Delete a playlist you created in three steps
To delete a playlist you made yourself, open Spotify on your phone or computer, find the playlist in your library, and tap or right-click the three dots next to its name. Select "Delete playlist" from the menu that appears. Spotify removes it immediately — you cannot undo this action, so make sure you want it gone before you confirm.
The exact location of those three dots depends on what device you are using. On a phone, swipe left on the playlist name or tap the three vertical dots on the right side of the screen. On a computer, hover your mouse over the playlist until the dots appear, then click them. Either way, the delete option is always at the bottom of the menu that opens.
If you created the playlist but cannot find it in your library, it may be hidden. Scroll down to the bottom of your library and look for a "See all" or "Show all playlists" link. Tap or click it, and your hidden playlists will appear. Then follow the same three-dot method to delete it.
Key Takeaways
- You can only delete playlists you created yourself; playlists made by other people or by Spotify cannot be deleted, only unfollowed.
- Deleting a playlist is permanent and cannot be reversed, so double-check the playlist name before you confirm the deletion.
- The delete option lives in a three-dot menu next to the playlist name on both phone and computer versions of Spotify.
- If a playlist does not appear in your library, it may be hidden; look for a "See all playlists" option to unhide it first.
Unfollow a playlist made by someone else or by Spotify
Playlists created by other users or by Spotify itself cannot be deleted, but you can remove them from your library by unfollowing them. This hides the playlist from your view without affecting anyone else who follows it. The person or account that created it still owns it, and it remains unchanged.
To unfollow a playlist, tap or click the heart icon next to the playlist name. The heart will turn from solid to outline, and the playlist disappears from your library. You can follow it again later by tapping the outline heart, and it will reappear in your saved playlists.
If you do not see a heart icon, look for the three-dot menu instead. Open it and select "Remove from Your Library" or "Unfollow." The wording changes depending on your device and Spotify version, but the result is the same — the playlist leaves your library without being deleted.
Remove individual songs from a playlist you own
If you want to keep the playlist but remove certain songs from it, open the playlist and find the song you want to remove. Tap or right-click the three dots next to that song's name, then select "Remove from this playlist." The song disappears from the playlist but stays in your library and on Spotify overall.
You can remove multiple songs at once on a computer by holding Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and clicking each song, then right-clicking and selecting "Remove from this playlist." On a phone, you must remove songs one at a time by swiping left on each song and tapping the trash icon, or by tapping the three dots next to each song.
Removing a song from a playlist does not affect the song itself or anyone else's copy of that playlist. If you shared the playlist with others, they will see the song disappear from their view once Spotify syncs the change, which usually happens within a few seconds.
What happens when you delete a playlist
When you delete a playlist you created, Spotify removes it completely from your account. Anyone you shared the playlist with will no longer see it in their library, and the playlist link stops working. If someone had saved or screenshotted the link, clicking it will show an error message saying the playlist no longer exists.
Deleting a playlist does not delete the songs themselves from Spotify or from anyone's personal library. If you or someone else saved individual songs from that playlist, those songs remain in your libraries. Only the playlist as a collection disappears.
Spotify does not keep a trash folder or recovery option for deleted playlists. Once you confirm the deletion, the playlist is gone for good. If you think you might want the playlist back later, consider renaming it or moving it to a folder instead of deleting it.
Organize playlists into folders instead of deleting them
If you have many playlists and want to clean up your library without permanently removing anything, create folders to group them by mood, genre, or purpose. On a computer, right-click in your library and select "Create Folder," then drag playlists into it. On a phone, tap "Create Playlist" and look for a folder icon, or use the three-dot menu next to a playlist to move it into an existing folder.
Folders collapse to show only the folder name, which keeps your library tidy without losing any playlists. You can expand a folder anytime by tapping or clicking it, and all the playlists inside appear. This approach works well if you are unsure whether you will want a playlist later or if you want to keep playlists but hide them from view temporarily.
Folders are available on both phone and computer versions of Spotify, though the exact steps vary slightly. If you do not see a folder option in your version, update Spotify to the latest version from your device's app store or from spotify.com.
Troubleshoot when the delete option does not appear
If you cannot find the delete option for a playlist, the most common reason is that you did not create it — you are following it instead. Check whether the heart icon next to the playlist name is solid (meaning you follow it) or outline (meaning you do not). If it is solid, you are following someone else's playlist and can only unfollow it, not delete it.
Another reason the delete option might not appear is that Spotify is out of date. Close the app completely and open your device's app store (Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or Microsoft Store). Search for Spotify and tap "Update" if an update is available. Restart Spotify after updating and try again.
If you still cannot delete a playlist after updating, try logging out and logging back in. On a phone, go to Settings, scroll down to "Log out," and tap it. On a computer, click the down arrow next to your username in the top right, select "Log out," and then log back in. This refreshes your account and sometimes restores missing options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a playlist after I delete it?
No. Spotify does not save deleted playlists or offer a recovery option. Once you confirm the deletion, the playlist is permanently gone. If you think you might want it back, create a folder and move the playlist there instead of deleting it.
Will deleting a playlist remove the songs from my library?
No. Deleting a playlist only removes the collection itself. Any songs you saved individually to your library or to other playlists remain untouched. Only the playlist as a grouping disappears.
What happens to a shared playlist if I delete it?
Everyone who follows the shared playlist will see it disappear from their library. The playlist link stops working, and the playlist no longer appears in anyone's account. If you want to keep the playlist but remove it from view, unfollow it instead of deleting it.
Can I delete a playlist on my phone but keep it on my computer?
No. Your Spotify account syncs across all devices. When you delete a playlist on one device, it is deleted from your account everywhere. The same applies to any changes you make — they appear on all your devices within a few seconds.
Why does the delete option say "Remove from Your Library" instead?
That wording means you are looking at a playlist you follow but did not create. You can only remove it from your library (unfollow it), not delete it. To delete a playlist, you must be the one who created it.