Spotify is adding more social signals to its messaging feature, starting with a way to show what you are listening to in real time. The company is rolling out Listening activity, an optional setting that lets friends see your current track inside Messages. The feature is turned off by default, but once enabled, it gives chats a live view into your music habits.
When listening activity is on, Spotify shows the song you are playing at that moment. If you are not listening, it displays your most recent track instead. This activity is visible only to friends and family you have already connected with in Spotify Messages. You can still see other users’ listening activity even if your own setting is off, as long as they have opted in.
Spotify places this activity in the chat row of the side drawer and at the top of Messages chats. You can control exactly which contacts can see it, and you can turn it off at any time. Tapping on a friend’s activity lets you play the track, save it, open its context menu, or react using one of six standard emojis.
Alongside this update, Spotify is also introducing Request to Jam. Jam already lets users listen together from different locations, but Spotify says it has been hard to know when friends are ready to join. Request to Jam solves that by showing when someone is actively listening and available.
From a Messages chat, premium users can tap Jam in the top right corner to send a request. If the other person accepts, they become the host of the Jam session. Both users can then add songs to a shared queue and listen together while chatting. You can leave a Jam at any time, and unanswered requests expire after a few minutes.
Listening activity and Request to Jam are rolling out on iOS and Android in markets where Spotify Messages is available. According to Spotify, both features will be widely available by early February. The listening activity works for all users, while Request to Jam is limited to premium subscribers.
