To clean reinstall Spotify from scratch, you must first perform absolute erasure. The complete removal process flushes all traces of the app from your gadgets. This includes deletion of all files and folders from the hidden containers in Mac and Windows PCs. As for smartphones, while iOS allows convenient and straightforward expurgation, Android gears require a few extra steps.
Why Do You Want to Clean Reinstall Spotify?
You may stumble upon a few glitches Spotify develops over time. When this happens, you usually try to troubleshoot the issues using the app’s built-in features, such as clearing the cache, restarting the app, restarting the phone, etc.
If none of these helps, your next step is to reinstall Spotify. When even this doesn’t work, you must remove all traces of the application from your device and then clean reinstall Spotify. This makes the smartphone or computer assume you are installing the program afresh.
Because people across the globe use Windows, Mac, iPhone/iPad, or Android smart devices, for your convenience, the processes to clean reinstall Spotify on all these are explained in the following sections.
How to Clean Reinstall Spotify on Mac
On Mac, you must delete a couple of folders to remove all traces before you can clean reinstall Spotify. The method is explained below:
Step 1: Erase Supporting Containers and Files
Right-click Spotify on the Dock and click Quit.
Press and hold down the Option key, click Go from the menu bar at the top and click Library. From the Library window, go to Caches. Scroll down and delete com.spotify.Client and com.spotify.client.helper directories.
Click the Back arrow from the top-left to go back to the Library window, and from there, go to Application Support. Locate and delete the Spotify directory from the Application Support folder.
Step 2: Delete Spotify and Restart the Mac
Click Applications from the navigation bar on the left pane. From the right window, locate and delete Spotify.
Once done, shut down your Mac, wait a few minutes, and power it back on.
Step 3: Clean Reinstall Spotify
Open Safari, go to https://open.spotify.com/ and download and reinstall Spotify.
How to Clean Reinstall Spotify on Windows
The process requires you to manually erase some residual files and entries from your Windows computer. The step-by-step process is given below:
Step 1: Uninstall Spotify
Now, Click Start and right-click Spotify from the Start box. Click Uninstall and follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall Spotify.
Step 2: Remove All Spotify Traces
Type %APPDATA% inside the Search box and hit Enter. From the available folders inside the Roaming window that opens next, locate and delete Spotify.
Click AppData from the address bar of the window at the top and go to the Local container. Find and delete Spotify from this folder as well.
Next, go to the C:\ drive and use the Search box at the top-right corner to find anything related to Spotify. If/when found, remove them all.
Restart your computer. This is optional but highly recommended.
Step 3: Clean Reinstall Spotify
Use your favorite web browser to go to https://open.spotify.com/ and download and install a fresh instance of the program. Check if the issue is fixed.
How to Clean Reinstall Spotify on iPhone/iPad
A few additional steps are required in this method, too. The process is explained below:
Step 1: Delete All Spotify Downloads and Cache
Launch Spotify on your iPhone/iPad, tap the Settings icon from the top-right corner of the Home screen, scroll down the Settings window, and tap Storage.
On the Storage screen, tap Remove all downloads and tap Remove on the confirmation box to delete all the downloaded songs from Spotify.
While still in the Storage window, tap Clear cache and tap Clear cache on the confirmation box to flush Spotify’s cache from your iOS device.
Close Spotify when done.
Step 2: Offload Spotify
On your iOS gear, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. On the iPhone Storage screen, tap Spotify, tap Offload App on the Spotify window, and tap Offload App from the confirmation box at the bottom.
Step 3: Delete Spotify and Restart iPhone
While you are still on the Spotify screen after offloading it, tap Delete App, and tap Delete App from the confirmation box at the bottom to completely erase Spotify from your device.
Once done, go back to the General window, tap Shut Down from the bottom, and swipe the slide to power off slider to the right to shut down your iPhone/iPad.
Wait a few minutes, power on your device, and proceed to the next step.
Step 4: Clean Reinstall Spotify
Go to the App Store and reinstall Spotify.
Check if the problem is resolved.
How to Clean Reinstall Spotify on Android Phones
The process of removing Spotify from Android devices is slightly different. The instructions are given below:
Step 1: Delete Spotify Downloads and Cache
Launch Spotify and tap the Settings icon from the top-right corner. Scroll down the Settings window to the Storage section. Tap the Remove all downloads and Clear cache options and confirm your actions to remove all downloaded files and Spotify cache.
Close Sptify when done.
Go to Settings, scroll down the Settings window, and tap Apps. On the Apps screen, locate and tap Spotify and tap Storage on the Spotify window.
When the Storage window opens, tap the Clear data and Clear cache options individually, and confirm your actions to remove all traces of Spotify and your activities from the device.
Step 2: Delete Spotify
Tap the Back arrow from the top-left corner to go back to the Spotify window. Click Uninstall and tap OK on the confirmation box to remove Spotify from your Android smart device.
Close all windows when done.
Step 3: Delete Spotify Leftovers
Back on the Home screen, go to the Apps drawer, and locate and tap My Files.
On the My Files screen, go to Internal Storage (or SD Card if the default location is set to external card), tap the Search icon (Magnifying Glass) from the top-right, and type Android/ in the Search bar. Tap the Data container from the suggestions list, and locate and delete the com.spotify.music directory if you find it.
Restart your device when done.
Step 4: Clean Install Spotify
After restarting, go to Play Store and download and install the latest version of Spotify. Check if the problem is resolved.
FAQs About Reinstall Spotify
Is there a difference between simple reinstallation and clean reinstallation?
Yes. If you uninstall and reinstall Spotify normally, the app may restore all the settings and data from the previous instance, and the problem can reappear. On the other hand, when you clean reinstall Spotify using the methods explained in this guide, no app traces are restored, and the operating system considers it a fresh installation, which is free from glitches.
Is there a simple method of performing complete Spotify removal?
Yes. You can use any third-party uninstaller available online. However, almost all such programs come with a price tag, and you may need to buy a license key to unlock and access all their features.
Why some folders you suggest in this guide are missing from my computer?
Depending on how you use Spotify and whether or not you have downloaded songs, the folder structure may vary, not only on your computer but on everyone else’s. If you cannot find some directories, deleting the visible ones should serve the purpose well. If the issue persists, you can post your concern in the comment section for further assistance.
Conclusion
When you clean reinstall Spotify on Mac, the process may vary from what you do on Windows. Likewise, to reinstall Spotify on iPhone and iPad, you can try offloading the app before deleting it, and for Android, you can reinstall Spotify after deleting all related files and folders in the Android > Data directory.
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