Spotify Confirms Android WiFi Crash Bug on Wireless Networks

Spotify has acknowledged a widespread bug causing its Android app to freeze or crash when devices are connected to WiFi, with users reporting that playback returns to normal the moment they switch to mobile data. While a permanent fix is in development, there are practical steps you can take right now to keep the music playing.

What Is Happening With Spotify’s Android App on WiFi

Reports across the Spotify Community and Reddit describe the same pattern: the app opens, becomes unresponsive within seconds on WiFi, and then crashes. On mobile data, the app behaves normally. Spotify’s moderators have confirmed the issue and say engineers are investigating.

The behavior points to a networking interaction rather than a device-wide failure. That’s why the same phone can be flawless on 5G, then problematic on home WiFi. Media outlets monitoring the reports, including 9to5Google, note that reinstalling the app or clearing the cache hasn’t reliably helped.

Who Is Affected by the WiFi Crash and Which Devices

Users on recent Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel models appear to be overrepresented in early reports, though the bug isn’t exclusive to those brands. The common thread is WiFi: specific routers or network configurations seem to trigger the crash, while the same devices work fine on other networks or hotspots.

Some users also noticed a correlation with Chromecast or Google TV devices on the same network, suggesting the bug may be tied to device discovery protocols used by Spotify Connect and casting.

Quick Fixes You Can Try Now to Stop Spotify Crashes on WiFi

• Use mobile data temporarily. If you have the data allowance, disable WiFi while streaming. This is the most reliable immediate workaround.
• Test another network. Connect to a different WiFi or a phone hotspot. If Spotify works there, your primary network’s settings or devices are likely the trigger.
• Restart and rejoin. Reboot your phone and router, forget your WiFi network on the phone, then reconnect. This clears stale sessions that can cause discovery timeouts.
• Disable VPN, Private DNS, and ad-blockers to test. Network filtering (on-device or router-level) can interfere with Spotify’s device discovery. If turning them off stops the crash, you’ve found the culprit.
• Unplug or power down cast targets briefly. Temporarily disconnect Chromecast, Google TV, Nest Hub, or smart speakers, then launch Spotify. If stability returns, casting discovery is likely involved.
• Adjust Spotify device visibility. Open Spotify, go to Settings > Devices, and toggle options like Show Local Devices Only. Some users report fewer freezes after limiting cross-network scanning.
• Consider rolling back or switching app tracks. If you’re on the beta channel, leave it; if you’re on stable, joining the beta can also help. Some users report stability on an earlier build, though downgrading requires caution and trusted sources.

Deeper Network Tweaks If Crashes Persist on Android WiFi

• Update your router firmware. Vendors regularly patch multicast and device-discovery quirks that can affect services like Spotify Connect and Google Cast.
• Separate WiFi bands. Give 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz unique network names and try each. Discovery protocols behave differently across bands and access point isolation settings.
• Toggle IPv6 or multicast features. Temporarily disable IPv6, IGMP snooping, or multicast enhancement features on your router to see if stability improves, then re-enable selectively.
• Switch DNS providers. On Android, set Private DNS to dns.google or one.one.one.one. DNS resolution issues can cascade into timeouts that freeze apps during startup.

What Not to Bother With for Now While Spotify Fixes the Bug

• Reinstalling or clearing cache has rarely solved this issue, according to community threads. These steps won’t change router behavior or WiFi discovery conflicts, which are the likely triggers.
• A full phone reset is unnecessary. Given the WiFi-specific nature of the bug, a factory reset is unlikely to help and will cost you time.

Why WiFi Is the Trigger for Spotify’s Android App Crashes

Spotify’s Android app scans the local network to find speakers, TVs, and other devices via Spotify Connect and casting protocols. If that discovery process hits a problematic response or a network rule that causes repeated timeouts, the app can stall on launch and trigger a crash.

That would also explain why the app behaves on mobile data: there’s no local network to scan, so the risky code path is never hit. Similar patterns have appeared in the past with apps that rely on mDNS and SSDP to find devices.

When a Fix Is Coming and How to Stay Ready

Spotify has confirmed the bug and says a fix is in progress, but there’s no public timeline. Keep automatic updates enabled so you get the patch as soon as it lands.

If you’re affected, consider posting details in the Spotify Community: phone model, Android version, router make and firmware, WiFi band, presence of cast devices, and whether VPN or Private DNS is enabled. These diagnostics help engineers pin down the edge cases faster.

With more than 600 million monthly users globally, even a small WiFi-specific bug can ripple widely. Until the patch arrives, the workarounds above should keep your playlists running with minimal disruption.