Android: Buffers and Skips to the Next Song

[Stephie0216]

I don't have this issue with other apps that are for music. A couple of days ago I was able to play Pandora at my Job so we are using WIFI but now it just buffers. But I'm able to play Pandora at home on my WIFI and my data in the car.

I have also uninstalled/reinstalled. I also cleared the cache a couple of times. Even logged out and logged back in. I even just updated to the new version that is out today and still nothing. Here is my information for my phone:

Are you connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data when this is happening? Yes

Have you received any error messages other than buffering? No error messages just buffers and changes song every second

Carrier: Verizon

Android version (Settings > About Phone): 11

Pandora version: 2104.1

[dbuchan1]

Hi, Same problem, just says 'buffering" and skips from song to song in any playlist without playing any of the songs.  All other internet/songs play normally.  Uninstalled, reinstalled, logged out/in, nothing works.  Other devices all play Pandora normally, including computer and Iphone.  All other apps work normally.

• Model: Samsung A11
• Carrier: None-Wifi only.
• Android version (Settings > About Phone): 10
• Pandora version: 2110.1.

Are you connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data when this is happening? Wifi (don't have cell access)

[AlyssaPandora]

Hi there, @dbuchan1. 👋

Thanks so much for posting about this, and sorry to hear that you're having trouble.

• Have you received any error messages other than the buffering? If so, what exactly does it say?
• To confirm, did you try clearing the app data for Pandora on your Samsung A11 as well?
  • If not, I would also recommend trying the basic steps here: Android Troubleshooting

Let me know, and I can report this over to our engineering team. 🎧

[dbuchan1]

I believe I already mentioned that I had tried everything, including all from the Android troubleshooting.
There are no other error messages. Goes to chosen station and just buffering
Just tried Spotify and it works effortlessly! Why is everyone having so many problems with Pandora?
Not good...
Please fix this!
Thank you!

[AlyssaPandora]

Thanks for confirming, @dbuchan1. To clarify, uninstalling / reinstalling the app doesn't reset the app data. In the meantime, I've gone ahead and shared this with our engineering team on your behalf. 

Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. I understand how frustrating this can be during your listening sessions. Thank you for reporting your experience and for your patience while they look into this. 🎧

[Geebers]

pandora won't play on any device, constantly buffering/skipping songs

My s22ultra is having the same issue today!

[AlyssaPandora]

Hey there, @Geebers. 👋

Sorry to hear that this is happening. Thanks so much for reporting this. I moved your posts over to this existing thread: Android: Buffers and Skips to the Next Song

I would recommend running through these steps to see if it helps resolve the buffering / skipping issue: Android Troubleshooting

++

Device Details:

If you continue to have trouble, would you mind sharing more details about your device to report to our engineering team?

• Model: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
• Carrier:
• Android version (Settings > About Phone):
• Pandora version:
  • If you can open Pandora, go to Profile, then select Settings. Scroll to the bottom of the screen for the version number.
  • If you can't open Pandora: from Android Home screen > Android Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > Find Pandora
• Are you connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data when this is happening?
• Have any error messages popped up? If so, what exactly does it say?

Let me know how it goes. 🎧

[MOHLovesAlaska]

@JessKitsos85 try these steps that I had found to be very helpful, I did some of my own research to see how I could resolve some playback issues. 

Pandora Keeps Crashing – Android

If Pandora keeps crashing on your Android device, there are several different things to try. Start with a restart of your phone to see if that helps. If the crashing issue still persists, it’s time to clear the app cache.

Battery Saver Mode

Many Android devices feature an aggressive battery saver feature that can kill music streams. You must make an exception in battery saver mode to avoid interruptions to music streaming. Here’s how to do that.

1. Open the ‘Settings app on your smartphone.
2. Scroll down to ‘Apps & Notifications‘ and tap it.
3. Find ‘Pandora‘ and tap ‘Advanced.’
4. Find the ‘Battery’ prompt then ‘Battery saver.’
5. Exclude Pandora from ‘battery optimization‘ mode.

Now the smartphone should stop killing Pandora as it streams music. If you need help finding the settings for your specific device,  SIDE NOTE: Devices running Android 6. x and higher include battery optimization features that improve battery life by placing apps in Doze mode or App Standby.

• Optimization is turned on by default and can be turned off / back on as preferred.
• Apps with optimization turned off may continue to impact battery life.

• Doze Mode:
• starts when the device is stationary and not charging and the screen is off.
• prevents the device from syncing and accessing the network, Wi-Fi from scanning, etc.
• allows SMS, MMS, phone calls, alarms, and Amber Alerts to still function.
• stops when the device is moved, the screen turns on, or the alarm clock sounds/vibrates.
• isn't affected by notifications.
• App Standby:
• conserves battery power by preventing apps from accessing networks, syncing, etc. when not in use or not generating any user-visible notification.
• stops when the device becomes active or is plugged in.

• From a Home screen, navigate: 

  Apps

  Settings

  Battery

  Settings

  Battery
• Tap the 

  Menu icon 

   (located in the upper-right).
• Tap 

  Battery optimization

  .

  Apps/services unable to be optimized appear grayed out.
• Tap the "Not optimized" 

  dropdown menu 

   (located at the top).
• Tap 

  All apps

  .
• Tap the appropriate app, tap one of the following then tap 

  Done

  :
• Optimize
• Don't optimize

Allow Pandora to Run in the Background

Sometimes devices will kill apps that are running in the background. If Pandora keeps crashing when your lock screen turns on, this is the likely culprit. Here’s how to stop background restrictions on Pandora.

1. Press and hold the ‘Pandora‘ icon on the home screen.
2. Tap the ‘Gear‘ icon to access ‘App Info.’
3. Next, select ‘Advanced‘ and then ‘Battery.’
4. Make sure Pandora can run in the background.
5. If the ‘Background restriction’ setting says ‘Restricted,’ then remove the restriction.

Now you should be able to play the Pandora app in the background without it crashing. If you are still experiencing crashes, check the Pandora Twitter account for an official outage. If the music streaming service is experiencing problems, that’s where it alerts its customer base.

Pandora Is Lagging – How Do I Fix It?

Sometimes the Pandora app isn’t crashing, but it buffers in the middle of songs or lags. These issues could be caused by a poor WiFi signal, cell signal, or something else entirely. Here’s a quick list of things to check if your Pandora app is buffering too much.

Check Power Saving Mode

Sometimes your smartphone includes aggressive battery-saving measures that may shut down your music. This problem isn’t specific to the Pandora app since it can affect all music players. Make sure the power-saving mode is set to ‘Off’ on your device when you want to listen to music.

Turn Off High-Quality Audio

Sometimes your connection with a cell tower isn’t strong enough to handle high-quality tracks. It’s a bummer if you want to listen to hi-def music, but it can also cause Pandora to buffer if the connection is weak. 

P.S I found this Solution for me at Digitalmusicnews.com. If it did not work I would not be sharing it here for other Pandora users to try to see if it would be a workable solution for you as well. 

Take care and stay safe.