post Re: Desktop app takes multiple attempts to start in Desktop

Desktop app takes multiple attempts to start

jzelten — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 16:54:21 GMT

Windows 11, all updates installed.

When I launch the Pandora app, sometimes it starts OK.

More often, it starts, shows a blank blue screen, and hangs there. If I kill it and try again, it starts correctly, requires me to login again, and then works OK (mostly - like a lot of other Win users I get that "unable to load media" error sometimes)

This morning, I had to launch and kill it six times before it got as far as the Login screen, where it hung again. One more try and finally it launched.

Anybody else seeing this?

Re: Desktop app takes multiple attempts to start

MariaPandora — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 18:25:00 GMT

Hi @jzelten , Can you tell me more about what's happening? Is this only happening when listening on a computer or on another device too?

Does it happen also when listening from our website, or only on the desktop app? If it also happens when listening from the website, what browser are you using?
Can you send a screenshot of what you're seeing? (If you're not sure how to take a screenshot, just let me know and I'll be happy to provide you with some additional steps.)

In the meantime, if you're having trouble with the Pandora app, we recommend first resetting the app's data. If that doesn't help, you can Uninstall and Reinstall it. Either way, we'll keep track of your profile and collection for you.

To reset the app:
Open the Help menu. Press Alt on your keyboard to bring up a menu options at the top of the page, then select Help followed by Reset App Data.

To uninstall and reinstall the app:

Locate Pandora in your Start Menu.
Right-click to reveal an additional menu. Select Uninstall.
Select Pandora from the list and confirm by selecting Uninstall again.
Search for Pandora in the Windows Store on your device.
Click Get to re-install the app.

Please note: downloading any application on your devices requires a Microsoft account and password, and it may be a different email address and password than the credentials on your Pandora account.

Re: Desktop app takes multiple attempts to start

MusicFan0696 — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:34:30 GMT

Has been happening for me also. New computer build, built in Sept 2025, Windows 11 with all updates installed. Have had to uninstall and reinstall once a week since the beginning of the year. I use the windows app and not the browser version. All other devices I use it works fine, it only happens on my PC.

Re: Desktop app takes multiple attempts to start

MariaPandora — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 18:08:47 GMT

Hi @MusicFan0696 , thanks for posting!

Can you tell me more about this? Is this happening when you have just launched the app or when trying to log in? Do you see an error message?

Were you able to reset the app?

To reset the app:
Open the Help menu. Press Alt on your keyboard to bring up a menu options at the top of the page, then select Help followed by Reset App Data.

Let me know!

Re: Desktop app takes multiple attempts to start

MusicFan0696 — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 19:53:06 GMT

sorry I took so long to get back but had to wait for the error message to pop back up. The message says, Somethings not right, let's try a restart. Quitting the app and reopening it should fix the issue.

Restarting sometimes fixes the issue but more often than not I have to uninstall the app and reinstall to get it to work. I do not log off when done listening, I just pause the music, so that when I come back to listen I can just use the media controls on my keyboard to start playing music again. It didn't do this before this year, it has only happened with the new year.

Re: Desktop app takes multiple attempts to start

punkRockKid — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 15:12:33 GMT

Same problem here. Resetting the App Data does not appear to be enough. Reinstalling the app seems to be the only fix but it keeps breaking multiple times a week. I'm running Windows 11 25H2. It is incredibly annoying.

Re: Desktop app takes multiple attempts to start

jzelten — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:47:36 GMT

1. This is only on the desktop app. Also, other devices on my network (Android phone, Roku TV) work fine.

2. I can try, I don't know how it will help you. It is literally just an error bar at the top of the screen saying something completely unhelpful like "Oops! Something went wrong!". And it is exactly the same problem many, many other people have reported (and who have received the same unhelpful troubleshooting tips).

I have uninstalled and reinstalled several times. I have tried resetting data (again), let's see how long it takes for the problems to inevitably return.

But here's the thing: this is clearly a very widespread and very long running problem. The answer cannot be for everybody here to be constantly resetting the app data or reinstalling.

At what point will Pandora say "Yes, we have a problem, the quality on the Windows desktop app is really poor, it is broken in very, very basic ways, and we are committed to fixing it"? Or does Pandora think this level of quality is acceptable? I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking seriously of canceling my subscription and moving over to Spotify.

Re: Desktop app takes multiple attempts to start

jzelten — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:49:56 GMT

With the greatest possible respect, I seriously suggest that Pandora rolls back all code changes to the Desktop app since, say, August 2025. And then start rolling in fixes and enhancements only after thoroughly validating their quality and ensuring that they don't break regression tests.

Maybe then the app will be back to some acceptable level of quality.

Re: Desktop app takes multiple attempts to start

punkRockKid — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 18:43:33 GMT

This app was reliable mid last year. I have multiple computers that this happens. the issue has nothing to do with a particular device or network. Can someone at Pandora fix this? People should not be having to continually clear data and reinstall the app.

Re: Desktop app takes multiple attempts to start

MariaPandora — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:45:49 GMT

Hi @punkRockKid , thanks for posting!

I'm sorry for the trouble, can you tell me more about this?

Do you use a password manager such as Apple Password Manager, LastPass or Dashlane? If so, could you tell me the name of the password manager you use?

Also, can you let me know if you also have trouble when logging on the website instead of the app?

Let me know!

Re: Desktop app takes multiple attempts to start

punkRockKid — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 23:06:14 GMT

I'm not using any password manager. I never have a problem using the website (using Firefox). I've used the Windows App since it was released and only started having issues late last year. I can use the app on my Android phone without issue. I can play from the website without issue. The Windows app consistently works on a fresh install and will stop working in a few days to a week. When the app breaks I will not be able to login.