Spotify is one of the famous music streaming applications, which offers a vast library of music. If you’re a Spotify user, you might notice the app continues to download music and playlists of your favorite artist while connected to Wi-Fi. But what if you want to save your mobile data usage or prefer not to download it? In this blog post, we’re going to guide you on how to stop Spotify downloading on Wi-Fi and save your data usage.
Video Tutorial:
Why You Need to Stop Spotify Downloading on Wi-Fi
Many users have complained about Spotify downloading the music on Wi-Fi, even if they don’t want it to do so. This leaves the users with the limited data plan with little to no data available for other activities such as browsing the internet, social media, or even video calls. Another reason to stop Spotify from downloading on Wi-Fi is to speed up your computer or mobile devices as Spotify continually downloads music in the background. Therefore, it’s necessary to stop Spotify from downloading on Wi-Fi to have control over the data usage and device performance.
Method 1: Using the Spotify App
Spotify offers a feature to disable downloading on Wi-Fi within its settings. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Open the Spotify app on your device and go to the "Your Library" section.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon on the top right corner of the screen to access the "Settings" menu.
Step 3: Scroll down to the "Music Quality" tab and click on it.
Step 4: Under the "Download" section, turn off the "Download using Wi-Fi" feature.
Pros:
• Easy to use.
• In-built feature.
Cons:
• Can’t restrict downloading on cellular data.
Method 2: Using Cellular Data Limit
iOS and Android devices have the option to limit cellular data usage for specific apps. We can use this feature to restrict Spotify from downloading on Wi-Fi. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Open your smartphone settings and click on "Mobile Data" or "Cellular."
Step 2: Select "Spotify" and scroll down to find "Wi-Fi" toggle. Turn it off.
Step 3: To restrict cellular data usage, click on "Data Saver" on Android, or "Low Data Mode" on iOS.
Pros:
• Helps restrict Spotify from downloading on Cellular Data as well.
Cons:
• The option to limit the cellular data usage may vary depending upon the device.
Method 3: Using Firewalls
You can use the Firewall to restrict downloading music via Spotify. You can set up a firewall app like NetGuard, NoRoot Firewall, AFWall+, or Mobiwol Firewall to block the app from using Wi-Fi. However, this feature may not be available on every device, and it requires root access. Here’s how to set it up:
Step 1: Install the firewall app from the Google Play Store or App Store.
Step 2: Scroll down and find the Spotify app from the app list.
Step 3: Disable Wi-Fi access permission for the Spotify app.
Pros:
• Can block Wi-Fi access to other apps as well.
Cons:
• Requires a rooted device.
• Can block Wi-Fi access completely.
What to Do If You Can’t Stop Spotify Downloading
If the methods mentioned above didn’t work for you, you still have a few fixes to stop Spotify from downloading on Wi-Fi.
• Outright Delete the Download on Spotify: Alternatively, you can may permanently delete downloaded music rather than stopping Spotify from downloading music on Wi-Fi. Follow the instructions to do so: Click on the "Your Library" section, select the playlist and scroll down to click on the "Downloaded songs" and remove the downloaded songs manually.
• Re-install Spotify App: Uninstall and reinstall the app.
• Contact Spotify Support: Contact the customer service to report the issue.
Bonus Tip: Save Data on Spotify
Here are some bonus tips to save data on Spotify:
• Download the playlist only on Wi-Fi, so you can listen to them offline.
• Optimize Music Quality and Streaming: Reduce the music quality if you’re streaming on cellular data, or turn on data saver mode.
• Listen to Podcast over Music: Switch to Podcast instead of music streaming, which reduces the data usage significantly.
5 FAQs
Q. How can I check the amount of data used by Spotify?
A. You can check the data usage of Spotify by going to the Spotify’s app settings and clicking on "Data usage." This will show you the total data, along with the data usage, consumed by Spotify.
Q. Does disabling download on Wi-Fi setting affects the app’s performance?
A. No, it doesn’t affect the app’s performance. The app will continue to function normally.
Q. Do all firewall apps require a rooted device to work?
A. Most firewall apps require root permissions to function. Some newer apps like NetGuard can work without root access.
Q. Does low data mode restrict all the apps from making data requests?
A. No, Low data mode only restricts background app refresh, automatic downloads, and homepage cache.
Q. Is deleting the downloaded content from Spotify app will get refunded?
A. No, if you delete your downloaded content from Spotify app then it will not get refunded.
Final Thoughts
Spotify’s automatic downloading feature on Wi-Fi is a pain for users who want to control their data usage or have a limited data plan. The methods mentioned above can help you to restrict Spotify from downloading when connected to Wi-Fi. Spotify is a music streaming application, and it’s expected to consume a lot of data, so these methods will help in optimizing the data usage and device performance. Try these methods and share your experience.