The fastest way to add a friend on Spotify

You can add a friend on Spotify in three ways: search for their username, share your profile link with them, or connect through Facebook. The search method is quickest if you already know their Spotify username. Open Spotify on your phone or computer, tap or click the search icon, type their username in the search box, find their profile, and tap or click "Follow". They will see you as a follower but will not be notified unless they check their followers list.

If you want them to follow you back, you need to tell them your username or send them your profile link directly. Spotify does not send automatic friend requests the way Facebook or Instagram does — following is one-directional unless both of you follow each other. Once you follow someone, you can see what they are listening to in real time if they have made that visible in their privacy settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Search for a friend's Spotify username, find their profile, and tap "Follow" to add them — they will not get a notification unless they check their followers list.
  • Your profile link is found in your profile settings and can be copied and sent to anyone via text, email, or social media.
  • Following someone on Spotify does not automatically mean they follow you back; you are both following each other only if you each tap "Follow" on the other's profile.
  • You can see what friends are listening to in real time only if they have turned on the "Social" or "Share My Listening Activity" setting in their privacy options.
  • Blocking a user removes them from your followers and prevents them from seeing your listening activity, but they can still search for and follow you again unless you block them.

Finding a friend's Spotify username

A Spotify username is different from a display name. Your display name is what appears on your profile and can be anything you choose. Your username is a unique identifier assigned when you create your account and is harder to change. To find someone's username, ask them directly or look at their profile link — the username appears at the end of the URL.

For example, if a friend's profile link is open.spotify.com/user/sarah_music_2024, their username is "sarah_music_2024". Once you have the username, open Spotify, go to the search tab, type the username into the search box, and look for their profile picture and name to confirm it is the right person. Tap or click "Follow" on their profile.

Sharing your own profile link

The easiest way to let someone add you is to send them your profile link. On the Spotify app, open your profile by tapping the profile icon (usually in the top right corner), then tap the three dots or menu icon. Select "Share Profile" or "Copy Link to Profile". The link will be copied to your clipboard.

Paste this link into a text message, email, or social media message and send it to your friend. When they tap the link, it will open your Spotify profile in their app or browser. They can then tap "Follow" to add you. This method works across all devices and does not require them to know your username.

Connecting friends through Facebook

If you and a friend both have Facebook accounts linked to Spotify, you can see each other's profiles through Spotify's Facebook integration. Open Spotify, go to your profile settings, and look for "Social" or "Connected Apps". If Facebook is already connected, Spotify will show you a list of your Facebook friends who also use Spotify. You can follow them directly from this list.

To connect Facebook to Spotify, tap "Connect with Facebook" in your settings, log in with your Facebook credentials, and allow Spotify to access your friends list. Keep in mind that this also means Spotify can share your listening activity with Facebook (depending on your privacy settings), so review what you are comfortable with before connecting.

Seeing what friends are listening to

Once you follow someone, you can see their listening activity only if they have turned on activity sharing. On Spotify, this setting is called "Share My Listening Activity" or "Social Features" depending on your device. If a friend has this turned on, you will see what they are listening to in real time on their profile and sometimes in a "Friends Activity" section of your app.

To turn this on for yourself, open your profile settings, find "Social" or "Privacy", and toggle "Share My Listening Activity" to on. You can turn it off at any time, and when you do, your friends will no longer see what you are listening to. This setting does not affect whether people can follow you — it only controls whether they can see your current activity.

Removing or blocking a friend

If you want to stop following someone, open their profile and tap "Following" (the button will change from "Follow" to "Following" once you follow them). A menu will appear with the option to "Unfollow". This removes them from your following list, but they can still see that you were following them in their followers list until they refresh their app.

If you want to prevent someone from following you or seeing your activity, you can block them. Open their profile, tap the three dots or menu icon, and select "Block User". A blocked user cannot see your profile, cannot follow you, and cannot see your listening activity. However, they can still search for your username and create a new account to follow you again — blocking is not permanent if they choose to work around it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my friend know when I follow them?

Spotify does not send a notification when someone follows you. Your friend will only know if they manually check their followers list or if they see you in their "Friends Activity" section. If you want them to know, you should tell them directly.

Can I follow someone without them following me back?

Yes. Following on Spotify is one-directional. You can follow someone and see their activity without them following you. They will only see your activity if they follow you back and if you have activity sharing turned on.

What is the difference between a Spotify username and a display name?

Your display name is what you choose to show on your profile and can be changed anytime. Your username is a unique identifier created when you sign up and is much harder to change. The username appears in your profile link and is what you search for to find someone.

If I block someone, can they still search for me?

Yes. Blocking prevents them from seeing your profile and following you, but they can still search for your username. If they create a new account or unblock you, they can follow you again. Blocking is not a permanent ban.

Can I see what my friends are listening to if they do not follow me back?

Only if they have activity sharing turned on. You do not need to follow each other to see listening activity — you only need to follow them, and they need to have "Share My Listening Activity" enabled in their privacy settings.