Spotify Says "Can't Play This Right Now"? How to Fix It
You press play and Spotify skips the track or shows “Spotify can’t play this right now. If you have the file on your computer you can import it.”
Why: Usually the app’s stored data has gone stale, the device is low on free memory, the app is in offline mode, or your connection dropped mid-stream. The fixes below go fastest-first — most people are fixed by step 1 or 2.
Fix 1: Restart, check your connection, and free up memory
The quickest reset, and it clears the most common causes.
- Fully close Spotify and reopen it. On a phone, swipe it out of the recent-apps list first.
- Check you have a stable internet connection. If you’re on Wi-Fi, turn it off, wait about 30 seconds, then turn it back on — or switch to mobile data to test.
- Make sure your device has at least 250MB of available memory. Close other apps you’re not using and delete some files if storage is nearly full.
- Restart the device itself, then try the song again.
Fix 2: Make sure you’re not in offline mode
In offline mode, anything you haven’t downloaded won’t play.
- Mobile/tablet: Tap Home, then the gear (Settings) > Playback, and turn Offline off.
- Desktop: Open the menu and check that Offline mode is not ticked (it’s also under Settings > Playback in newer builds).
Then play the track again over an active connection.
Fix 3: Clear the cache, then log out and back in
Stale cached data is a frequent cause of single tracks refusing to play.
- Go to Settings > Storage and tap Clear cache (desktop: Settings > Storage > Clear cache). This only removes temporary files — your playlists and saved music stay.
- Still stuck? Log out (Settings > scroll down > Log out), close the app, reopen it, and log back in.
- On desktop, also check that your firewall or antivirus isn’t blocking Spotify.
Fix 4: Reinstall Spotify
A clean reinstall replaces any damaged app files. Per Spotify, you’ll need to re-download any offline music and podcasts afterward.
- Uninstall Spotify the normal way for your device (Windows: Settings > Apps; Mac: drag to Trash; phone: press-and-hold the icon > remove/uninstall).
- Restart the device.
- Reinstall from your official app store (or spotify.com/download on desktop) and sign in.
If the same track still won’t play, it may be temporarily unavailable in your region or there may be an ongoing issue — check @SpotifyStatus before trying again.
FAQ
Why does it only happen on one song? That track may be temporarily unavailable in your country, removed by the rights holder, or greyed out by your explicit-content filter. Other songs playing fine points to the track, not your app.
Could low storage really stop playback? Yes. Spotify recommends at least 250MB free; below that the app can’t buffer and throws playback errors.
Will clearing the cache delete my playlists? No. Clearing the cache only removes temporary files. Your playlists and Liked Songs are stored on your account.
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