Spotify releases new set of social functions designed to make your listening experience more visible, interactive and, for better or worse, less private. Listening Activity and Jam Request features are starting to roll out to Android and iOS users in the US (with wider availability expected by February 2026).
Of the two, Listening Activity appears to be the most radical addition to the platform in recent memory. On the one hand, it allows you to see what your friends are listening to in real time, right in Spotify app. It shows the exact song, artist and playing status of the music your friends are streaming.
Spotify turns private listening into a shared experience
On the other hand, it will also show your Spotify friends all the names of your music tracks, meaning your late-night treats and weird idiosyncratic playlists will no longer be invisible. Your friends can either skip straight to the track you're playing or save it and listen to it later.
Luckily, this feature is available by consent; you'll have to turn it on in Settings > Privacy & Social and then toggle the switch next to Listening Activity. Plus, you can stream music in a private mode, which doesn't share your track or artist selection with your friends on Spotify.
As with social media platforms, you can also control who can access your listening activity on Spotify, since not everyone needs to know what you're listening to when you're alone. Last but not least, this feature will available to all users with access to Messages.
There is also a “Jam Request” feature that allows you to Spotify Premium users invite their friends (who must also be paid users) to join a shared jam session via the app's messaging service. Friends can request all songs in a queue without being in the same room; they can also control playback.
If you've ever asked your friend about a song they've talked about before or posted on social media, Spotify Listening Activity takes the guesswork out of it. Social media listeners, such as friends from college groups, can chat with their friends on the app and add their favorite songs to their queue.
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