Can you see peoples private playlists on Spotify?

There are a few small steps users can take to shield their listening habits from the public.

Private sessions

The closest feature Spotify has to blocking users is the Private Sessionbutton, which can be found under the Socialtab in the mobile app's settings or from the drop-down menu next to your profile in the desktop app. This mode cuts off your music activity from everyone, including your friends.

This isn't a perfect solution, however: Private Sessions automatically end once a user has been offline for six hours or when the app restarts, resetting to the default public mode. And even when you're using a Private Session, anyone can still see your public playlists, who follows you and who you follow among friends and musicians.

Secret playlists

Users also can make their playlists secret, meaning that only the user can view the playlist but this can only be done from the desktop app and after you've already made the playlist, which is public by default. Once you click to open a previously made playlist, the drop-down menu next to the Playbutton allows you make a playlist secret.

If you ever wanted to share your secret playlist with your friends, they wouldn't be able to see it.

Going anonymous

If you wanted to make a completely anonymous Spotify account, where no one would be able to know who you are or see what you're listening to, there are quite a few hoops you would have to jump through.

First, you would have to create an account with a fake username and without linking it to your Facebook account.

Next, every playlist you create would have to be made secret. You also wouldn't want to follow anyone, since anyone who finds your profile can see all the musicians and friends you're following.

And finally, every time you use Spotify, you would have to make sure to turn the Private Session feature on.

But even if you were to follow all of these steps, anyone who figures out your anonymous profile could learn a lot. There are no steps users can take to prevent someone from viewing their profiles.A default public profile would show your public playlists, recently played artists, who you're following and who's following you.

Used to harass

A 26-year-old Boston woman in Buzzfeed's story discovered how much was public when she tried to block her abusive ex-boyfriend on all her social media after he intimidated her family and friends. But the one app she couldn't block him on was Spotify, and her boyfriend used the opening to monitor everything she was listening to. He would send her emails about her music activity, convinced that her song choices were proof she wanted to get back together with him.

Users have criticized Spotify for its lack of a blocking feature in the past. In 2015, a Change.org petition was started calling for the service to change its policy. And when a Twitter user asked Spotify in February to introduce a blocking feature saying that her ex used her activity to harass her the company responded, "Right now it's not possible."

Buzzfeed reported that Spotify community forums were filled with complaints and requests for a block feature from users who were "disturbed" by how their harassers could surveil their activity and draw conclusions on their current mindset from what they were listening to.

Spotify recently labeled a 2013 community forum post asking for a block feature as a "good idea" but added that being able to block users "isn't in our current road map."

Spotify has taken a strong stance in public discourse about abusive behavior in the past, removing music from R. Kelly and XXXTentacion from its playlists and recommendations after R. Kelly faced allegations of sexual abuse and XXXTentacion, who was fatally shot in June, was arrested in 2016 with charges of aggravated assault against his pregnant girlfriend. Before his death, Spotify had put XXXTentacion back on its playlists.

Spotify declined to comment.

More: Spotify pulls white supremacist 'hate music' from platform

More: Spotify vs. Apple Music vs. YouTube Music: Which is best for your hard-earned cash?

More: Spotify removes R. Kelly music from playlists for his 'harmful' behavior