Why is my Android music player not working?

Check Your Music Player App

One of the first things to try when your Android music player is not working is checking the app itself. Here are some steps to take:

Update to the latest version – Go to the Play Store and check for any available updates for your music player app. Installing the latest version may fix bugs or issues.
Clear the app cache/data – In your phone’s settings, find the music player app and choose to clear its cache and data. This wipes temporary files that may be causing problems.

Reinstall the app – Uninstall your music player app completely, restart your device, then redownload the app from the Play Store. A clean reinstall can often solve issues.
Check app permissions – Make sure the music player has been granted proper permissions to access media files and storage on your device. You can verify this in your phone’s app permissions settings.

If your music player works normally after trying the steps above, the issue was likely with the app itself. Updating, clearing data, or reinstalling should get it functioning again.

Check Your Audio Output

One common reason an Android music player may stop working is an issue with the audio output source. Before troubleshooting your phone’s settings, first try using different headphones or external speakers to see if you can get audio that way.

Plug wired headphones into your phone’s 3.5mm headphone jack, or pair Bluetooth headphones, to test if sound comes through. If it does, the issue may be with your phone’s built-in speaker specifically. If you don’t hear audio through headphones either, then the problem is wider.

Check that your headphone jack is clear of debris and that headphones are fully inserted. Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone if trying wireless headphones. You can also go into your phone’s Settings > Bluetooth to ensure your headphones show as paired.

Additionally, try adjusting the volume in different apps and system settings to confirm it’s not a volume issue preventing audio output. If you’ve tested multiple audio sources and still don’t hear audio, there may be a deeper system issue with your Android’s audio output.

Source: https://www.headphonesty.com/2023/08/no-sound-on-android-phone/

Check Media Storage Permissions

One common reason an Android music player may stop working is if it no longer has permission to access your media storage. Starting in Android 11, apps need explicit access to media files rather than broad storage access. Check the app permissions in your phone’s Settings to confirm the music player app still has access to media files.

Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > App permissions > Files and media. Look for the music player app and ensure it has access toggled on. If access was disabled, toggle it back on and try using the app again.

Additionally, check that storage permissions were not revoked due to storage errors or the storage being full. Go to Settings > Storage to verify your device storage has free space and no errors reported. If storage is full, free up space by deleting unused apps, files, or clearing caches. If errors are shown, try rebooting your device or factory resetting if the issue persists.

For more information, see Access media files from shared storage.

Restart Your Device

One potential solution to an Android music player not working is to restart your device. A simple restart can help clear out any software bugs or glitches that may be causing issues with the music app. Here are a couple restart options to try:

First, do a full power cycle of your phone by holding down the power button for 30-60 seconds until the device fully shuts down. Then wait a few seconds and restart it normally. This clears the device’s memory and can refresh things (Source).

You can also boot your device into safe mode, which disables all third-party apps and only runs the pre-installed system apps. To do this, press and hold the power button, then long-press the “Power off” option that pops up. Your device will restart in safe mode. Check if the music player works normally in safe mode. If so, it indicates a problematic third-party app may be causing the issues (Source).

Restarting your Android device helps eliminate temporary glitches and refreshes the phone’s memory. Try a full power cycle and booting in safe mode to potentially fix music player problems.

Clear App Defaults

One potential solution is to clear the app defaults for your music player app. This resets which apps are set as the default handlers for music on your Android device.

Here are the steps to clear app defaults (source: Android Headlines):

Open the Settings app on your Android device.
Tap on Apps.
Tap on the menu button (3 vertical dots in the top right).

Select Reset app preferences.
Confirm that you want to reset app defaults.

This will clear any default music player that may be incorrectly set. You can then choose a new default music app that hopefully resolves your issue.

Check for Software Updates

One of the most common reasons for audio issues on Android devices is outdated software. Android releases frequent operating system and security updates that can fix bugs and improve device performance. Ensuring your device is running the latest Android version is an important troubleshooting step.

You can check for Android updates by going to Settings > System > Advanced > System Update on your device. Install any available updates, including minor updates like Android 12.1. Your device manufacturer may also provide updates through their own software update tool.

Device drivers like audio drivers can also become outdated and cause media playback problems. Check if the manufacturer has released any driver updates for your device model and install them. For example, Samsung provides driver updates through the Samsung Members app or Samsung Kies software on a computer.

After applying any available operating system, security, and driver updates, try using your music player app again. Software updates frequently include fixes for media applications and audio components that could resolve your issue.

Sources:
https://support.google.com/android/answer/2668665?hl=en

Reset App Preferences

One way to potentially fix issues with your Android music player app is to reset the app preferences and restore the app to its default state. This clears any corrupted data or cache files that may be causing problems.

To reset app preferences on Android 11 and newer:

Go to Settings > Apps.
Select the music player app.

Tap Reset app preferences.

This will reset all preferences for the app and restore defaults. You may need to set up the app again.

Additionally, you can try clearing the app’s cache and data:

Go to Settings > Apps.
Select the music player app.
Tap Storage & Cache > Clear Storage or Clear Cache to delete cached and stored data.

This deletes all stored app data which may fix issues caused by corrupted data. The app will be like a fresh install.

You can also try uninstalling any updates for the music app, which reverts it to the original factory version:

Go to Settings > Apps.

Select the music player app.
Tap Uninstall updates.

This removes any updates that may have bugs or problems and takes the app back to the original stable version.

Check File Formats

One common reason an Android music player may not be working correctly is if you are trying to play audio files in a format that is not natively supported by Android. Android supports common formats like MP3, AAC, and WAV, but may have issues with less common formats like FLAC, WMA, or OGG files.

To fix this, try re-encoding your audio files into a format that is widely supported on Android devices. For example, you can use a free audio converter tool to convert FLAC or WMA files into MP3 or AAC format. This StackOverflow post discusses some options for converting between audio formats programmatically on Android.

Focus on converting your files to the most common and well-supported formats like MP3 and AAC. While Android supports WAV files, they tend to take up more storage space compared to compressed formats. Converting to a common format resolves most playback issues caused by unsupported file types. After re-encoding your files, try playing them again in your Android music app.

Factory Reset Device

Factory resetting your Android device essentially wipes it clean and restores it to its original state. This can help fix software issues like apps not working properly. However, a full factory reset will delete all your data, so it’s important to backup everything first.

To backup your data, you can use your Google account or a third party backup app. Connect your device to your computer to copy files like photos, videos, and music. You’ll want to save any app data you wish to keep as well.

Once your data is backed up, you can factory reset your device. Go to Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset). This will wipe your system, settings, installed apps, and all personal data. It’s like having a brand new device again.

After the reset completes, you’ll have to reconfigure your device and restore your apps and data. Log into your Google account to automatically reinstall apps you had previously downloaded. Then restore your files from your backup. This should ideally resolve any software issues that were preventing your music player app from working correctly.

Factory resetting as a last resort troubleshooting step often fixes stubborn problems by fully rebooting the device. Just remember to backup your data first, as everything will be deleted.

Contact Developer

If you are still experiencing issues with your music player app after trying the troubleshooting steps outlined above, you may need to directly contact the app developer for support. The easiest way to do this is through the Google Play Store:

Open the Play Store app on your Android device and find the app listing for your music player. Scroll down and tap “Contact developer”. This will open an email pre-populated with the developer’s email address. Describe the issues you are having in detail here.

You can also find developer contact information on the Play Store website. Go to play.google.com on your computer, find the app listing, and look for the developer’s email or other contact info on the right side of the page.

Most reputable app developers provide an email address or contact form to report bugs, issues, and feature requests. Providing detailed information will help them troubleshoot and identify potential fixes for your Android music player problems.