How To Fix Spotify Playlist Empty Problem in iOS and Android (2025)

Opening Spotify and seeing your favorite playlist completely empty is frustrating—especially when you know you didn’t delete anything.

This “empty playlist” bug can happen on:

• iPhone (iOS)
• Android
• Both the official Spotify app and some modded/third‑party versions

In this updated 2025 guide, you’ll learn step‑by‑step how to fix the Spotify playlist empty problem on both iOS and Android, plus what to do if you’re using a modified Spotify APK.

Quick Overview of Fixes

Try these in order:

1. Refresh your internet connection (forget Wi‑Fi, restart router, switch network)
2. Clear cache / offload Spotify (iOS & Android)
3. Clear app data and re‑grant permissions (Android)
4. Uninstall and reinstall Spotify (iOS & Android)
5. Create a new Spotify account if your account has been flagged (often with modded apps)

Now let’s go through each method in detail.

Method 1: Refresh Your Internet Connection

Sometimes the playlist appears empty simply because Spotify can’t sync properly with its servers.

On iOS & Android

1. Open the Settings app on your phone.
2. Tap Wi‑Fi.
3. Tap the network you’re currently connected to.
4. Choose Forget This Network (iOS) or Forget (Android).
5. Restart your Wi‑Fi router:
   • Turn it off, wait 10–20 seconds, then turn it back on.
6. On your phone, reconnect to the same Wi‑Fi or try a different network / mobile data:
   • Toggle Wi‑Fi OFF, enable Mobile Data, and open Spotify again.

Now reopen Spotify and check your playlists. If they’re still empty, move on.

Method 2: Clear Spotify Cache / Offload the App

Corrupted temporary files can cause playlists to load incorrectly.

2A. On iPhone – Offload Spotify

This removes the app itself but keeps your documents and data stored by iOS.

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to General > iPhone Storage.
3. Scroll and tap Spotify.
4. Tap Offload App.
5. After it offloads, tap Reinstall App.

This refreshes the app files while keeping your account info and preferences. Launch Spotify and check if your playlists appear.

Optional: You can also clear cache inside Spotify under
Settings > Storage > Delete cache (if available in your version) before offloading.

2B. On Android – Clear Cache

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Apps (or Apps & notifications).
3. Find and tap Spotify.
4. Tap Storage & cache (or just Storage).
5. Tap Clear Cache.

Reopen Spotify and see if the playlist content loads.

If the problem persists, continue to the next method.

Method 3: Clear Data & Fix Permissions (Android)

If cache clearing isn’t enough, the app’s saved data or missing permissions might be the issue.

Step 1 – Clear All App Data

Warning: This will log you out and remove offline downloads. Your playlists are safe on Spotify’s servers, but you’ll need to sign in again.

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Apps > Spotify.
3. Tap Storage & cache (or Storage).
4. Tap Clear Data or Clear All Data.
5. Confirm by tapping OK or Delete.

Step 2 – Grant Required Permissions

1. Still in the Spotify app info screen, tap Permissions.
2. Allow all permissions that Spotify reasonably needs to run (e.g. Storage, Media, sometimes Location for certain features).
3. Go back and tap Force Stop to close Spotify completely.

Now reopen Spotify, log in, and check your playlists again.

Method 4: Completely Reinstall Spotify (iOS & Android)

If corrupted files or a bad update are causing the empty playlist problem, a clean reinstall usually fixes it.

On iPhone (iOS)

1. Press and hold the Spotify app icon on your Home Screen.
2. Tap Remove App.
3. Tap Delete App, then Delete again to confirm.
4. Open the App Store.
5. Search for Spotify and tap Get / Install to download a fresh copy.
6. Open Spotify, sign in, and check your playlists.

On Android

1. Press and hold the Spotify app icon.
2. Tap App info (or the ⓘ icon).
3. Tap Uninstall and confirm.
4. Open the Google Play Store.
5. Search Spotify and tap Install.
6. Open Spotify, sign in, and verify whether your playlists load correctly.

If you were using a very old version, this also ensures you’re on the latest build, which may contain bug fixes for playlist loading issues.

Method 5: If You’re Using a Modded / APK Version of Spotify

Many users see the playlist empty or “nothing here yet” problem in modded Spotify apps (unofficial APKs).

Why This Happens

• Spotify can flag accounts that show unusual activity or are repeatedly used with unauthorized apps.
• Once flagged, that account may not be able to load playlists properly in modded clients, even if the playlists still exist on Spotify’s servers.

What You Can Do

For account safety and reliability, the best solution is to:

• Switch back to the official Spotify app from the App Store or Play Store.

If you still insist on using a third‑party/modded app (not recommended):

1. Log out of your current Spotify account in the modded app.
2. Create a new Spotify account with a different email (on the official site or within the app).
3. Log into the modded app with this new account.

Your playlists may then load normally with the fresh account. However:

• This is a temporary workaround.
• Your new account may also be at risk if used with unauthorized apps.
• For stability and to avoid losing access, it’s strongly recommended to use the official Spotify client.

Additional Checks Before You Panic

Before assuming your playlists are lost, quickly verify:

1. Correct Account
   • Make sure you’re logged into the right Spotify account (email / Facebook / Apple / Google login mix‑ups are common).
2. Playlist Filters & Sorting
   • Check if you accidentally applied a sort or filter that hides tracks (e.g., downloaded only, custom sort).
3. Offline Mode
   • If you’re in Offline Mode and the playlist has no downloaded songs, it can appear empty.
   • Disable Offline Mode under Settings > Playback.
4. Collaborative Playlists
   • If it’s a collaborative playlist, another user might have removed tracks.
   • Check the playlist on another device or the desktop app to confirm.

If the playlist is genuinely wiped across all devices, it may have been deleted or edited, not just “empty” due to a bug.

When to Contact Spotify Support

If you’ve:

• Tried different networks
• Cleared cache and data
• Reinstalled the app
• Verified you’re on the correct account
• And the playlist is still empty on all devices (phone, tablet, PC, web player)

…then it’s time to:

• Contact Spotify Support via the Help section in the app or spotify.com.
• Explain the issue (playlist name, approximate number of tracks, when it disappeared).

They can check whether there’s a known issue with your account or recent changes to that playlist.

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Final Thoughts

The Spotify “playlist empty” problem is usually caused by:

• Temporary network issues
• Corrupted cache or app data
• A buggy/outdated app version
• Or, in the case of modded apps, a flagged account

By:

• Refreshing your connection
• Clearing cache/data
• Reinstalling Spotify
• And, if needed, using a clean account on the official app

…you can almost always get your playlists back and working properly on both iOS and Android.

If this guide helped you fix the empty playlist issue, consider bookmarking it or sharing it with someone else dealing with the same problem.