Spotify is rolling out a new chat feature aimed at making the app more social and interactive. While users have long shared music and podcast links outside the platform, this update encourages keeping those interactions within Spotify. It also saves shared content, eliminating the need to search for songs later.
The messaging is strictly one-on-one and limited to people you’ve already interacted with on Spotify—such as through a collaborative playlist, a Jam or Blend session, or being part of a Family or Duo plan. To start a conversation, you’ll need to send a request, which the other person must accept before chatting begins.
Outside the Spotify app, if someone shares a Spotify link with you through platforms like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, or TikTok, you can tap the link and choose to approve their chat request. You can also send an invite link to someone from your contacts list.
Spotify emphasized that users are encouraged to keep sharing content on other platforms, noting that the new messaging feature is meant to complement, not replace, those interactions.
Users can view their messages by tapping their profile picture and navigating to the Messages section on the left-hand hover bar. They can also respond to individual messages with emoji reactions.
Spotify stated that all messages are encrypted while stored and during transmission, but they are not end-to-end encrypted. The company actively monitors messages to ensure compliance with its policies. Additionally, users can report messages, which Spotify will review to determine if they violate its terms of service or platform guidelines.
Spotify Signals Shift Toward Interactivity with New Messaging Feature
During last month’s quarterly call, Spotify’s Chief Product and Technology Officer Gustav Söderström hinted that the app would soon offer a more interactive user experience. The introduction of the new messaging feature appears to be part of that shift.
Spotify is currently rolling out this feature to mobile users—both free and premium—aged 16 and up in select Latin American and South American countries. The company plans to expand availability to the U.S., Canada, Brazil, the EU, the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand in the coming weeks.
Historically, Spotify’s social features were limited to following friends and viewing their listening activity. But that’s been evolving, with additions like podcast comments and a video-centric feed introduced last year. In a past interview with TechCrunch, Spotify’s VP of Podcast Product, Maya Prohovnik, also left the door open to the idea of allowing comments on music tracks.
At the same time, some users have voiced frustration over the app’s increasingly crowded interface. On social media, and even among tech journalists like Amanda Silberling—who switched to Apple Music—there have been complaints about how cluttered Spotify’s home page feels and how difficult it can be to find music quickly.
While the new messaging feature may encourage more sharing between friends, it could also add to that sense of visual overload. Fortunately, users who prefer a simpler experience can head to Settings > Privacy and social to turn off the messaging feature.
Read the original article on: TechCrunch
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