We’ve all been there. You spend a weekend nursing a breakup with nothing but sad indie people, and suddenly Spotify thinks you’re a completely different person, one who apparently wants to live in a cabin and cry forever.
The algorithm means well, but it was pretty passive (or defensive, I would say). Until now, perhaps.
From passive to proactive personalization
A teardown of Spotify version 9.1.28.385 (via Android Authority) has revealed code strings that point to a new notes feature tied to your taste profile, the unseen engine behind Discover Weekly, Wrapped, and all those “we think you’ll like this” moments.
This feature allows you to enter text-based feedback directly in the app, with a natural language prompt that says “I’ve listened to a lot…” to start.
Strings in the unpublished version of the code indicate that you can add, edit, and delete your feedback.
However, the app may limit both the number of notes and the number of characters per note. If you delete one, Spotify says it will have “less impact on your taste profile.” So choose your words carefully.
How the new flavor profile notes might work
For now, the only way to optimize your taste profile is to exclude songs or playlists that spoil it. This is a purely defensive move. Notes would be the first time users could go on the offensive and proactively shape what the algorithm provides.
The same app build also points out custom emoji reactions for Spotify messages, as six emojis apparently didn’t have enough emotional reach for your friends’ listening activity.
There is no release date yet and APK teardowns are never guaranteed. But this one feels inevitable. If you can give custom instructions to ChatGPT, why can’t you tell Spotify that you’re past your sad folk phase?
