More and more YouTube Music Premium members are finding that they can’t play offline downloads from their library on their Android devices outside the app, with playback stuck on an endlessly buffering spinner. Similar complaints have appeared on Google support forums and Reddit, and the problem also seems to be specific to Android phones and watches. iOS devices appear safe according to numerous user reports. TeamYouTube has confirmed that it is aware of the reports and is advising users to send feedback in-app, but there’s no known resolution just yet.
What users are seeing with offline download failures
Reports are fairly standard, with music and playlists playing when streamed before failing upon download. For some listeners, tracks that played normally a day ago now refuse to download for offline listening. Some people say everything is fine with the app until they download anything on their device—once their offline files are present, playback ceases throughout the library.
In Google’s community forum, users of recent Samsung flagships and Pixel devices report that clearing the cache didn’t help, nor did clearing data, rebooting the phone, reinstalling Android Auto, or even rolling back to older app versions. Some point out that the same is true on paired wearables with offline support. These reports are echoed in threads on Reddit where others noted the same issues, which suggests this is a software-side issue and not some weird conflict between network or hardware.
Who seems affected by the YouTube Music offline bug
Early indications are that the issue is specific to Android. Several commenters tell us their iPhone or iPad libraries are still downloading without issues and playing offline, but their Android phone does not. Some people suspect it’s related to a new Android system update, while others blame recent app changes—including seasonal features that are now rolling out onto the service. Tech outlet PiunikaWeb cited the surge in posts, and TeamYouTube also responded on Reddit urging users to provide diagnostic feedback via the app.
There is no official count or range so far, but the volume of independent threads and supporting published comments on various support communities suggests this isn’t just a small number of Premium listener experiences. The presence of streaming for those accounts is also proof that subscriptions are valid and regional licensing is in place.
Possible reasons offline downloads stop playing
Offline tracks in YouTube Music are saved as encrypted files associated with the device and account, whose licenses require periodic validation. When these checks fail (after an OS update, an app-side change in how DRM is handled, or when the token expires), downloads can become unplayable even if content continues to stream fine. This kind of behavior is also susceptible to how Android’s storage rules and battery optimizations continue to change over time, with system rules targeting background processes that affect license keys and file access.
User theories are pointing to three possible sources:
- A recent app build that introduced a decryption or license bug
- A clash with the latest Android update on specific devices
- A server-side change for new features that has impaired offline playback
These are educated guesses, without input from the developer—but they’re consistent with how comparable outages have happened to other streaming apps.
Workarounds you can try now to restore offline playback
- Remove all downloaded data, and use only streaming. Several users report that the app goes back to working normally without offline files, but of course that defeats the purpose of Premium when you’re on a plane or in a dead zone.
- Sign out and back in, and attempt to re-download a small test playlist. This will cause a new token and license handshake to occur, which may on occasion resolve playback.
- Clear the app data and cache, then reinstall from the Play Store. If you store your downloads on an SD card, try saving them to internal storage instead.
- Turn off battery optimization for the app. Power management may interfere with background license checking, or incomplete downloads could be corrupted.
- Some users say they’ve had success sideloading an older build, but sideloading introduces vulnerabilities and runs the risk of breaking future updates. If you decide to try this, do so with caution and return to the official release as soon as a fix is released.
What to watch next as Google investigates the issue
TeamYouTube is collecting logs through in-app feedback. If you’re impacted, go to the profile menu and tap Help and feedback, noting “downloads stuck loading” along with your device model and app version to facilitate triage. Monitor the Play Store for an app update and official support channels for acknowledgment and remediation advice.
Listening offline is a key reason many people pay for music subscriptions, particularly commuters and travelers who don’t want to eat up data by streaming on the go. Until there’s a fix, your best bet may be to wipe out offline content and listen to music when you happen to be streaming—not ideal, but better than radio silence. If it’s a DRM or token validation bug, an update to the server side or clients should fix offline playback without customers needing to lose their libraries.
