The quickest way to add a friend on Spotify
You add friends on Spotify by searching for their username or email address in the app, then sending them a friend request. They accept or decline, and once they accept, you can see what they're listening to in real time and they can see yours. The whole process takes about 30 seconds if you already know their username.
Open Spotify on your phone or computer. Tap or click the search icon (the magnifying glass), then search for your friend's username or the email address they use for their Spotify account. When their profile appears, tap or click "Add Friend" or the person-with-a-plus icon. They'll get a notification, accept it, and you're connected.
If you don't know their username, you can find it by asking them directly or by checking if they've shared their Spotify profile link with you before. Their username appears in the URL of their profile — for example, if their profile link is open.spotify.com/user/alexjones42, their username is alexjones42.
Key Takeaways
- Search for your friend by their Spotify username or email address in the search bar, then tap "Add Friend" on their profile.
- Your friend will receive a notification and must accept your request before you can see each other's listening activity.
- Once you're friends, you can see what they're listening to right now and access their public playlists from their profile.
- You can remove friends at any time from their profile, and they won't be notified when you do.
Finding your friend's username if you don't have it
If you don't know your friend's Spotify username, the easiest way is to ask them directly. They can tell you their username, or they can send you a link to their profile — when you open that link, you'll see their username in the web address.
Another option is to check if they've shared a playlist with you before. Open any playlist they've shared, tap their name at the top, and you'll land on their profile. Their username will be visible there, and you can send a friend request from that page.
If you're connected on other social media, some people include their Spotify username in their bio or profile. You can also try searching for their full name in Spotify's search bar — if their account is public, it may show up in the results, though you might see multiple people with the same name.
What happens after you send a friend request
When you send a friend request, Spotify sends your friend a notification. They can see it in their notifications or in their friend requests section. They have the choice to accept or decline — there's no time limit, so they can respond whenever they want.
Until they accept, you won't be able to see their listening activity or access their profile in the same way. Once they accept, you'll both show up in each other's friend lists, and you can start seeing what the other person is listening to in real time (if their profile is set to public).
If someone declines your request, you can send another one later, but Spotify doesn't notify you when a request is declined. You'll only know if you go back to their profile and see that the "Add Friend" button is still there.
Viewing what your friends are listening to
Once you're friends with someone, you can see their listening activity in a few places. On the Spotify home screen, there's often a "Friend Activity" section that shows what your friends are playing right now. You can also visit a friend's profile directly to see their current song and their recent listening history.
Keep in mind that your friend's profile has to be set to public for you to see their activity. If they've made their profile private, you won't see what they're listening to, even if you're friends. They control this setting in their privacy preferences.
You can also see your friends' public playlists from their profile. If they've created a playlist and marked it as public, you can view it, follow it, and add songs from it to your own playlists.
Controlling who can see your listening activity
Your friends can see what you're listening to only if your profile is set to public. You control this in your Spotify settings. On the mobile app, go to Settings, then Privacy, and toggle "Social Features" on or off. On the desktop app or web player, go to Settings, then Social, and adjust your privacy settings there.
If you turn off social features, your friends won't see your listening activity, but you'll still be able to see theirs (if their profile is public). You can also choose to make your profile private while keeping social features on, which limits what information is visible to people who aren't your friends.
These settings apply to all your friends at once — you can't hide your activity from one friend while showing it to another. If you want more control, your only option is to turn off social features entirely or make your profile private.
Removing friends and managing your friend list
To remove a friend, visit their profile and tap or click the person-with-a-minus icon (or "Remove Friend" if you're on desktop). They won't be notified that you've removed them, and they'll still be able to see your activity if your profile is public — removing them is one-way.
If you want to stop someone from seeing your activity without removing them as a friend, your only option is to turn off social features or make your profile private. There's no way to block a specific person from seeing your listening activity while keeping them as a friend.
You can view your full friend list by going to your profile and tapping or clicking "Friends." From there, you can see all your friends, visit their profiles, or remove them if you want to.
Adding friends through Spotify's social features
Spotify sometimes suggests friends based on people you follow or who follow you on other platforms, or based on mutual connections. These suggestions appear on your home screen or in a dedicated section. You can send a friend request to any suggested person by tapping "Add Friend."
You can also share your Spotify profile link directly with someone through text, email, or social media. When they open your profile link, they can send you a friend request from there. This is often faster than searching for a username, especially if you're messaging someone anyway.
Some playlists and artist pages have a "Share" button that lets you send them to friends. Sharing a playlist doesn't automatically add someone as a friend — it just sends them the link to that specific playlist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add someone as a friend if they don't have a Spotify account?
No, you can only add people who already have a Spotify account. If someone you want to add doesn't have an account yet, they'll need to create one first. Once they do, you can search for their username and send a friend request.
What if I can't find my friend when I search for them?
Make sure you're spelling their username correctly — usernames are case-sensitive in some cases, and even a small typo will prevent results from showing. If they have a very common name, try searching for their email address instead. If their profile is private or they've hidden their account from search, you won't be able to find them that way — ask them to send you their profile link directly.
Can I see my friend's saved songs or liked songs?
You can see your friend's public playlists and their current listening activity, but you can't see their liked songs or saved songs unless they've created a public playlist from them. Those are private by default, even if your friend's profile is public.
Do my friends get notified when I listen to something?
Your friends can see what you're listening to in real time if your profile is public and social features are turned on, but Spotify doesn't send them a notification every time you play a song. They'll only see your activity if they check the Friend Activity section or visit your profile.
Can I add someone as a friend without them adding me back?
Yes, you can send a friend request and they can decline it or ignore it. You'll still be able to see their public profile and public playlists, but you won't see their real-time listening activity until they accept your request and you're mutually friends.