How to Make a Private Playlist on Spotify

Some people like to share any new music they find with the world, announcing their discovery on all their social networks. Others prefer to keep it to themselves. Spotify respects user privacy and gives you the choice to make your playlists public or private. However, you may have to make this decision for each playlist, depending on your preferences.

In this guide, we will explain how to make your Spotify playlists private in Spotify mobile and desktop apps. Plus, we'll answer some of the most common questions related to the topic. Read on to learn how to update this privacy setting in Spotify.

How to Create Private Spotify Playlist from iPhone

Follow the instructions below to make your Spotify playlist private in the iPhone app:

1. Launch the Spotify app and sign in to your account if you haven't already.
   
2. Tap "Your Library" at the bottom of the screen.
   
3. Go to the "Playlists" tab and open the playlist you want to make private.
   
4. Tap the three-dot icon in the upper right corner.
   
5. Tap "Make private".
   

How to Create Private Spotify Playlist from Android Device

To make a Spotify playlist private on an Android device, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Spotify app and log in to your profile.
   
2. Go to the "Your Library" tab at the bottom.
   
3. Tap "Playlists" to view your playlists and select the one you want to make private.
   
4. Tap the three dots at the top right of your screen.
   
5. Select “Make private”.
   

How to Create Private Spotify Playlist from PC

You can make a Spotify playlist private not only with the Spotify mobile app, but also with the desktop app. Here's how:

1. Head to the Spotify desktop app and sign in to your account.
   
2. Select the playlist you want to make private from the left sidebar. You can see all your playlists in the "Playlists" section.
   
3. Click the profile icon in the upper right corner.
   
4. Click "Private Session" to make the playlist private.
   

How to Create Private Spotify Playlist from iPad

You can make a Spotify playlist private on an iPad through the mobile app. Follow the steps below:

1. Launch Spotify.
   
2. Log in to your account if you are not already logged in.
   
3. At the bottom of your screen, tap "Your Library".
   
4. Select “Playlists”.
   
5. Open the playlist you want to make private.
   
6. At the top right, tap the three dots.
   
7. Tap "Make private".
   

FAQ

Read this section to learn more about playlist privacy settings on Spotify.

Why can't I see the "Make private" option when I try to make a playlist private?

Sometimes you may see "Make Public" option when trying to make a playlist private on Spotify. This means that the playlist is already private and you can only make it public again.

What does a private playlist on Spotify mean?

Private playlists do not appear to other users on your Spotify profile. Making a playlist private won't make any difference to how you view your playlists. However, if you share a private playlist on social media or in a direct message, recipients will be able to see, read, and share it. Also, if your private playlist already has subscribers, they can still view it on their profiles.

Can I make a collaborative playlist private?

Yes, you can make any Spotify playlist private, even if it's collaborative. If you do this, the playlist will not show up on your Spotify profile for other users. However, note that the playlist will still be visible on another user's profile and they will still be able to edit it.

Can other users see what playlists I've played on Spotify?

By default, all Spotify users can view your public playlists and recently played playlists. You can hide your recently played music by activating a private session. The playlist creator will not be notified if you listen to their playlist unless you follow them.

How to activate a private session on Spotify?

By default, Spotify shares your recently listened music with your followers or any other users visiting your profile. However, not all users agree to share their personal preferences with others. If you want to keep this information secret, a private session can help. It lasts for six hours, during which none of your Spotify activities remain hidden from other users. Follow the steps below to enable private session on a mobile device:

1. Launch the Spotify app.

2. Tap the gear icon in the top right corner to access settings.

3. Scroll down to the "Social" section.

4. Move the toggle next to "Private Session". If it is green, the private session is activated.

On the Spotify desktop app, the instructions are slightly different:

1. Open the Spotify desktop app.

2. Click the down arrow icon in the upper right corner of your screen.

3. Click on “Private session”.

Keep in mind that the music you listen to in the private session will not influence your music recommendations, such as Discover Weekly or personal year-end recommendations. The session ends automatically when you restart the Spotify app or if you're inactive for more than six hours.

How do I automatically make the playlists I create on Spotify private?

Manually switching every playlist you create on Spotify to private can be tedious, so you might be wondering how to do it automatically. We have good news: by default, none of your newly created Spotify playlists appear on your profile; they are all private. However, you can change this setting through the Spotify desktop app. Follow the instructions below:

1. Open the Spotify desktop app and sign in to your account.

2. Click the down arrow icon at the top right of the screen to access the drop-down menu.

3. Select "Settings".

4. Scroll down to the "Social" section.

5. Move the toggle button next to "Make my new playlists public". If the toggle is green, your new playlists will be made public automatically. If it is grey, they will be deprived.

Notes: You can't manage this setting through the Spotify mobile app, but changes you make in the Spotify desktop app apply to all your devices.

Keep your music private

Hopefully our guide has helped you tailor your Spotify privacy settings to your preferences. Remember that even if your Spotify playlist is not displayed on your profile, other users can find it if you share it or if the playlist has subscribers. To keep your music preferences truly private, consider creating a new private playlist that will have no subscribers and never share music from it.

What are your favorite Spotify public playlists? Share your top picks in the comments section below.