(9 Fixes) Spotify Not Working On Mobile Data [2023]

So your mobile data wants to play hard to get, ey?

Well…

I’ve got news for you.

There’s a solution to all of this.

However…

You might need to try several fixes before getting Spotify to work.

That said, there’s 1 fix that genuinely fixed the issue in an instant.

Read on to find out:

9 reliable fixes to get Spotify working on mobile data.
How to set APN settings for both iOS and Android devices.
Why Spotify doesn’t work on your mobile network (and how to fix it).
And many more…

Why is Spotify not working on mobile data?

Spotify’s not working on mobile data because the app’s running on outdated software. Another major cause is a mobile carrier network issue or glitchy APN setting. Other times, it may be due to an app bug, device malfunction, or setting Spotify to Offline mode. Lastly, it could be an account error.

Spotify not working on mobile data: 9 fixes

#1: Turn off VoLTE network

Before you run away from the foreign term sitting in that heading, trust me…

VoLTE sounds complex, but in truth, it’s quite simple.

Another term for this is Voice over LTE.

Put simply, VoLTE allows you to make voice calls through your LTE or 4G mobile connection.

Now, here’s the problem.

As convenient as it sounds, it has its fair share of inconveniences too.

One of which is it interferes with your Spotify’s mobile data usage.

What causes this isn’t actually the app or the internet connection signal, but rather…

A mobile carrier update, which may have bugs and inevitably leads to glitches.

So, here’s the fix:

Open your iPhone settings menu.
Tap “Cellular.”
Select “Cellular Data Options.”
Tap “Voice & Data.”
Toggle off “VoLTE.”
Turn on “LTE/4G.”
Alternatively, try the “3G” option too.
Test Spotify on both mobile data network settings.

If you have an Android phone, follow these steps:

Tap the Settings option (gear icon) on your Android phone.
Select “Connections.”
Choose “Mobile networks.”
Toggle off “VoLTE calls SIM 1.”
Test the Spotify app.
If that doesn’t work, tap “Network mode” and select “3G.”
Test Spotify again.

#2: Set your phone’s APN settings

Think of an APN (Access Point Name) this way:

It’s a network path for all mobile data connections.

Another way of looking at it is that…

APNs allow your mobile network (Ex. 3G or 4G) to connect to the internet.

Normally, your APN’s set by default.

However, in this case, you need to change your APN settings because…

Your current APN doesn’t work properly.

And that’s quite evident when Spotify fails to work with your mobile data turned on.

Now, don’t worry.

I’ve laid out a step-by-step guide on how to change your phone’s APN settings.

Here’s how to do it:

For iOS phones:

Step 1: Open Safari on your iPhone.

Go to the site: unlockit.co.nz.

Step 2: In the bottom row of your phone screen, select “Create APN.”

Step 3: Set basic APN details.

Here, you’ll have to choose your country and mobile carrier.

For example.

If you’re currently residing in the United States and your mobile carrier’s T-mobile, then…

Select US and T-mobile (LTE) from the list of options.

Step 4: Tap the “Create APN” button.

Upon clicking, you’ll see this message pop up on your phone’s screen:

“This website is trying to open Settings to show you a configuration profile. Do you want to allow this?”

Step 5: Tap “Allow.”

Step 6: Select “Install” on the top-right part of your iPhone’s screen.

Step 7: Enter your passcode.

Step 8: Make sure your APN profile’s set.

After successfully installing your new APN settings, verify the installation:

Go to your iPhone settings.
Tap “General.”
Scroll down and select “Profile” (located under VPN).
Confirm if your APN was set.

If you need a video guide as a reference, here’s a great resource for you:

For Android phones:

Unlike iPhones, you’ll have to manually set your APN on an Android phone.

Worried?

Don’t be.

I’ll show you how it’s done, including an example in the steps below.

Step 1: Access your Android phone’s settings (gear icon).

Step 2: Tap “Connections.”

Step 3: Select “Mobile networks.”

Step 4: Choose “Access Point Names.”

From here, tap the “Add” button on the top-right part of your screen.

Step 5: Fill in the info needed to set your APN.

For this part, you can use this list of APN settings to guide you.

Now, say you want to set your APN for AT&T.

From the information listed on the site above, you’ll see the following info:

Name: ATT.
APN: wap.cingular.
Password: cingular1.
Port: <leave in blank>.
Proxy: <leave in blank>.
Username: wap@cingulargprs.com.

And so on…

Simply fill in all the info needed on your Android phone.

From here, make sure to select your new APN as your preferred choice.

Finally, launch Spotify and see if it works.

#3: Make sure Spotify’s Offline mode is off

Why is this important?

Mainly because Spotify’s Offline mode does this:

“When you go offline, you’ll only be able to play the music and podcasts you’ve downloaded.”

Meaning, even if you’re using your WiFi or mobile data, Spotify’ll only play downloaded content.

In other words, you can’t stream songs when you’re in Offline mode.

Fortunately, turning it off’s easy:

Tap the Home icon on your Spotify app.
Select the gear icon on the top-right part of your screen.
Under “Playback,” make sure Offline mode is turned off.

You might also be interested in: (9 Fixes) Spotify Not Working Offline

#4: Set your Cellular streaming to “Low”

Spotify has an option to set the quality of your audio.

And this ranges from “Low” to “Very High.”

The problem with this is…

If you’re streaming music with an audio quality that’s set to “Very High,” well…

A few things are possible as to why your mobile data doesn’t work:

The mobile connection isn’t strong enough to stream very high audio quality.
Data usage is nearly at its limit, and therefore, you’re restricted from using more.

It’s similar to WiFi buffering issues when you’re streaming a movie on Netflix.

When the internet connection’s weak, you get a red loading screen icon that never seems to end.

One cause of this issue is due to the high definition video standard you’re streaming in.

After all, there’s a difference when you stream 1080p from 720p content.

How so?

Because 1080p is a much higher video resolution.

And in effect, it also requires a stronger WiFi connection.

It works the same way when streaming music.

Granted, audio files require less bandwidth than videos.

However…

It’s still worth considering because Spotify’s not the only app running in the background.

If you’re running several apps on mobile data with Spotify, then…

Try setting your cellular streaming to “Low”:

Tap the Home icon on your Spotify app.
Select the gear icon on the top-right part of your screen.
Under “Audio Quality,” set “Cellular Streaming” to low.

#5: Reset Spotify

Most app reset tutorials involve:

Restarting your device.
Closing the app and relaunching it.

However, that doesn’t apply to Spotify.

Instead, the best way to reset the app is by clearing its cache and data followed by a device restart.

What does that mean?

Cache is data or info that reduces loading or access time.

When you open Spotify the first time, you’ll notice it takes a while to load.

And that’s because your device or app has to load info like:

Album or song covers.
Images of various Spotify playlists.

All of this requires time to process.

Where cache comes in is it stores temporary files of this data so that…

When you load Spotify the 2nd or 3rd time, it’s much faster.

However, cache also takes up storage and can lead to problems on your iPhone or Android.

So, clearing its data should resolve any issues.

Here’s how it’s done for both iOS and Android phones:

Open your Spotify app.
Tap the Home icon.
Press the settings option (gear icon) on the top-right part of your screen.
Scroll down and select “Clear cache” (located below “Remove all downloads”).
Close Spotify.
Restart your device.
Relaunch the app.

#6: Log out of all Spotify on all devices

You might’ve heard or seen this advice somewhere online already.

But here’s the twist.

Most say to only log out from your smartphone.

And the thing is…

You have to consider: what about your other synced devices?

Now, if you’re still logged in via your laptop/PC or tablet, then it doesn’t fully clear the issue.

You have to log out of every Spotify account you’re signed into.

And that’s what you’re going to do here:

Open your Spotify app.
On your home screen, tap your settings or the gear icon.
Scroll down to the bottom and select “Log out.”
Do this for all devices where your account’s currently logged in.
Restart your smartphone and other device/s.
Launch the app.

#7: Reinstall Spotify

When Spotify fails to recognize your mobile data connection, it could be that the app is:

Glitching.
Malfunctioning.
Encountered a bug in the system.

Resetting the app might not have been enough to clear these issues.

So, your next best step is to delete the app, then reinstall it.

Here’s how to do it:

Go to your App Store or Google Play Store.
Search for “Spotify.”
Select the app.
Tap “Uninstall.”
Close the App Store or Google Play Store.
Launch the store again.
Type “Spotify” on the search bar field.
Install the Spotify app.

Check out: 19 Steps To Delete Spotify Account On iPhone

#8: Update Spotify

App updates don’t seem all that important until…

You run into an issue like this that seems nearly impossible to solve.

But a simple matter of the truth is…

One, you’re not alone.

And two, Spotify’s community forums aren’t just for reaching out to the company.

Rather, it’s also evidence that sometimes, the problem’s on their end.

In some cases, what causes the issue’s not the app or your smartphone.

Instead, it’s your mobile carrier that released an update that may have led to bugs or glitches.

Yes – Spotify’s aware of what users experience when the app fails to work on mobile data.

And as a result, they release updates to serve as countermeasures or solutions.

These new app versions are meant to clear bugs and improve errors in Spotify.

In other words…

Updating Spotify to its latest version will almost always solve your issue.

Here’s how it’s done:

Go to your App Store or Google Play Store.
Type “Spotify.”
Select the app from the search results.
If there’s a new version, you’ll see an “Update” button.
Tap “Update.”

#9: Contact Spotify customer support

When things still feel like they’re going south, here’s what you can do:

Reach out to Spotify by tweeting @SpotifyCares or…

You can even ask expert Spotify members who’re always willing to help.

Of course, directly messaging Spotify’s customer support is also a great option.

For even more DIY troubleshooting, their support page has several resources.

Finally, be sure to check out Spotify’s community page too.

What’s great about it is Spotify displays a list of ongoing issues that users have brought up.

That’s full transparency right there.

And it means Spotify makes efforts to provide genuine support.