Many Spotify users with iPhones have been flooding support forums with complaints that the iOS app crashes instantly when they try opening Discover Weekly and Song Radio playlists. The problem seems to have surfaced roughly a week ago, and from what I was able to gather, it’s affecting users with older iPhones.
Multiple people with iPhone 8 and iPhone X devices running iOS 16.7.12 confirmed the crash in the community support thread. One user tested the same account on a family member’s newer iPhone and it worked fine, but logging into their iPhone 8 Plus triggered the crash immediately. Another person said their iPad running iOS 26.2 doesn’t have the problem, but their iPhone 8 on iOS 16.7.12 crashes every time
The bug isn’t limited to just Discover Weekly. Users report that Song Radio playlists and other Spotify-curated Mix playlists also trigger instant crashes. Some described hearing a brief burst of corrupted or distorted audio right before the app shuts down. One UK-based Premium subscriber said Song Radio only works for songs they’ve never used the feature on before — trying to open previously created song radios crashes the app instantly.
Complaints also showed up on Reddit’s r/truespotify where another user said Spotify crashes when playing any playlist except Liked Songs.
Spotify moderators initially suggested the usual fixes: clearing cache, clean reinstalls, toggling off Background App Refresh, disabling audio normalization, and switching networks. None of it worked. Multiple users said they tried every troubleshooting step twice without success.
The company marked the problem as “under investigation” on Saturday after getting enough reports to establish a pattern. A moderator in the official thread said the tech team is looking into it, but didn’t give a timeline for a fix. The thread shows complaints from users across the US, UK, and Ukraine.
In my testing on an iPhone 16 running the latest iOS 26 beta and Spotify version 9.1.14, I wasn’t able to reproduce the problem. Discover Weekly and Song Radio playlists opened without any crashes.
For now, affected users don’t have a workaround beyond upgrading their device or iOS version if possible. Spotify hasn’t said what’s causing the crashes or when a patch might roll out.
I’d suggest keeping an eye out for any updates for the Spotify app in the meantime.
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Dwayne Cubbins
1410 Posts
For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
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