There are users who are reporting that the Spotify app is not responding on their Windows 11/10 PC. In this guide, we show you how to fix it. Spotify is one of the best audio streaming platforms available worldwide. It is available for free and has a subscription that works without ads. Spotify is even available as a standalone app on Windows 11/10 which you can download and install from Microsoft Store and enjoy your favorite music.
The Spotify application is not responding
Why is my Spotify not responding on my PC?
If the Spotify app is not responding or working properly on your PC, it might be due to the following reasons.
- Corrupted app files or temporary files
- Background processes restricted by third-party antivirus
- Firewall blocking the processes
- Media Feature Pack not installed
You can fix these issues easily with this guide.
The Spotify application is not responding on Windows 11/10
If the Spotify app on your Windows PC is not responding, you can follow the below methods to fix the issues and stream your favorite music.
- Relaunch Spotify and its processes
- Delete Spotify’s Temporary files
- Allow Spotify through Windows Firewall
- Disable third-party antivirus
- Install Media Feature Pack in Optional Features
- Reset or Reinstall Spotify
Let’s get into the details of each method and fix the issue.
1] Relaunch Spotify and its processes
When you find the Spotify app not responding on your Windows 11/10 PC, you need to launch the Task Manager using the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keyboard shortcut and end the Spotify and related processes running on your PC. This can refresh the running processes when you relaunch the Spotify program.
Read: Spotify Something went wrong error
2] Delete Spotify’s Temporary files
If the cached data and the temporary files of the Spotify app that are stored on your PC are corrupted, you may see it not responding or not working properly. To get rid of the issue, you need to clear or delete temporary files and cached data related to Spotify on your PC.
To delete temporary files on your PC,
- Press the Windows + R shortcut key to open the Run dialogue box.
- In the space provided, type %appdata%, and press the enter key. Here you will find a folder associated with all the applications installed on your system.
- From the list, locate and open the Spotify folder.
- Inside the Spotify folder, open the Users folder.
- In the following folder, open the folder associated with the Spotify username.
- Locate a file named local-files.bnk
3] Allow Spotify through Windows Firewall
There are chances that the Firewall on your PC might be interfering with the Spotify app and making it not work properly. You need to allow Spotify through Windows Firewall and fix the issue.
To allow the Spotify app through Windows Firewall,
- Click on the Start menu and search for Firewall. Open the Windows Defender Firewall from the results.
- On the Windows Defender Firewall app, click on Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
- Then, click on Allow another app
- Browse the installed apps and select Spotify on Add an app window
- Click Add and then OK to complete the process.
Check if it helps to fix the issue.
4] Disable third-party antivirus
If your PC has an active third-party antivirus running on it, there are chances that it might be blocking some processes related to Spotify and making it not respond. Temporarily disable the antivirus and see if the Spotify app is working properly or not. If it is working when disabled, you need to exclude Spotify and its processes from getting blocked or killed by the third-party antivirus in its settings.
5] Install Media Feature Pack in Optional Features
If you are using Windows 11 – Educational N OS, it does not come with Media Feature Pack installed on it. You need to install it separately through Optional updates in the Settings app.
To install Media Feature Pack on Windows 11,
- Open the Settings app using Win+I keyboard shortcut
- Select Windows Update
- Click on Advanced options
- Select Optional udpates under Additional options
- You will find Media Feature Pack in the available list. Select it and install it.
6] Reset or Reinstall Spotify
If none of the above methods helped you fix the issues, you can Reset the app and see if it helps.
If that does not help, you need to uninstall the Spotify app in the Settings app and reinstall it from the Microsoft Store. This should reinstall all the components of the Spotify app correctly and can function properly without any issues.
Read: Spotify is slow on Windows PC
How do I fix Spotify desktop app?
If you are facing any issues with the Spotify desktop app, you need to clear the temporary files of the app, relaunch the app by ending all its processes in the Task Manager, update or reinstall the app. If the issue still persists, you can follow the above methods to fix the issues.
Related read: Spotify can’t play this right now.
