What a queue is and why you might want to clear it
Your Spotify queue is the list of songs that will play next, in order, after whatever is playing right now. When you add a song, it goes to the end of that list. When you skip a song, it moves to the next one. The queue is separate from your playlists — it is temporary, and it disappears when you close the app or stop playing music.
You might want to clear your queue if you have added songs by accident, if someone else used your account and added things you do not want to hear, or if you just want to start fresh with a different mood or playlist. Clearing the queue does not delete any songs from your library or playlists — it only removes them from the "coming up next" list.
Key Takeaways
- On the mobile app, swipe left on each song in the queue to remove it, or scroll to the bottom and tap "Clear Queue" if that option appears.
- On desktop, right-click any song in the queue and select "Remove from Queue," or look for a clear option in the queue panel.
- Clearing the queue does not affect your saved songs, playlists, or listening history.
- The queue rebuilds automatically if you have autoplay turned on, so turn it off first if you want to stop music after the current song.
How to clear the queue on mobile (iPhone and Android)
Open Spotify and look at the bottom of the screen where the song is playing. Tap the small up arrow or the "Now Playing" bar to open the full queue view. You will see the current song at the top and all upcoming songs listed below it.
Swipe left on each song you want to remove. A trash icon or "Remove" button will appear — tap it. If you have many songs in the queue, this takes a while. Some versions of the Spotify app show a "Clear Queue" button at the bottom of the queue list; if you see it, tap that instead to remove everything at once.
If the "Clear Queue" button does not appear in your version, swipe left and remove songs one by one until the queue is empty. After you clear it, the app will either stop playing or move to autoplay (if you have that turned on). You can turn off autoplay in Settings > Playback if you want silence after the current song ends.
How to clear the queue on desktop (Windows and Mac)
Open Spotify on your computer. The queue usually appears on the right side of the screen, below the album art and song details. If you do not see it, look for a "Queue" button or icon and click it to open the queue panel.
Right-click on any song in the queue list and select "Remove from Queue." Repeat for each song you want to remove. Alternatively, some desktop versions show an X button next to each song — click that to remove it.
If you want to clear the entire queue at once, look for a menu icon (three dots) or settings option within the queue panel itself. Not all desktop versions have a one-click clear button, so you may need to remove songs individually. Once the queue is empty, Spotify will either stop or switch to autoplay, depending on your settings.
What happens to your library and playlists when you clear the queue
Clearing the queue affects only the temporary "coming up next" list. Your saved songs, playlists, and listening history remain unchanged. If a song was in your queue because you added it from a playlist, the song stays in that playlist — only the queue entry is removed.
Your "Liked Songs" library is not touched. Your follow list, your followers, and any collaborative playlists you share with others are not affected. The only thing that disappears is the order of songs you had lined up to play.
Why your queue keeps refilling after you clear it
If songs keep appearing in your queue after you clear it, you likely have autoplay turned on. Autoplay is a Spotify feature that automatically adds similar songs to your queue when you run out of songs to play. It is useful if you want music to keep going, but it can feel like the queue is refilling on its own.
To turn off autoplay, open Settings (on mobile, tap the gear icon; on desktop, click your profile and select Settings). Scroll to "Playback" and toggle off "Autoplay." After you do this, when your queue runs out, the music will stop instead of adding new songs.
You can also turn off autoplay just for the current session by tapping the autoplay icon in the queue view — it usually looks like an infinity symbol or a looping arrow. This stops autoplay until you manually turn it back on.
How to prevent unwanted songs from being added to your queue
If someone else is using your account or your device, they can add songs to your queue without your permission. The easiest way to prevent this is to use Spotify's Private Session feature, which stops the app from saving what you listen to and prevents others from seeing your queue.
On mobile, tap your profile icon, then tap "Settings" and scroll to "Private Session." Toggle it on. On desktop, click your profile, select "Settings," scroll to "Private Session," and toggle it on. While Private Session is active, songs you add will not show up in your listening history or on your profile, and they will not affect your recommendations.
If you share a device with someone else regularly, you can also create a separate Spotify account for them. This keeps your queue, playlists, and listening history completely separate. Each account has its own queue and settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing the queue delete songs from my playlists?
No. Clearing the queue only removes songs from the temporary "coming up next" list. Your playlists, saved songs, and library stay exactly as they were. If you added a song to the queue from a playlist, the song remains in that playlist.
Can I undo clearing the queue?
Spotify does not have an undo button for queue actions. Once you clear the queue, the songs are removed from the queue list. However, you can add them back by finding them in your playlists or search and adding them again.
Why does my queue show songs I did not add?
If autoplay is on, Spotify adds songs automatically based on what you are listening to. If someone else used your account or device, they may have added songs. Check your autoplay setting and consider using Private Session if you share your device.
Can I clear the queue on the Spotify web player?
Yes. Open Spotify in your web browser, and the queue appears on the right side of the screen. Right-click any song and select "Remove from Queue," or look for a menu option to clear the entire queue at once. The steps are similar to the desktop app.