Spotify has introduced new features to its Messages function, allowing users to view friends’ real-time listening activity and send requests to start Jams, its collaborative listening sessions. The company announced the updates on Wednesday, building on efforts to foster more in-app social interactions.
To access listening activity, users must enable it via Settings in the Privacy & Social section. Once activated, a user’s current track appears at the top of their Messages chats with friends. Tapping a friend’s activity displays options to play the track, save it to a library, open the track menu, or react with an emoji.
Premium subscribers can initiate a Jam by tapping the Jam button in the top-right corner of a Messages chat. This sends a request to the friend. If accepted, the requester becomes the Jam host. Both users then add tracks to a shared queue and listen together in real time.
The Listening Activity feature is available to all users who have access to Messages. Free users can join a Jam session only if invited by a Premium user. Both features roll out to iOS and Android apps in markets where Messages is already available, with broad availability expected by early February.
These additions are restricted to users aged 16 and older, aligning with Messages eligibility. Spotify launched Messages in August 2025 to enhance its social capabilities and retain users within the app, reducing the need to share links externally.
Currently, Messages supports only one-on-one chats with individuals who have previously shared content, such as playlist collaborators or participants in Jams or Blends. Messages use encryption at rest and in transit but lack end-to-end encryption.
