Guide: How To Delete Local Files On Spotify

Deleting local files on Spotify is a simple process, as it requires you to just clear up your device’s internal storage. If you can’t delete the local files, you must restart the app.

Key Takeaways

• Local files on Spotify are the songs you have installed on your device’s internal storage by enabling “Available Offline.”
• You can delete the local files quickly through Spotify’s settings.
• If you are having trouble while deleting the local files on Spotify, force stop or restart the app.

What Are Local Files On Spotify

From the perspective of Spotify, local files are music files you have downloaded to your device’s internal memory rather than being kept on the cloud. This enables you to listen to music without the need for internet access.

When you download a music track or playlist from Spotify for offline listening, it is saved as a local file on your device. These local files might use memory on your device; therefore, remove them if you’re running dangerously low on space or do not require the files anymore.

How To Delete Local Files On Spotify

If you want to delete these local files, you can do so from within the Spotify app. Here’s how:

On Android & iOS Devices

This method can be used on mobile phones having either Android or iOS software:

1. Open the Spotify app on your device.
2. Tap on the “Your Library” tab in the bottom right corner of the screen.

   

3. Select the “Playlists” option.

   

4. Find the playlist that contains the local files you want to delete.
5. Click the button “Available Offline” to turn it off. This will remove the local files from your device’s storage and stop them from being available offline.

   

On Windows

To erase local files from Spotify on Windows, perform the following steps:

1. On your Windows PC, launch the Spotify app.
2. In the top left corner of the screen, select the “Your Library” tab.

   

3. Now, click on “Playlists.”
4. Locate the playlist containing the local files you wish to remove.
5. Click on the downloaded button (shown in the image below). This will remove the local files of Spotify on your PC.

   

Note: You can still listen to the music in the playlist when you have internet access.

Also Read: How To Quickly Restart Spotify?

What Could Happen If You Don’t Remove Local Files On Spotify

Local files in Spotify consume a lot of memory space on your device if you do not delete them. This might result in a full or almost complete storage capacity, slowing down your gadget or leading it to run out of space entirely.

A massive amount of local files can hinder the Spotify app’s speed and take up valuable storage space. This might cause the app to take longer to launch, or the music may be scratchy or flicker, ruining your listening experience.

Another issue that could develop is that the local files may become outdated if the music on Spotify is changed or updated. When a song is withdrawn from Spotify, the local file becomes unplayable, and you must re-download it if you wish to continue listening to it.

To keep your device working efficiently and your Spotify app fully updated, it’s an intelligent option to routinely check your local files and erase any that you no more need or use.

What To Do When Local Files Are Not Being Deleted On Spotify

Sometimes, you will encounter a few issues while deleting the local files on Spotify. Here we have described all the troubleshooting methods you can do to solve this problem.

Also, make sure to read our guide on Spotify Error Code 73.

Restart The Spotify App

The first method to fix this issue will be to restart the application. Simply close the app on your device, wait for a few minutes, preferably 5-7, and then launch Spotify. Try deleting the local files to check whether they are being removed.

Check Your Device’s Storage Space

It is recommended to check the storage of your device. Make sure your device has adequate storage space to erase the local files on Spotify. If your device is short on storage, you’ll need to clear up some space before deleting the local files.

Also Read: How To Stop Spotify From Adding Songs To Your Playlist?

Force Stop The Spotify App

It will help if you consider force-stopping the Spotify app. You can do it easily by using the procedure mentioned below:

1. Go to your device’s “Settings.”
2. Tap on “Apps.”

   

3. Look for “Spotify” and click on it.

   

4. Now, select “Force Stop.”

   

5. Confirm by tapping on “OK.”

   

Clear Spotify’s Data And Cache

If the problem persists, you need to clear both data and cache of the Spotify app from your device. Follow these steps to do so:

1. Navigate to “Settings.”
2. Click on “Apps” or “Application Manager.”
3. Find “Spotify” from the list of apps.
4. Now, choose “Storage.”
5. Tap on the “Clear Data” and “Clear Cache” buttons.

   

Unsync The Playlist

If you are unable to delete the local files from a particular playlist, try to unsync it by following this process:

1. Launch Spotify.
2. Go to the playlist from which you are unable to delete local files.
3. Click on the “…” (three dots) in the top right corner.
4. Turn off the “Available Offline” switch.
5. Wait for some 5-10 seconds and turn it back on.

Check For Spotify Updates

If you have tried all of the fixes above and are unable to delete Spotify’s local files, check for updates. Make sure you use the most recent Spotify app downloaded on your phone. Check the app store for any available updates to the Spotify app. If there are any recent builds to the app, download them and then try deleting the local files.

Also Check: Spotify Stops After 10 Seconds

Wrapping Up

Though the method of how to delete local files on Spotify is relatively easy, you might face some issues while doing it. In this guide, we have told you what are local files, how you can delete them, and what could happen if you don’t regularly remove them. There are fixes when you are unable to delete these files from Spotify. We hope that it has aided you in removing the local files from your Spotify.