If you’re trying to see someone’s private Spotify playlists, here’s the direct answer upfront: you cannot directly view a truly private Spotify playlist unless the owner makes it public, shares it with you, or invites you through a collaborative feature. That’s how Spotify’s privacy system is designed.
But—this is where many users get confused—there are often cases where a playlist seems “private” when it can be found by others under certain circumstances. What’s going on?
I’ve looked through the issues mentioned on Reddit and tried to answer your questions: why certain playlists appear invisible, how to find hidden or undiscovered Spotify playlists, and how to see someone’s public playlists that aren’t showing on their profile.
Can You See Someone’s Private Spotify Playlists?
Short answer: no.
When users create playlists on Spotify, they have two visibility options:
- Public playlists: Visible to anyone who visits their profile or receives a direct link
- Private playlists: Only visible to the creator and anyone they specifically invite
Previously, users could see what friends were listening to in real-time through the “Friend Activity” feature, but this only shows currently playing tracks, not private playlists.
How Spotify’s Privacy System Works
Spotify’s privacy controls are intentionally straightforward:
- Default settings: New playlists are private by default
- Sharing options: Users must manually make playlists public or share them via links
- Profile display: Even public playlists can be hidden from a user’s profile if they choose
This system protects user privacy while still allowing for social sharing when desired. The inability to access private playlists isn’t a technical limitation—it’s a deliberate privacy feature.
But with such a privacy system, why would someone still see their unpublished playlist? how to see someone’s public playlists that aren t on their profilea if I want?
Why People Think a Playlist Is Private When It Isn’t
Often, what looks private is something else entirely.
- The Playlist Was Removed from the User’s Profile
Spotify users can remove playlists from profile display without making them fully private.
That means:
- The playlist may still be public.
- It simply won’t appear under their visible playlist section.
- Direct links may still work.
- Search may still surface it.
If this situation, you have ways to find the other person’s playlist.
- They Made It Collaborative but Not Public
A playlist may have multiple contributors but still not be publicly promoted.
If you are a friend of the other person and join in the creation of the playlist, you can view the playlist even if it hasn’t been published.
How to See Someone’s Public Playlists That Aren’t on Their Profile?
Method 1: Use Direct Playlist Links
If the other person has shared a playlist with you, you can use this method.
Find the Spotify link where the other person sent you the playlist, and click or copy and open it in your browser.
Old Spotify links often still work even if the playlist vanished from a profile.
That’s because the URL can remain active.
Method 2: Search by Username Plus Keywords
Search Spotify using: Username + genre
Examples: John workout mix; Tom jazz
This can surface public playlists not displayed on profile pages.
Method 3: Search Through Google Instead of Spotify
Funny enough, external search engines can sometimes find playlists Spotify search misses.
Use searches like: site:open.spotify.com username playlist or site:open.spotify.com “playlist by username”
This can expose indexed playlists that do not show in-app.
Method 4: Using Chosic
Your friend has simply hidden the playlist in their profile, but hasn’t set it to private. You can find your friend’s playlist by looking at the songs in the playlist.
- Search the Chosic website
- Open Playlist Finder
- Search for songs in a playlist
- Filter by number of songs and number of likes
- Find the playlist you want from the search list
I’ve tried this method, and it seems to only find publicly available playlists; private playlists are still unavailable.
Method 5: Friend Activity Feature
Spotify’s “Friend Activity” section shows what your connected friends are currently listening to in real-time. To access this:
- Open Spotify on desktop
- Look for the “Friend Activity” sidebar on the right
- On mobile, go to Home and scroll down to find friend activity
This feature requires mutual following—both users must follow each other to see each other’s activity.
Usually, it only shows the current song, not the whole playlist. But some Reddit users have reported that they can see other people’s private playlists in their activity feeds. This could be because the other person saw the playlist in their feed on the desktop version of Spotify.
Can I see private playlists in the Spotify Revanced APK?
No. Even “modded” Spotify apps do not unlock access; Spotify Vanced alters the interface, removes ads, or unlocks client-side features, but they do not grant access to private playlists stored behind account permissions.
However, if you have a playlist you want to listen to but don’t have a premium membership, you can try downloading Spotify Advanced. Listening to music there is completely free, and you can skip ads.
FAQ
Can I see someone’s private Spotify playlists without them knowing?
No. Not legitimately. If the playlist is actually private, Spotify does not provide anonymous viewing access.
What is the best way to find new Spotify playlists based on someone else’s taste?
Use song radio, curator profiles, genre rabbit holes, collaborative playlists, and community recommendations.
Is accessing private playlists via the Safari browser still effective?
It’s highly likely to be ineffective now. This BUG arose in 2018, and Spotify has most likely already fixed it. Currently, there’s no way to access private playlists.
Is the “Playlist Unlocker” tool reliable?
These tools are unreliable and should not be used, as they infringe on user privacy.
My conclusion
If a playlist doesn’t appear on your profile page, it’s likely either private or not displayed in your profile. If the playlist is still public but inaccessible from your profile, you can try to find it using certain methods. If the playlist is private, it cannot be viewed by any means.
Sometimes the real goal isn’t spying on one person’s playlist. It’s finding music like theirs. Then I suggest you find new Spotify playlists.
Finding new Spotify playlists is easier than finding private playlists; you can search from Spotify Radio, User Curators, or Reddit Communities.
Finally, do you have any further questions about private playlists?
