Spotify has launched a new feature known as ‘Listening Activity’ in its iOS application, enabling users to see what their friends are currently listening to in real-time. This functionality boosts social interaction on the platform, allowing users to share their listening habits while also discovering music through their friends.
### How Spotify’s ‘Listening Activity’ Feature Operates on iPhone
The ‘Listening Activity’ feature expands upon Spotify’s current Messages section, which debuted last year. Here’s how it works:
1. **Opt-In Privacy Settings**: Users need to activate the feature via the Privacy and social settings located in the side drawer beside the “View profile” button. This ensures that only users who want to share their listening data can do so.
2. **Real-Time Updates**: After activation, users can observe their friends’ listening activities in the chat row of the side drawer and at the top of Messages chats. This offers a dynamic way to stay connected with friends’ music tastes.
3. **Interactive Features**: By selecting a friend or family member’s listening activity, users can add tracks to their library, initiate playback, open the track’s context menu, or respond using one of six standard emojis. This interactivity enhances the social aspect of music listening.
Alongside the ‘Listening Activity’ feature, Spotify has also introduced a ‘Request to Jam’ feature, enabling users to invite friends for a shared listening experience, akin to Apple’s SharePlay. This feature aims to promote communal music enjoyment among users.
Both functionalities are being rolled out starting today in markets where Messages is offered, with broader availability anticipated by early February.
Spotify’s recent updates showcase its dedication to boosting user engagement and social connectivity through music, facilitating easier sharing and enjoyment of music among friends.