Spotify users in South Africa are reporting frustrating issues with the music streaming app crashing and freezing, particularly on Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices. The problem seems to be specifically triggered when connected to Wi-Fi, leaving many users unable to enjoy their favourite tunes at home or in the office.
Reports of the issue began surfacing on Spotify's community forums a couple of weeks ago, with users describing the app as becoming "unusable" due to constant crashes and freezes when connected to Wi-Fi. Switching to mobile data appears to be a temporary workaround, but this isn't ideal for users with limited data plans or those trying to avoid excessive data usage.
"Recently, my Spotify app has become unusable while connected to my home wifi," one user reported on the Spotify forum, mentioning their Pixel phone was affected. Similar complaints have emerged from users with Galaxy S and Tab devices, indicating a potential issue affecting a range of Android devices.
Spotify has acknowledged the problem and stated that their engineers are working on a fix. However, there's no estimated time for when a patch will be released. Reinstalling the app, a common troubleshooting step, doesn't seem to resolve the issue for most users.
Possible Causes and Solutions
While the exact cause of the problem remains unknown, some speculate that it might be related to Chromecast-ready devices or network configurations specific to certain Wi-Fi networks. This could explain why the issue only occurs when connected to Wi-Fi.
In the meantime, if you're experiencing this issue, try the following:
- Switch to mobile data when using Spotify.
- Check your Wi-Fi connection and ensure it's stable.
- Restart your device.
- Clear the Spotify app's cache and data (note: this may require you to re-download your offline content).
- Keep an eye on the Spotify community forums for updates on the issue.
We'll continue to update this article as more information becomes available. Stay tuned for updates from Spotify regarding a permanent solution.