Why can’t I find my music on my Samsung phone?

Check That the Music is Actually on Your Phone

The first step is to open up your phone’s storage and confirm the music files are actually present. Here’s how:

Go to Settings > Device storage. This will show you the different folders where files may be stored.

Look in folders like Downloads, Music, Audio, and any other folders where audio files may have been saved.

You can also connect your phone to a computer and browse the folders that way to verify the files exist.

If the files are not showing up anywhere on your device storage, then they did not properly download or sync to your Samsung phone.

You will need to redo the download or sync process to get the music files onto your device. Sources like https://droidrant.com/where-are-android-music-files-stored/ provide more details on where music is typically stored on Android devices.

Confirm the Music App Can Access the Files

One common reason the music app can’t find files is because it doesn’t have permission to access the storage where the music is located. To fix this:

Try playing a music file directly from your device’s file manager or My Files app. If the file plays, then the issue is an access permission problem with the music app.

Open your phone’s settings and go to the permissions page for the music app. Make sure the app has permission enabled for storage access. Turn this on if it’s disabled. Restart the music app and check if your files now appear.

As a troubleshooting step, you can also try fully force closing the music app and clearing its cache/data before re-launching it. This may reset any incorrect permission issues.

If you recently updated your Android OS, the update may have reset app permissions, so double-check the music app has storage access enabled in permissions.

Citing sources:
https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/mobile-apps-services/samsung-music-app/td-p/3705499
https://forums.androidcentral.com/threads/unable-to-see-music-files-in-any-player-app.1016073/

Make Sure Syncing with a Cloud Service is Working

Many people store their music library in a cloud service like Spotify, Google Play Music, or Apple Music and stream it to their devices. If you can’t find music on your Samsung phone, check that the connection and sync settings with your cloud music service are working properly.

Open the app for your cloud music service on your phone and try reconnecting your account. Go into the settings and make sure syncing is enabled. Try manually initiating a sync or redownload of your music library. This will ensure the cloud service is properly transferring your music collection to your device storage.

If you’ve added any new songs or playlists recently, wait for sometime after syncing to allow the cloud service time to finish updating your local music files. The app may need to fully sync your library again before the new additions appear.

Check that you don’t have any filters, searches or playlists selected in the cloud music app that could be hiding your full song collection. Make sure you’re viewing all available music. If your songs still don’t appear after the app syncs, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the app to resync your complete library.

By troubleshooting the connection and manually initiating a resync with your cloud music storage, you can determine if the missing music is an issue with the transfer and availability of files on your device.

Toggle Off ‘Hide Music Files’ Setting

A common reason why music files may not be appearing in the Samsung Music app is if the “Hide Music Files” setting is enabled. This setting hides any music files that are shorter than 30 seconds from view. To show all your music files again:

1. Open the Samsung Music app and tap on the ≡ menu icon in the top left corner.

2. Select Settings.

3. Find the “Hide music files shorter than 30 seconds” option and toggle it off.

This will disable the filter that was hiding short music files. All of your music files should now be visible again in the app no matter the length.

If you still don’t see some files, double check that the music is actually stored on your device and not just in a cloud library. You may also want to try steps like rebooting your phone or reinstalling the app to refresh the media scan.

Check If There are Filter or Search Options Enabled

Sometimes the issue is that a filter or search is enabled in the Samsung Music app that is hiding your music files. Open the menu in the Samsung Music app and make sure any filters like “Recent” or “Downloaded” are disabled. Also clear out any search terms that may be filtering the results. The search function can mistakenly hide all your songs if it doesn’t match the search query. Disabling filters and clearing searches can make your full music library visible again.

According to some users on Samsung forums, disabling filters like “Recent” and clearing out search terms resolved the issue of missing songs in the Samsung Music app (Source). So it’s worth double checking that no filters or searches are getting in the way of the Samsung Music app accessing all your music files.

Reboot the Phone

A simple reboot can often resolve issues with apps not working properly or media files not being detected. Follow these steps to fully reboot your Samsung phone:

1. Hold down the Power button on the side of the phone until the power off prompt appears.

2. Tap Power off to completely power down the phone.

3. After the phone is fully shut down, press and hold the Power button again to turn it back on.

4. Once the phone has restarted, unlock it and open the Music app again to see if your music files are now appearing.

Restarting the phone essentially clears out any memory issues or software glitches that may be preventing the Music app from accessing the audio files. Often a fresh reboot will resolve problems like music not showing up. If the issue persists after a reboot, move on to other troubleshooting steps like clearing the app cache.

For reference: https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/Tips/Phone-rebooting-fix-please-read/td-p/2659923

Clear the Music App Cache and Data

One possible solution is to clear the cache and data for the music app on your Samsung phone. This resets the app back to its default settings without deleting any of your actual music files.

To clear the cache and data, go to your phone’s Settings and select “Apps.” Find the music app you are using – this is often called “Samsung Music” or “Music” on Galaxy phones. Tap on the app and select “Storage.” Then tap both “Clear Cache” and “Clear Data.”

Clearing the cache removes any temporary app files that may be causing issues, while clearing the data resets all app preferences and login details. After clearing both, reopen the music app and see if your music now appears. This frequently resolves music loading issues without needing to delete any songs (Samsung, 2023).

Check If a Software Update is Available

One of the easiest things to try is checking if your Samsung Galaxy phone needs a software update. Samsung regularly provides updates to the Android operating system and pre-installed apps, including the Samsung Music player. Software updates can fix bugs, add new features, and improve performance.

To check for updates, go to your phone’s Settings app and select “System updates.” Your phone will check if any new updates are available from Samsung. If an update is available, download and install it. The update may include fixes or improvements specifically for the Samsung Music app.

Software updates can optimize how the music app interacts with the Android OS and hardware components like storage. Installing the latest operating system version ensures compatibility and removes any bugs that may be causing issues with music playback or file accessibility. So always keep your Samsung device up-to-date for the best experience.

Try a Different Music App

One troubleshooting step to take is to download another music app like Google Play Music and test if the issue persists. Since the problem seems isolated to the default Samsung Music app, trying a different third-party app may provide a workaround.

Download an app like Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, or Apple Music from the Google Play Store. Open the new music app and try to access your locally stored music files or songs you’ve downloaded for offline listening. If you can now successfully find and play your music, then the problem is something specific to the Samsung Music app.

Using a different music player app is a good way to test if the missing music files are an issue with the Samsung app or something more systemic with the Android OS on your device. If your music is accessible in another app, you can continue using that as your primary music player. If the issue persists in other music apps as well, then your next steps would be checking for problems with syncing cloud music libraries, software updates, or system resets.

Source: https://www.tiktok.com/@samsungelectronicos/video/7165066062037613974

Backup and Factory Reset the Phone

The failing to detect music issue could potentially be resolved by fully resetting your phone to factory settings. Before factory resetting, it is crucial to backup your data so you don’t lose anything important. Here are the steps:

  1. Open the Settings app and go to Accounts and Backup > Backup and Restore.
  2. Tap on Backup Data and select a backup account like Google Drive or Samsung Cloud.
  3. Follow prompts to fully backup your phone data and settings.

With your data safely backed up, you can now factory reset your device:

  1. Go to General Management in Settings and select Reset.
  2. Tap Factory Data Reset and then Reset Device to erase all data.

Once the reset is complete, set up your device again and restore your backup. Open the music app and check if your music files are now visible. A clean slate provided by the factory reset may have cleared any glitches that were preventing the music from displaying.

If the music is still missing after the reset, it’s likely an issue with the backup itself not containing the music files for some reason. You may need to instead re-add the music files manually from your computer or cloud storage.

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