Top 7 Fixes for Spotify Not Showing Friend Activity

Streaming apps like Spotify have changed how we discover and consume music. In addition to Spotify’s recommendation algorithm, you can follow your Facebook friends on Spotify to see what they are listening to and discover new songs. However, you may be unable to do so if Spotify does not show friend activity or fails to update it on your Windows or Mac.

If you cannot view what songs your friends are listening to on Spotify, don’t fret. Here are a few troubleshooting tips that should get Spotify to load friend activity quickly.

1. Enable the Friend Activity Tab

The Spotify app may not show the Friend Activity tab if you have previously hidden it using the View menu. To reveal it, open the Spotify app and click the menu icon (three horizontal dots) in the top left corner. Go to View and select Friend Activity from the submenu.

After this, you should see the Friend Activity tab on your right.

2. Make Sure You Are Following Your Friend

This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you can’t see the activity of a specific friend, it’s a good idea to ensure that you’re following that person on Spotify. Here’s how to check.

Step 1: Open the Spotify app. Click on your profile picture at the top-right corner and select Profile from the resulting menu.

Step 2: Under your name, click on Following to view a list of people you follow.

Step 3: If you don’t see your friend on this list, click the friend activity icon at the top and then click the add friends icon.

Step 4: Use the search box to locate the friend you want to follow and click the add friend icon.

3. Your Friend May Have Disabled Listening Activity

Spotify allows you to turn off your listening activity, which prevents your friends from seeing what songs you have been streaming. Spotify may not be show friend’s activity if she/he has turned off the listening activity.

In that case, there may be nothing wrong with the app. You will not be able to see your friend’s activity until they turn their listening activity back on.

4. Close and Reopen the App

Sometimes, the most effective solutions appear too simple to work. It is possible that friend activity in Spotify is not working or updating due to a minor app glitch. So, closing and reopening the Spotify app should resolve the issue.

On Windows, press the Control + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut to open the Task Manager. In the Processes tab, right-click on Spotify and select the End task option.

On Mac, press Command + Option + Escape keyboard shortcut together. Select Spotify from the list and click the Force Quit button.

Reopen the Spotify app and check if it shows friend activity.

5. Sign Out and Sign Back In

Sometimes, the Spotify app on your computer may fail to sync with the server due to authentication issues with your account. This can cause friend activity in the Spotify app to stop updating. Signing out of the Spotify app and signing back in is an effective way to resolve such issues.

Open the Spotify app, click the profile icon in the top-right corner, and select Log Out. Then, sign back into the Spotify app and check if the issue still occurs.

6. Update the Spotify App

It’s possible that Spotify is not showing friend activity because you are using an outdated app version. Hence, it’s a good idea to update the Spotify app to its latest version.

Open the Spotify app on your computer. Click the menu icon in the top left corner, go to Help, and select About Spotify from the submenu. If an update is available, you should see a ‘Click Here to Download’ link. Click on it to download and install the latest version of the app.

7. Reinstall the Spotify App

If updating the Spotify app does not resolve the issue, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling it. This will remove any corrupted data associated with the app and restore the ability to see friend activity.

On Windows, press the Windows + S keyboard shortcut to open the search menu. Type Spotify in the text box, right-click on the first result, and select Uninstall.

On Mac, open the Finder app and select Applications from the left pane. Right-click on the Spotify app and select Move to Trash.

Once removed, download and install the Spotify app and check if the issue remains.

Spotify for Windows

Spotify for Mac

Let Your Friends’ Tunes Inspire You

Viewing your friends’ listening activity is a great way to discover new music on Spotify. The Spotify app may disappoint you when it fails to load your friends’ activity on your Windows or Mac computer. Fortunately, it’s easy to fix the problem with the tips mentioned above.