How to fix Spotify that’s not working, unable to play tracks on Apple iPhone XS Max [Troubleshooting Guide]

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When it comes to music streaming services, Spotify surfaces among the most popular platforms for both Android and iOS devices today. You can make use of the app for free (ad supported) or upgrade to a premium Spotify account to listen to your favorite tracks without limitations and/or ad interruptions. The service came to existence in 2018 and since then it has grown to become globally accessible. But just like any other online streaming apps, Spotify is also susceptible to random errors inflicted by network problems.

Fortunately, Spotify errors are rectifiable. To give you some inputs, I’ve lined up some of the most effective solutions to common Spotify problems encountered by iPhone owners. Feel free to refer to this walkthrough whenever you bump into some trouble playing Spotify music on your iPhone XS Max.

For owners who are looking for a solution to a different problem, drop by our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common problems with this device. Browse through the page to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work or if you need further assistance don’t hesitate to contact us by filling up our iPhone issues questionnaire.

How to troubleshoot iPhone XS Max with Spotify app that’s not working?

Before troubleshooting, check your phone’s internet connection. Online apps and services like Spotify rely on Internet to work as intended. While the app can still be used for playing offline music, its offline functions are limited. That said, there are some features that you can’t use as they don’t work without an Internet connection. You can open a browser app on your phone then navigate to different websites. If you can access all websites, then the Internet is fine. By then you can start to troubleshoot the app and software problems that might have prevented Spotify from working properly on your iPhone XS Max.

First solution: Force close app then restart your iPhone.

The app might be glitching and so it’s not working at the moment. The simplest way to fix a glitching app is to force close or end the application. In iOS devices, apps that are previously used stay suspended as background apps. These apps are in standby mode and all set to launch when triggered. While keeping apps in this state may benefit users for multitasking purposes, keeping apps suspended for long can also cause troubles especially when they crashed. So here’s what you should do then:

  1. Swipe up from the bottom of the Home screen and then pause slightly in the middle of the screen.
  2. Then swipe right or left to navigate through the app previews.
  3. Swipe up on the Spotify card/preview to quit the app.
  4. Also clear out any other running apps to prevent them from interfering or causing conflict with Spotify.

After closing Spotify and other running apps, restart or soft reset your iPhone XS Max. This is recommended to clear junk caches from the phone memory including those that impede Spotify from working. Here’s how:

  1. Press and hold the Side/Power button and either Volume buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
  2. Release the buttons when the Slide to Power Off command appears and then drag the power off slider to the right.
  3. After 30 seconds, press and hold the Power/Side button again until the phone reboots.

Wait until the phone boots up and then launch Spotify and see if it’s already working.

Second solution: Update Spotify to the latest version available.

App updates also embed some dedicated fix patches to address existing application errors inflicted by software bugs and malware. If you haven’t set your third-party apps to auto-update, you will need to install pending app updates manually. Simply refer to these steps to install pending app updates, particularly for Spotify:

  1. From the Home screen, tap App Store. Doing so triggers the App Store application to launch.
  2. From the App Store main screen, scroll down to the bottom and then tap on the Updates tab. A list of all apps with pending updates will then appear.
  3. Tap the Update button next to the Spotify app to install pending updates for Spotify.
  4. If multiple app updates are available, then you can just tap on the Update All button on the top-right of the screen. Doing so will install all app updates simultaneously.

Logging out and back into your Spotify account can also help solve the problem if it’s attributed to invalid logins or expired sessions.

Installing the latest iOS update available for your iPhone XS Max can also help clear out minor software errors that might have caused conflicts to Spotify.

  • To check for OTA updates on your iPhone XS Max, head over to Settings-> General-> Software Update menu.

You will see a notification if a new software version is available. Read the update details then follow the onscreen instructions to download and install new iOS update for your iPhone.

Be sure to restart your phone after updating to ensure all new system changes are properly applied and likewise to prevent apps from acting up.

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Third solution: Uninstall then reinstall Spotify on your iPhone XS Max.

If the app has been corrupted, it would stop working or even unable to load properly again until it’s reinstalled. In that case, the corrupted app must be deleted and reinstalled. That said, try to delete or uninstall Spotify from your iPhone XS Max and then reinstall it with these steps:

  1. From the Home screen, lightly touch and hold the Spotify app icon until it jiggles. Be sure not to press too firmly to avoid opening the Quick Actions menu.
  2. Then tap on the X at the upper-left corner of the app you want to delete.
  3. Tap Delete when prompted to confirm action.

You can also uninstall the app from your iPhone settings. All you have to do is access the iPhone Storage menu to view all your downloaded apps. Here’s how to get there:

  1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Scroll down the left menu then select General.
  3. Tap iPhone Storage.
  4. Select Spotify from the list of apps.
  5. Tap the option to Delete App.
  6. If prompted, tap Delete App to confirm.

After deleting the app, restart your iPhone. Then launch the App Store to search for and download the latest version of Spotify on your iPhone XS Max. You will need to re-download all music you’ve made available for offline listening after reinstalling the application.

Fourth solution: Disable app restrictions on your iPhone XS Max.

The above methods are usually enough to deal with application errors. The symptoms may persist if they’re triggered by something from within the phone system itself. And that’s what you need to work on and rule out next. Among the factors that can impede apps functions when enabled are the iPhone restrictions. To rule this out, try to disable Content & Privacy Restriction to allow apps, particularly Spotify to work. Here’s how:

  1. Tap Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap Screen Time.
  3. Select Content & Privacy Restriction.
  4. Navigate to the Allowed Apps section.
  5. Toggle the switch to turn OFF restriction for Spotify app.

Reboot the phone after changing the setting and then launch the Spotify app to see if the problem is gone.

Fifth solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone XS Max.

You may opt to troubleshoot further and perform software resets if none of the previous methods is able to solve the problem. The next factors to rule out are invalid settings or incorrect customizations on the phone. Here’s how to get this done:

  1. From your Home screen, tap on Settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Scroll down to and then tap on Reset.
  4. Select the option to Reset all settings.
  5. Enter your passcode when asked to continue.
  6. Then select the option to confirm all settings reset.

When the reset is finished, your phone should restart by itself. Wait until it boots up completely then reconnect your iPhone to the Internet. Once connected, try loading Spotify and see if it’s already able to play tracks and working properly again.

If the problem continues, then you may be dealing with a more complex system error or technical problems with the Spotify server.

Other options

For more advanced solutions and in-app troubleshooting procedures, visit the Spotify help page. If possible, you can use or connect to other Wi-Fi network. If the other connection works, then the problem is with your other network and that’s what you need to fix beforehand. To determine whether or not the problem is isolated to the Spotify app or iPhone XS Max, try to use a web player or use another device to play Spotify music on.  If Spotify isn’t working on all your devices, visit Spotify Status page or contact Spotify Cares to check if there are any ongoing server issues. If Spotify is able to play tracks and works smoothly on other devices, then the problem is likely with the iPhone XS Max. In that case, you may opt to troubleshoot further or just use other music streaming apps that’ll work with your iPhone XS Max instead.

I hope that this how-to post has helped you one way or another. Please help us spread the word by sharing this post to your friends or people who may also have similar problems. Thanks for reading!

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