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If You've Ever Shared a Spotify Link Publicly, You Need to Disable Spotify DMs

  //humor-quirks.news-articles.net/content/2025/09 .. nk-publicly-you-need-to-disable-spotify-dms.html
  Published in Humor and Quirks on Tuesday, September 2nd 2025 at 14:53 GMT by Lifehacker
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Spotify’s New DM Feature: Why You Should Disable It If You’ve Shared Publicly

When Spotify first rolled out its “Direct Messages” (DM) feature, it was marketed as a way for users to share songs, playlists, and podcasts privately with friends. But a closer look at the mechanics of the DM system—and the data it exposes—reveals a more unsettling reality. If you’ve ever clicked that “Share” button and allowed the link to land in a public chat or on a public profile, you’re inadvertently broadcasting your listening habits to everyone in the room (or the world). The Lifehacker article “If You Ever Shared a Spotify Link Publicly, Disable Spotify DMs” outlines why that’s a problem and how you can quickly lock the feature shut.

1. The DM Feature, in a Nutshell

Spotify’s DM tool is built into the app’s “Share” menu. When you tap a song, playlist, or podcast and choose “Share,” you can send it to a friend, group, or even post it publicly on your profile. Once shared, the message appears in the recipient’s inbox—and, depending on your settings, in your own public activity feed.

• Private DMs: Sent only to a single user or a group; only the intended recipients can see them.
• Public DMs: Shared on your public profile; anyone who can view your profile—or your followers—gets to see the link.

What many users don’t realize is that the “public” version is effectively the same as a normal “share” that shows up in the “Your Activity” feed, which is visible to the entire Spotify community. Even if you think you’re only sharing with a few friends, the algorithm can surface that activity to your friends’ friends and, in extreme cases, to Spotify’s recommendation engine.

2. Privacy Risks – The “Listening Fingerprint”

Spotify, like many streaming services, relies on data to power its recommendation algorithms and advertising model. Every song you play, every playlist you curate, and even every share you make is recorded in the cloud. The Lifehacker article points out two main privacy concerns:

1. Public Activity Exposure: If your public DM shows up in your profile, anyone who visits can see your listening history. That includes songs you may have only listened to briefly—revealing tastes you’d rather keep private.
2. Targeted Advertising: Spotify partners with ad agencies that can use listening data to build micro‑audience profiles. When you share publicly, you inadvertently feed the algorithm with more data, increasing the granularity of those profiles.

For users who value anonymity—especially those on the platform for niche genres or niche communities—this can feel like an unwanted “data trail.” The article cites a recent study that shows how even a handful of shared tracks can significantly alter the ads you see across the internet.

3. Why Disabling the Feature Matters

The article stresses that the default setting for new users is “Public” for DM shares. If you’ve never bothered to check your settings, it’s likely that any link you’ve shared was broadcasted. Even if you thought you were only sharing with a close friend, that friend’s followers can still see it in the activity feed.

By disabling Spotify DMs, you effectively “lock the door” on this data channel:

• You stop your activity from appearing in public feeds.
• You reduce the data Spotify has to feed into its recommendation engine.
• You keep your sharing strictly limited to the intended recipients.

And if you do want to share a track publicly in the future, you’ll know exactly how to do so in a controlled way—perhaps by creating a separate public playlist rather than using the DM system.

4. Step‑by‑Step: How to Disable DMs

The article breaks down the process into a few simple clicks that anyone can follow:

1. Open Spotify – On either desktop or mobile.
2. Go to Settings –
   • Mobile: Tap the “Home” tab, then the gear icon in the top right.
   • Desktop: Click your profile picture in the top right and choose “Settings.”
3. Find the “Social” or “Privacy” section –
   • The exact naming can vary between iOS, Android, and the web app, but look for a toggle that says “Show me in the activity feed” or “Share my listening activity.”
4. Turn off the toggle – This disables the default “public” sharing for future DMs.
5. Confirm – In some versions, Spotify will prompt you to confirm that you’re sure you want to turn off public sharing.

Once disabled, any new DM you send will default to “private.” Existing public DMs remain visible in your profile until you manually delete them or adjust the individual post. The article advises deleting past public DMs if you want to be absolutely sure nothing remains.

5. A Few Extra Tips

• Delete Past Public DMs: If you’ve already shared publicly, you can delete those messages from your profile feed. The article links to Spotify’s help page that explains how to remove a shared track from your activity log.
• Review Your Profile Visibility: In the same “Privacy” section, you’ll also find options to toggle who can see your public profile.
• Consider a Dedicated “Shared Playlists” Folder: If you still want to share music but with a controlled audience, create a playlist and share that. That way, you keep the act of sharing isolated from the algorithm’s data harvest.

6. Bottom Line: It’s Quick and Easy to Take Control

The Lifehacker article’s main takeaway is simple: If you have ever shared a Spotify link publicly, there is a straightforward setting that can immediately restrict that data. By disabling the DM feature, you protect your listening habits from being broadcasted to an ever‑growing audience—including those who use Spotify’s data for targeted advertising.

In an era where every click and every play can be monetized, having a clear understanding of how your data is shared—and knowing how to close the door on unwanted exposure—can make a meaningful difference in how much control you have over your own digital footprint. So next time you’re tempted to hit “Share,” pause for a moment, check your settings, and decide whether you really want everyone to know what you’re listening to.