Fix: “A firewall may be blocking Spotify” Error When Logging into Spotify

A firewall may be blocking Spotify error occurs while trying to stream the Spotify music by logging into the account. The error blocks the user at the very first login page thereby restricting the user from listening to their favorite songs.

However, the error shows up with a message referring “A firewall may be blocking Spotify. Please update your firewall to allow Spotify. Additionally, you could try changing the currently used proxy settings (Error code: 17)”. Moreover, the error codes keep changing every time thereby message remains the same.

Hereby, we have covered every relevant point related to the error including the causes and its potential solution to give you a better understanding of the error. Well, there can be numerous reasons that cause this error to occur. However, some of them are highlighted and mentioned below:

Security Purpose- The major reason occurring this error is the firewall’s security concern. A firewall blocks some programs from accessing the internet. As it takes programs as a threat or virus affected. So disabling the third-party security program may work for you to solve the problem.
Enabled proxy- Secondly, if your proxy is enabled and is wrongly configured then you may run into this error. Therefore, here you need to configure the proxy settings correctly to get rid of the error problem.
Using Spotify account from the different geographical locations- If you are accessing your Spotify account from a different geographical location than the one from where you set up your account then you may get this error message. So, try changing the country on your account to fix the problem.
Proxy enabled on Windows- Another potential reason causing this error to show up is the enabled proxy server on Windows. The proxy server many times conflict with the program installed on your system and block them from running properly. So it is suggested to disable the proxy servers on Windows to tackle the problem.
Using VPN- VPN can trigger this error on the Spotify app. As VPN might conflict with the app thereby causing the app to flash this error. Therefore, try disabling the VPN to get rid of the error on Spotify.
Spotify app glitches & bugs – Sometimes the app might encounter several internal bugs and glitches that cause issues. So, if your Spotify app is having any kind of bugs or glitches then you may encounter this error. Therefore, try dealing with the situation by reinstalling the app again.
Outdated Spotify app- Using an outdated Spotify app can also cause this error to show up. As with time, the app starts developing issues and problems that can further hamper the app’s functioning. Hereby, it is always suggested to use the updated app to avoid getting such error issues.

So, these are some of the causes that cause this problem to arise. Now as you know the culprits you can easily be able to solve the issue with the most effective solutions listed below that work for several affected users.

1. Allow the Spotify through Firewall

As the error message states the firewall might be blocking the Spotify app from running properly. So, the very first thing you have to do is to allow your Spotify application through the firewall to get past the problem. For this, follow the instruction guide below:

Make a right-click on the Start button and choose the Run option.
On the Run dialogue box mention control firewall.cpl and click Enter.

Run firewall.cpl
Now, select the option Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall that appeared on the left side.

Allowing an app or feature through Windows Firewall
Then, select the Change settings option on the Allowed apps tab.
Next, make sure the Spotify option box is to be marked check both on Public and Private Networks.

Check Boxes under Private and Public
After confirming, hit OK to save the changes made.

2. Change Your Country

It has already been mentioned that if there is a change in geographical location then it might trouble you with this error. Hereby, you need to change the country on your account to fix the error. To do so, follow the steps guide below:

Open the Spotify application and sign in with your email id & password.
Go for the Profile drop-down menu and select Account.
Then, click on Account overview on the left side.

Click on Account
Now, select the Edit profile option.

Accessing the Profile menu in Spotify
After that tap on Country or region and select your location from the drop-down option.
Lastly, click on Save Profile to keep the made changes.

Relaunch the app and check if Spotify starts playing or not and log in to stream your favourite songs.

3. Modify Proxy Settings

Users who have done any modifications in the proxy settings start seeing this error while running the Spotify app. So, another solution that helps you to get rid of this problematic situation is by modifying proxy settings. To change the proxy settings, you just need to follow the guided steps below as mentioned.

Firstly, launch the Spotify app and sign in to your account. Make sure not to play any music to avoid getting this error problem.
Now go for the Profile icon and select the option Settings at the bottom.

Navigating to Spotify Settings
Here, verify that there’s no proxy mentioned.
On the Settings tab, select the Show Advanced Settings option.

Spotify Advanced Settings
Next, expand the dropdown icon under Proxy type by tapping on it.
Lastly, select the No proxy option.

Proxy settings – No proxy should be there

Check if the problem is fixed or else head to the next solution

4. Disable Third-party VPN

VPN is most likely to cause conflict with some of the apps and block them from running properly. If you are using a third-party VPN then it is advised to disable or uninstall them and see if this works for you to get rid of the issue. For this, follow the guidance below as mentioned:

Press Windows + I key to launch Settings.
Next, select Network & Internet.

Opening Network & Internet settings
Then, click on VPN.
Here, click on the toggle button for Allow VPN option to disable.

Also, you can go for uninstall the third-party VPNs to solve the problem. Here are the steps for uninstallation:

Visit Windows Settings.
Next, go for the option Apps and then select Apps & features.

Open Apps & Features
Go through the applications list installed on your PC.
Navigate to the third-party VPN on the list and tap on the three dots next to the VPN and click on Uninstall.

Once uninstalled, you are all set to stream the music on the Spotify application without a firewall may be blocking Spotify error problem.

5. Update The Spotify App

If you haven’t updated your Spotify app for a long time then there is a chance that you might get troubled with this error as the outdated version of the app is conflicting and unable to establish a connection with the server. Therefore, it is advised to use the latest version of the app to stop Spotify from crashing and prevent various errors. To update the app, follow the below instructions as guided:

Go for the Start and locate Store.
On the store, click on the Profile icon.
Next, select the option Downloads or Updates.

Click Downloads and Updates
Then, go for the option Check for Updates.
If any update is found for the Spotify app go for downloading the app by clicking the down arrow.
Finally, wait for Windows to install the updated version.

Once installed, launch the app and verify the problem by streaming the music.

6. Flush DNS Cache

Sometimes due to the overloaded DNS cache of your system, you might get troubled with this problem on Spotify. So make sure to wipe the DNS cache of your system to fix such kind of problem.

Follow the step guide below to flush the DNS cache:

Go to Windows Search, type cmd on the search box and hit Enter
Now, go for the Command Prompt from the appeared result and make a right-click on it and select Run as administrator.

Run Command Prompt in Administrator Mode
Then, on the cmd panel type the command ipconfig /flushdns and hit Enter.

Type “ipconfig /flushdns” into the Command Prompt
Now, wait for the cmd panel to complete the operating command request.
Next, type netsh winsock reset and again hit Enter.

Run netsh winsock reset in command prompt
Once done with the above process, get out of the cmd panel and launch the Spotify app to check for the error issue.
Once done with its process, it reflects a message stating: “Windows IP Configuration Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache”.

Finally, restart your system and open the browser to check for the network protocol error.

7. Modify DNS Server

In some cases, you may encounter a problem due to the DNS server issue. So, in this situation, you try modifying the DNS server through the control panel. Also, if you are using a third-party DNS server then this also causes conflict and stops the app from functioning properly. So, it is best to use the default DNS server as this will most probably solve your problem. To do so, follow the steps below:

Go to Windows search, then type control panel on the search box and press Enter.
On the panel, select the Network & Internet option and go for the option Network and Sharing Center.

Opening Network & Internet settings
Then, tap on the option Change adapter settings.
Here, make a right-click on the option Wi-Fi and go for the option Properties.

Opening Wi-Fi Adapter Properties
Now, tap on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and go for the option Properties at the bottom.

Closing Wi-Fi Properties
Select the option Use the following DNS server addresses and mention 1.1.1.1 there as a preferred DNS server. Then mention 1.0.0.1 as an alternate DNS server.
Now, exit from all the Setting tabs and reboot your system.

Lastly, reopen the Spotify app and check whether the issue has been resolved or not.

8. Disable Third-party Proxy Server

If the above fixes won’t work and your Spotify application was already set to No Proxy then there might exist a chance that your system is using a third-party proxy server application. In this case, you need to disable the third-party proxy server to deal with the situation. To disable the third-party proxy server, follow the instructions below as mentioned:

Go to Windows Settings with Win+I keys.
Select Network & Internet option.

Opening Network & Internet settings
Next, go for the option Proxy.
Now, under the Proxy tab click on the toggle button referring Use a proxy server to disable.

make sure Use a proxy server is turned off
Then, tap on the Save button.

Lastly, relaunch the Spotify app and stream the music to see if the problem still persists or not.

9. Modify Host Profile

Many users reported that modifying the host profile is another effective solution to get done with the firewall that might be blocking Spotify errors. Follow the below steps to do so:

Launch Notepad in administrative mode on your PC.
Now, on the Notepad panel press Ctrl+ O.
Navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc location.
Next, on the location, click the dropdown icon and select the All Files option.
Click twice on hosts to launch the file.
Then, locate 0.0.0.0 weblb-wg.gslb.spotify.com0.0.0.0 entry on the file.
In case found, delete it.
Once done with the deletion process, save the file with Ctrl+S keys.
Lastly, launch the Spotify app and verify if the error problem still persists or not.

10. Reinstall Spotify Application

Lastly, if none of the above fixes works for you then try reinstalling the Spotify app will help you to get rid of the error. Sometimes app’s internal bugs or glitches cause several issues and the firewall blocking Spotify is one of them. Hereby, to deal with the situation you need to first uninstall the app and then install it back again on your system to fix the issue. Follow the steps below, to do so:

Firstly, go for Windows Start and click on the option Settings.
Select Apps and then go for the option Apps & features.

Open Apps & Features
Now, look for the Spotify app on the app list and tap on it.
Next, select the option Uninstall.

Uninstall the Spotify App
Once the uninstallation is completed, go for reinstalling the Spotify app from the Microsoft Store.

So, these are some effective solutions that will help you to tackle the error thereby letting you enjoy your favourite music on the Spotify app once again without any further restrictions. I hope the article serves you well by providing all the relevant information to understand the error better and the mentioned solutions help you to resolve the “a firewall may be blocking Spotify” error in no time.

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