15 Fixes For Spotify Not Opening on Windows & Mac

Spotify is one of the first music and podcast streaming apps to come to our minds whenever we feel like listening to our favorite tracks from our favorite artists.

This application is available for platforms like Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and in the form of a web player. Recently, some users faced an issue where Spotify did not open on their Windows 10 PC or Mac.

Spotify Not Opening On Windows & Mac

It can be quite a prickly situation when you remember your headphones on a trip but you aren’t able to stream music through Spotify. This article will help you fix the Spotify app won’t open issues on your computer.

Why is Spotify Not Opening?

These are the factors that can prevent Spotify from launching on your computer.

  1. Outdated Spotify application
  2. Old or Corrupt Audio drivers
  3. Crashes in the Spotify client
  4. Presence of unwanted cache
  5. Incomplete or corrupt installation of the Spotify client
  6. Compatibility issues
  7. Spotify server issues

Solutions To The Spotify Not Opening issue on your Windows PC or Mac

These are the possible solutions that can be implemented to make the Spotify app open on your Windows PC or Mac.

  1. Restart The Device
  2. End the Spotify Task And Launch It Again
  3. Refresh The Network (Non-Spotify Premium Users)
  4. Turn Off The Hardware Acceleration Feature
  5. Run Spotify In Elevated Mode (Administrator Privileges)
  6. Allow Background Apps To Run
  7. Disable the Antivirus Software & Windows Defender Firewall
  8. Launch The Spotify Application In Compatibility Mode
  9. Troubleshoot The Microsoft Store
  10. Launch The PC in Clean Boot Mode And Install Spotify Again
  11. Update The Spotify Application
  12. Download Windows Updates
  13. Update The Audio Driver Software
  14. Reset Spotify To Default
  15. Uninstall & Reinstall the Spotify App

Fixing the Spotify Not Opening Issue on your Windows 10 or Mac System

Restart The Device

The first workaround that almost everyone one of us tries when Spotify refuses to launch on any device is to restart it. This will reset the unsaved settings configuration back to default and also get rid of temporary and corrupt files on the computer. Because rebooting might get rid of the factors stopping Spotify from opening, this is a possible solution to the issue you’re dealing with.

End the Spotify Task And Launch It Again

As a workaround for any other malfunctioning application, killing the Spotify process and launching it again is a way to get the gears of the Spotify application running again. This is quite simple through these steps.

  1. Launch the Windows Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and go into the tab named ‘Processes’.
  2. Look in the Apps section for the running Spotify process.
  3. Select the task by clicking on it and then, click on End Task.
Select the task by clicking on it and then, click on End Task.
  1. Locate the Spotify application or a shortcut and open it. You can find shortcuts of Spotify on the desktop, Start menu, or the taskbar (if pinned).

This is the same as restarting the computer, except instead of all the files and configurations only the Spotify app configurations will be reset and temporary files removed.

Refresh The Network (Non-Spotify Premium Users)

Spotify users with a premium profile can download the tracks onto their devices. This allows premium users to listen to music even without an internet connection. Refreshing the network might help you here.

You just have to poke the reset button, that is located behind the network router. Use a toothpick or a pin to press it gently and hold it until the lights on the modem go off and back on.

This solution can not only start the Spotify application by force but also eliminate internet connectivity problems as the cause for this issue.

Turn Off The Hardware Acceleration Feature

Hardware acceleration is a system process that pushes the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) of your computer to prioritize visual output. This can use more resources than usual, thereby undermining the other processes like audio output, especially when you have high-definition audio on your PC. You may have to turn this off to make Spotify run again.

These are the steps to disable Hardware Acceleration.

  1. Open the Windows Control Panel and go into the Display settings.
  2. Select Change Display Settings from the options panel on the left.
  3. Click on the Advanced display settings and in the window that appears move to the Troubleshoot tab.
  4. Press the Change settings button and locate the Hardware acceleration section.
  5. Now, click on the slider and drag it to the left to disable it.

Alternatively, you can go into the Display settings in the desktop menu, click on the Graphics settings link at the bottom, and toggle the Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling option off.

click on the Graphics settings link at the bottom, and toggle the Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling option off.

Run Spotify In Elevated Mode (Administrator Privileges)

Sometimes applications might require some permissions to run. These permissions cannot be granted by all users. Only the system administrators can assign permissions to applications and they do not require permissions to run programs. So, launching the Spotify client with administrator privileges can help open it.

  1. Navigate to the installation location of the Spotify client and right-click on the Spotify icon.
  2. Choose the Properties option from the context menu.
  3. Move to the Compatibility tab. Here, locate the Settings section.
  4. Check the Run this program as an administrator checkbox.
Check the Run this program as an administrator checkbox.
  1. Select Apply and then, OK. This will save these new changes.

Allow Background Apps To Run

Sometimes the running Spotify process could be interrupted. This process has to be running on your system so that Spotify can function without issues. Do not end this process when you see it on the task manager or the process manager.

Disable the Antivirus Software & Windows Defender Firewall

Sometimes the antivirus software or the Windows Defender Firewall can prevent your Spotify from launching.

This is mostly because they might detect the application as a threat to the computer. The only solution to this issue is to disable them temporarily.

If you have a third-party antivirus active on your system, you can turn it off in the antivirus settings or through the small pop-up menu for the antivirus, which is usually located in the task tray.

The Windows Security feature can be disabled through the Virus & Threat protection settings page.

You will have to consider the risks that are involved when these security systems are deactivated. You may get viruses or other forms of malware and

Launch The Spotify Application In Compatibility Mode

Since compatibility issues are one of the reasons for Spotify to not run on your computer, you might have to launch the app in compatibility mode.

  1. Right-click on the Spotify icon and select Properties.
  2. In the Properties window, move into the Compatibility tab.
  3. Click on the Run this program in compatibility mode for checkbox.
  4. From the drop-down menu, choose a version of the OS.
  5. Save each OS configuration and try running the Spotify application.

If the application runs for a certain OS, save it and make sure that it launches in compatibility mode until the next update.

Troubleshoot The Microsoft Store

This solution may work if you have downloaded the Spotify application through the Microsoft Store. Troubleshooting the Microsoft Store might help get rid of the factors that cause the Spotify not launching error.

  1. Open the Windows Settings application through the Start menu or with the help of the keyboard hotkey shortcut (Windows + I).
  2. From the Settings main menu, follow this path – Updates & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional Troubleshooters
  3. Expand the Windows Store apps section and click on the Run the troubleshooter button.
Expand the Windows Store apps section and click on the Run the troubleshooter button.
  1. In the troubleshooter, choose the Spotify application and wait for the troubleshooting operation to complete.

Launch The PC in Clean Boot Mode And Install Spotify Again

When you turn off all the services running on your computer and try launching the Spotify application, you might be able to locate the issue and even launch the

  1. Open the Run tool and execute the msconfig command. This will bring the System configuration window up.
  2. Click on the General tab and check the Selective Startup radio button and the Load Startup items option.
  3. Then, go into the Services tab and check the Hide all Microsoft services option. 
  4. Now, deactivate all the running services by clicking on Disable all.
  5. Move to the Startup tab and select the Open Task Manager link.
  6. When the Task Manager opens, go into the Services tab and disable all the running processes.
  7. Reboot the PC and when it boots up again, try to open Spotify.

Update The Spotify Application

An out-of-date Spotify application can be a reason why Spotify won’t launch on your PC. It might seem like Spotify does not require frequent updating but it is always a good idea to keep the application updated.

The latest version of the Spotify application can be downloaded from the Spotify website. It will be automatically downloaded and installed if you have got the application through the Microsoft Store.

Download Windows Updates

Updating the current version of the Operating System (OS) to the latest version can help fix a series of bugs and glitches on your computer. New Windows updates can have possible fixes to issues on your computer.

If not, there can be new features added to the OS in the update. Even if this is not a solution to this issue, you can always keep your OS updated.

  1. If there are Windows Updates, you will see a notification near the task tray. You can simply click on it to take you to the Windows Update page. Alternatively, you can go to the Windows Settings (Windows + I) > Updates & Security > Check for updates.
  2. When you see the available updates, click on the Download and install option.
  3. Once the downloads are done, restart your computer with the help of the Update and Restart option in the Start menu.

After the system finishes rebooting, open the Spotify app and check if it launches without any issue.

Update The Audio Driver Software

Since Spotify is an audio-streaming application, the audio drivers are very important to produce sound output through the speakers. An outdated audio driver can also be responsible for the Spotify won’t open problem on your computer.

Your first choice for updating the audio driver should use a firmware interface for your speaker or headphones. These can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.

If your speaker does not have software for updating the drivers, this is how you can do it manually.

  1. Bring up the Quick Link menu (Windows key + X) and choose the Device Manager from it. If you are accustomed to other methods for launching the Device Manager (devmgmt.msc), feel free to go ahead.
  2. Select the Sound, Video, and Game controllers section. This will expand into a list of all the audio drivers in the system.
Select the Sound, Video, and Game controllers section
  1. Right-click on the audio driver and click on the Update driver option. This will make the Update audio driver window appear.
  2. Here, choose the Search automatically for updated drivers option. This will scan the system and download the necessary updates for this driver, if available.
  3. Once the downloads are done, restart your system to install them.

Uninstall & Reinstall the Spotify App

Your final solution is to uninstall the Spotify application and reinstall it again. You will lose the saved playlists and podcasts when you uninstall the application.

You can always recover them if your tracks are linked to a Facebook profile, Google account, or Spotify account. Once the uninstallation is complete, you can download the setup from the Spotify website.

These are the steps to make the Spotify application launch on your computer, by force. If these steps do not work for you, try listening to your favorite music through the Android or iOS applications or through the web player.

Talking to Spotify support may also help you come up with a resolve. We hope this article helped you fix this issue. Happy Streaming!

FAQs

Why does my Spotify not want to open?

Spotify generally does not open when it is outdated or when the device faces driver or compatibility issues. There can also be bugs and glitches with the application itself or the interface.

Why isn’t Spotify playing the song I want?

If your Spotify application isn’t playing music on any device, you could be having network issues or the song could have been taken down from the Spotify servers. This makes it impossible for users to stream music on Spotify.

What happened to recently played on Spotify?

The Recently played section of music was recently removed from Spotify. As a replacement for this feature, Spotify added the Your Library element. New features like Playlists were added. This section was re-introduced and can be found on Spotify clients for all platforms.

How do I get Spotify to open links in mobile app?

You can share links for songs and podcasts in Spotify for mobile. Search for the song and open the player. Tap the share icon and choose Copy Link. Now, the link will be on your clipboard. You can paste it and send it anywhere you want. You just have to tap on the link to open it. You will need the Spotify application if you are using a mobile device.