Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services, allowing you to access millions of songs, playlists, podcasts, and more. However, over time the Spotify app can accumulate cached data and files that take up storage space on your device. Clearing this cache can help free up storage and also fix issues you may be having with the app.
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What is the Spotify Cache?
The Spotify cache refers to temporary data files that are stored on your device by the Spotify app. This can include:
- Parts of songs and audio files to allow faster streaming
- Album artwork and metadata
- Playlists, albums, artist information
- Your Spotify listening history and recommendations
- Other temporary data to improve performance
Storing this data locally allows you to access songs, playlists, etc faster without having to re-download the full files every time. However, it can take up a lot of storage space. The cache can be many GB in size depending on your usage.
Why Clear the Spotify Cache?
Here are some of the main reasons you may want to clear the Spotify cache:
- Free up storage space – The cache can occupy GBs of space unnecessarily
- Fix app issues – Clearing the cache can resolve problems like crashes, freezes, missing albums/songs, etc
- Reset app data – Clearing cache resets app settings and data which may resolve issues
Generally clearing the cache is safe and does not delete your Spotify playlists, library or account data since that syncs with your account online.
How Often Should You Clear Cache?
- For most users, clearing the cache every 1-3 months is probably fine
- If storage space is low or you’re experiencing issues, clear it more regularly
- Heavy Spotify users may need to clear cache more often
Use your judgment – if Spotify is taking up a lot of storage or having problems, try clearing the cache to see if it helps.
How to Clear Cache on iPhone/iPad
Clearing the Spotify cache on iPhone or iPad only takes a few taps:
- Open the Spotify app
- Tap the Settings icon > Storage
- Tap Clear Cache to delete the cached data
That’s it! The app will rebuild the necessary cache in the background later. You can also tap Remove All Downloads if you want to remove saved offline music.
How to Clear Cache on Android
It’s just as easy to clear the Spotify cache on Android devices:
- Open the Spotify app
- Tap the Settings icon
- Scroll down and tap Clear Cache
- Confirm to delete the cached data
The cache will be rebuilt over time as you continue using Spotify. Tap Remove Downloads to also delete any saved offline music.
How to Clear Cache on Windows
To clear the Spotify cache in Windows 10:
- Open the Spotify app
- Click your profile name > Settings
- Scroll to Storage and click Clear Cache
You can also delete the Spotify cache files directly:
- Close Spotify
- Open File Explorer and go to %appdata%\Spotify\Storage
- Delete all files in the Storage folder
How to Clear Cache on Mac
Follow these steps to clear the Mac Spotify cache:
- Quit Spotify
- In Finder, go to ~/Library/Caches/com.spotify.client
- Move all files from com.spotify.client to Trash
- Empty Trash to fully delete the Spotify cache
And that’s it! Now you know how to clear the cached data and files that the Spotify app stores on your devices. Clearing this cache can help resolve issues, improve performance, and free up storage space on your phone, tablet, or computer.
