Why Does My Spotify Keep Pausing? 8 Fixes for Repeated Interruptions

Have you ever been rocking out to your favorite Spotify playlist or podcast when the music suddenly cuts out and won’t start playing again? Getting interrupted by constant pausing can ruin the listening experience.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the top reasons why Spotify keeps pausing on your phone, computer or web player, along with actionable solutions to stop the annoying pauses. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to troubleshoot and resolve repeated interruptions so you can enjoy uninterrupted Spotify streaming.

1. First Steps to Fix Repeated Pausing in Spotify

Before diving deep into troubleshooting, try these quick first steps to get Spotify playback running smoothly again on your device:

• Make sure no one else is logged into your Spotify account on another device at the same time, as this can cause playback interference and pausing. Log them out.
• Try clearing Spotify’s temporary data and cache by turning your phone fully off and back on or restarting your computer. This forces cached files to be deleted.
• Turn off low power mode in your phone’s battery settings, as limiting background app activity can interfere with continuous music streaming.
• Disable data saver mode in your phone’s settings, as restricting data usage often leads to buffering issues and pauses.
• Download songs/podcasts to your device for uninterrupted listening in areas with poor connectivity or limited mobile data.

If Spotify continues pausing after trying the quick fixes above, don’t worry – there are still plenty more ways to troubleshoot and solve the problem.

2. Sign Out of All Devices in Spotify from Web Browser

One common trigger for unpredictable pausing is having Spotify simultaneously logged in on multiple devices. This can create playback conflicts as each tries accessing your account.

The good news is you can force log out of all connected devices at once through the Spotify website:

• You can only sign out of all devices by going to the Spotify website in a desktop browser, not the mobile app.
• Log into your Spotify account on the official site, go to your account settings page, and select “Sign Out Everywhere” to log out of all logged in devices.
• This handy option will sign you out of all previously connected devices so your mobile app or computer has full control of playback again without remote device interference.

Give your phone or computer a restart after signing out everywhere on Spotify’s website and see if the random pausing stops during streaming.

3. Perform a Clean Windows/Mac Re-Install of Spotify

Corrupted system files or cache related to the Spotify app can also manifest as repeated playback interruptions.

Here’s how to do a clean re-installation to rule out file corruption:

• On Windows, delete all Spotify data folders you can find, uninstall the app, then reinstall a fresh Spotify version from the Microsoft Store.
• For Mac, delete related Spotify cache and data folders in Finder, put the Spotify app in the Trash and empty it fully, then redownload a clean version of the app from the official Spotify site.

This forces Windows or Mac to rebuild necessary Spotify files from scratch. Check if pausing problems disappear after the clean re-install.

4. Check for Corrupt SD Card, HDD, or SSD

If you primarily store Spotify tracks on external or internal storage drives, failing drives can cause buffering issues and repeated audio dropouts.

To rule out storage corruption:

• If using an SD card, remove it from your phone, clean the contacts, then reinsert to check if Spotify still stutters. This fixes SD card read/write errors.
• For internal or external HDDs and SSDs, run the disk scanner, S.M.A.R.T. check, or error checking tool to check for bad sectors or file system damage preventing smooth Spotify streaming.

Replace failing drives, and Spotify interruptions should improve after switching to new, undamaged storage that doesn’t trigger read failures.

5. Reduce Consumed Storage Space

If Spotify is installed on a nearly full internal or external drive, the lack of free space can prevent it from efficiently storing temporary playback files needed for uninterrupted streaming.

Try freeing up storage capacity:

• Manually delete unused programs, clear your browser cache, delete downloads and old files you no longer need.
• Use disk cleanup utilities like Disk Cleanup on Windows to automatically find and delete unnecessary files wasting space.
• Uninstall apps and games you haven’t used in awhile to gain back consumed storage capacity.

With ample free space again, Spotify will have room to operate without pausing from constrained storage.

6. Remove Spotify from Hosts File

Advanced users can modify the hosts file on their device to block access to certain sites and domains – sometimes causing Spotify to pause if blocked.

To check, open the hosts file in TextEdit or Notepad and find any entries containing the word “Spotify”, then delete them. Save the changes and restart Spotify to see if removed hosts blocks fixed pausing.

7. Check AirPods or Bluetooth Headphones

Before looking deeper at software issues, first ensure your headphones work properly when connected to other devices and streaming different audio content without problems.

Also:

• Make sure no other Bluetooth devices are connected that could interfere with your Spotify headphones linking to your phone.
• Check the battery level is not critically low on Bluetooth headphones, as some devices pause playback when dying.
• Confirm your Bluetooth headphones support the version of Bluetooth present on your smartphone or computer. Incompatibility can cause stuttering.

Updating headset firmware, cleaning contacts, and re-pairing your headphones can improve intermittent pausing if they are the root cause.

8. Fix Android or iPhone Spotify Pausing

For smartphone users, app and OS level factors tend to cause repeated Spotify interruptions. Try these mobile-specific fixes:

• On Android or iOS, delete the Spotify app’s data and cache, uninstall it, then reinstall a fresh version from the store to eliminate any corrupted files.
• Physically remove the SD card from your Android phone, clean the contacts, then reinsert to check for data corruption preventing steady playback.
• Check for free storage space on your iPhone or Android. Delete unused apps, photos, and media to free up room for uninterrupted Spotify use.
• Keep your mobile OS and Spotify app updated to the newest versions available to benefit from pausing and performance fixes.
• Toggle offline mode in Spotify’s settings to force downloaded songs instead of streaming, avoiding connectivity-related interruptions.

After trying the above mobile solutions, Spotify should stop pausing every few minutes on your Android or iOS device.

Conclusion

Unwanted Spotify pausing can certainly kill your vibe during a good listening session. By learning why Spotify keeps randomly pausing and applying the right troubleshooting steps for your device, you can eliminte disruptions and enjoy seamless music and podcast streaming once again.

The problem typically stems from incorrect settings, software conflicts, storage issues, or headphone connectivity – all solvable with a few targeted tweaks.

To quickly review, focus on these fixes during troubleshooting:

• Sign out of Spotify on other devices
• Reinstall Spotify app
• Check external storage for errors
• Free up disk space
• Update and reinstall mobile app
• Ensure headphones connect properly

With the above solutions, your Spotify library should resume playback smoothly without intermittent pausing or buffering. Just isolate the underlying cause and apply the matching fix for seamless listening again.