Spotify is introducing a range of new social features designed to make your listening experience more visible, more interactive and – for better or worse – less private. Listening Activity and Request to Jam features will be available to Android and iOS users in the US starting February 2026 (wider availability).
Of the two, Listening Activity seems to be the most radical addition to the platform in a long time. On the one hand, it allows you to see what your friends are listening to in real time, directly in the Spotify app. It shows the exact title, artist, and playing status of the music your friends are streaming.
Spotify turns private listening into a shared experience
On the other hand, all of your music track names will also be visible to your Spotify friends, meaning your late-night delights and oddly specific playlists will no longer be invisible. Your friends can either jump straight into the track you’re playing or save it and listen to it later.
Fortunately, the feature is available on an opt-in basis; You’ll need to turn it on in Settings > Privacy & Social, then toggle the switch next to Listening Activity. Additionally, you can stream music in private mode, which means your song or artist selections won’t be broadcast to your Spotify friends.
Similar to social media platforms, Spotify allows you to control who can access your listening activity, as not everyone needs to know what you’re listening to when you’re alone. Last but not least, the feature will be available to all users with News access.
Then there’s the Request to Jam feature, which allows Spotify Premium users to invite their friends (who should also be paying users) to join a jam session via the in-app messaging service. Friends can add all songs to the queue without being in the same room; You can also control playback.
If you’ve ever asked your friend about a song they’ve previously talked about or posted on social media, Spotify Listening Activity takes the guesswork out of it. Social listeners, such as friends from college groups, can hang out with their friends in the app and add their favorite songs to a queue.
