify on Mac:

1. Quit Spotify
2. Open Finder > Go > Go to Folder… and remove:

   ~/Library/Caches/com.spotify.Client ~/Library/Application Support/Spotify

3. Empty Trash
4. Download from the Spotify website, then install and open

Allow Background Apps on Windows

The Spotify app must be allowed to run in the background on Windows, or it may not open due to a lack of permissions.

1. Windows 10: Start > search Spotify > App settings > at App permissions set Background apps to On
2. Windows 11: Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Spotify > Advanced options > set Background app permissions to Always (or Power optimized)

How to disable hardware acceleration on Mac

By default, Spotify uses hardware acceleration to improve your music streaming experience. However, if you have old hardware, the acceleration could be putting too much pressure on it. In some cases, it could even prevent Spotify from opening correctly. But you can fix this problem by turning it off.

How to disable hardware acceleration on Mac:

1. Open Spotify
2. Select the Spotify menu
3. Click Hardware Acceleration to deselect it
4. Restart the app

How to disable hardware acceleration on Windows:

It’s a bit more complicated on Windows because it means accessing the settings section of Spotify, assuming that you can open the app in the first place.

1. Open Spotify
2. Click your profile (top right) > Settings
3. Scroll to Compatibility
4. Turn off Enable hardware acceleration
5. Restart the app

Update the GPU driver

If the music app won’t open on your computer, there might be display issues. You can fix the problem by updating your graphics adapter to the latest version. To update your GPU driver on Mac, it’s only necessary to run macOS updates.

How to update the graphics driver on Windows 10/11:

1. Right-click the Start button and open Device Manager
2. Expand Display adapters
3. Right-click your GPU > Update driver > Search automatically
4. If nothing is found, check Windows Update or your GPU manufacturer’s website
5. Restart your PC and open Spotify

If you don’t want to risk installing an incompatible driver, consider a third-party driver update application. This will keep all your drivers updated and automatically find newer versions.

Disable Spotify auto-start

Another possible solution for Spotify not working is to disable Spotify from starting automatically with Windows or macOS, and launch it manually after startup.

How to prevent Spotify from launching on Windows:

1. Right-click the taskbar and go to Task Manager
2. Open the Startup tab
3. Select Spotify and click Disable
4. Restart your PC and open the app

How to prevent Spotify from launching at startup on Mac:

1. Open the Apple menu
2. Go to System Settings > General > Login Items (on older macOS: System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items)
3. Remove Spotify from the list
4. Restart the Mac and launch Spotify manually

Check the firewall settings

The system firewall might be preventing you from opening the app due to security issues. You can resolve this by temporarily disabling your firewall on Windows or Mac, then turning it back on and adding an exception for Spotify.

How to disable the firewall on Windows:

1. Sign in with an administrator account
2. Press the Windows key, type Check firewall status, and press Enter
3. Click Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off
4. Select Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) under both Private and Public
5. Click OK, test Spotify, then turn the firewall back on and add an exception

How to disable the firewall on Mac:

1. Open Apple menu > System Settings
2. Go to Network > Firewall
3. Toggle Firewall off, test Spotify, then turn it back on

For a lasting solution, add Spotify as an exception in the firewall:

How to allow Spotify through the firewall on Windows:

1. Open Firewall & network protection from Start search
2. Click Allow an app through firewall > Change settings
3. If Spotify Music isn’t listed, choose Allow another app and browse to Spotify
4. Check Spotify Music and tick both Private and Public
5. Click OK and relaunch Spotify

How to allow Spotify through the firewall on Mac:

1. System Settings > Network > Firewall
2. Click Options… (or unlock with your password first)
3. Use + to add Spotify and set it to Allow incoming connections