How to Delete Spotify Listening History

Ever played a guilty pleasure song on Spotify, and now it keeps popping up everywhere? Maybe you only listened to that throwback 2000s hit once, but Spotify took it as your new anthem. Don’t worry—we’ve all been there. Let’s break down how to delete or hide your Spotify listening history in a fun, super simple way.

TL;DR

If you want to *hide or remove your embarrassing Spotify listens*, you can’t delete your entire listening history, but you can clean it up. You can *remove songs from your Recently Played*, *hide songs from your queue*, and clear up your recommendations. Keep your playlists and Home screen tidy. Some features work better on mobile—so be sure to have your phone handy!

Why You’d Want to Delete Your Listening History

Let’s get real. There are many reasons you might want to wipe out a song or two from your history.

  • You were testing out a genre you don’t usually like.
  • Your friend borrowed your account and went on a K-pop spree (and you’re not into K-pop).
  • You were stuck in traffic and hit “shuffle” just to survive.
  • You’re trying to train Spotify to recommend your dream mixes only.

Spotify remembers *everything you play*. That’s how it creates those magical playlists like *Discover Weekly* or *Your Time Capsule*. But sometimes, that memory needs a refresh.

Can You Actually Delete Your Entire Listening History?

Here’s the thing—Spotify doesn’t let you delete your *full* listening history like a browser. But you can *remove some of the evidence.* Think of it as spring-cleaning your music life.

So while you can’t push a big red “Delete All” button, you can take charge:

  • Remove from Recently Played
  • Clear queue or hide individual songs
  • Undo influence on recommendations

1. Remove Songs from Your “Recently Played” List

Let’s start with the easiest step: ditching songs from your Recently Played list. This works best on the desktop app.

Here’s how:

  1. Open Spotify on your desktop.
  2. Click on “Your Library.”
  3. Go to “Recently Played.”
  4. Hover over the item you want to remove.
  5. Click the three dots (…) next to the artist, album, or playlist.
  6. Click “Remove from Recently Played.”

Nice! It’s gone. But keep in mind this doesn’t remove the play data from your Spotify algorithm—it just clears your visual trail.

2. Clear Your Queue

Spotify’s queue is super handy—until it’s cluttered with songs you don’t even like. Luckily, this is easy to clean up.

On mobile:

  1. Open Spotify and play any song.
  2. Tap the Now Playing bar at the bottom.
  3. Tap the queue icon (it looks like three lines and a play button).
  4. You’ll see a list of your upcoming songs.
  5. Tap “Clear” or swipe left on individual songs to remove them.

Keep your queue fresh, like your playlist game.

3. Hide Songs on Mobile (Great for Auto Playlists)

If Spotify keeps suggesting a song you hate, you can tell it to *knock it off*.

Here’s how to hide a song:

  • In playlists like *Discover Weekly*, find the song you want to skip.
  • Tap the three dots next to the song title.
  • Tap “Hide this song.”

This helps reduce the chance of Spotify pushing that track again.

4. Use Private Session Mode

Not ready to pretend you didn’t dance to that cartoon theme song last night? Use a Private Session next time.

On mobile:

  1. Tap the gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner.
  2. Scroll to “Privacy & Social.”
  3. Toggle on “Private Session.”

This keeps your activity off the record. Spotify won’t use music played during a private session to refine your recommendations.

Tip: Private Sessions only last until you’re inactive for a while or restart the app. So remember to reactivate it when needed!

5. Remove Cached/Stored Data (Advanced)

If you’re super serious about starting fresh, clearing Spotify’s cache can help.

On desktop:

  1. Click your profile name > Settings.
  2. Scroll to Storage.
  3. Click “Clear Cache.”

Note: This doesn’t erase history, but it does remove locally saved info.

6. Unfollow or Delete Post-worthy Playlists

If you accidentally liked a playlist called “Breakup Vibes 2021” and now it’s haunting you—just unfollow it!

  1. Go to the playlist in Your Library.
  2. Tap the green heart or ‘Following’ button so it turns grey.

Now it’s history. Literally.

7. Log Out from Devices for Better Privacy

Spotify history can get messy if other people have access to your account. Maybe your cousin logged in on your smart TV?

To log out remotely from all devices:

  1. Go to Spotify Account Settings.
  2. Scroll to the bottom.
  3. Click “Sign Out Everywhere.”

Now only you are in charge of your music vibes.

Bonus: Start a Fresh Spotify Account?

This is the nuclear option. But if your listening past feels too heavy to carry forward, you can make a brand-new account.

Steps:

  • Cancel any premium subscriptions tied to your current account.
  • Download Spotify again or log out.
  • Sign up with a new email.
  • Create fresh playlists, follow your fav artists, and enjoy the clean slate!

Warning: You lose all your playlists, followers, and listening stats, though.

Final Thoughts

Spotify is a powerful music buddy, but sometimes you need to reset it. While you can’t erase your listening history completely, you can *manage and hide* the parts you don’t want to see—or let others see.

Use these tips to fine-tune your song suggestions, keep things private, or simply avoid being judged for your late-night singalongs. Now you know how to keep your Spotify journey tidy and drama-free!

Rock on, and stream smart.