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, then confirm when Spotify asks if you're sure. The playlist disappears when ready and cannot be recovered.

The process is the same whether you're using the Spotify app on iOS or Android, or the desktop version on Windows or Mac. The three-dot menu (sometimes called a context menu) is where Spotify puts most playlist controls, so this is worth remembering if you need to rename, share, or change other settings later.

If you cannot find the three dots, make sure you're looking at a playlist you actually created. Spotify treats playlists you made differently from playlists other people made and shared with you — you can only delete your own.

Key Takeaways

  • You can only delete playlists you created yourself, not playlists other people shared with you.
  • The delete option lives in the three-dot menu next to the playlist name in your library.
  • Deletion is permanent — Spotify does not keep a trash folder or recovery option.
  • If you want to keep the songs but remove the playlist, you can unfollow it instead of deleting it.

Find your playlist in your library first

Open Spotify and go to "Your Library" (on mobile, this is the heart icon at the bottom; on desktop, it's the sidebar on the left). Scroll down until you see the playlist you want to delete. If you have many playlists, use the search bar at the top of Your Library to type the name and find it faster.

Playlists appear in the order Spotify shows them — usually by how recently you listened to them, though you can change the sort order. If the playlist is very old or you haven't played it in months, it may be further down the list than you expect.

Tap or right-click the three dots next to the playlist name

On your phone, swipe left on the playlist name or look for three vertical dots to the right of it. On your computer, hover your mouse over the playlist name and the three dots will appear. Click or tap those dots to open a small menu with options.

The menu shows several choices: "Delete playlist" is usually near the bottom. On some versions of Spotify, you might also see options to rename the playlist, share it, or change who can add songs to it. You want "Delete playlist" specifically.

Confirm the deletion when Spotify asks

After you tap "Delete playlist," Spotify shows a confirmation message asking if you're sure. This is your final note to change your mind. Tap "Delete" or "Confirm" (the exact wording varies by device) to complete the action.

Once you confirm, the playlist is gone. Spotify does not move deleted playlists to a trash folder or keep them anywhere you can recover them. If you realize later that you wanted to keep it, you would have to recreate it manually by adding songs one at a time.

The difference between deleting and unfollowing

Spotify offers two ways to remove a playlist from your library: delete it or unfollow it. These do different things, and it matters which one you choose.

Deleting a playlist removes it permanently and only works if you created it. Unfollowing a playlist removes it from your library but keeps it on Spotify — useful if someone else created it and shared it with you, or if you want to keep the songs but don't want the playlist cluttering your library. To unfollow instead of delete, look for an "Unfollow" option in that same three-dot menu.

If you created a playlist and want to keep the songs but remove the playlist itself, unfollowing won't work — Spotify only lets you unfollow playlists you didn't create. In that case, your options are to delete the playlist entirely or leave it in your library but stop listening to it.

What happens to songs after you delete a playlist

Deleting a playlist does not delete the songs themselves from Spotify. If you saved any of those songs to your "Liked Songs" library, they stay there. If you added them to other playlists, they remain in those playlists too. The playlist is just a container — removing the container doesn't remove what was inside it.

This is why deleting a playlist is safe even if you're not sure whether you'll want those songs later. You can always find them again by searching for the artist or song name, or by checking your Liked Songs if you had saved them there.

Troubleshooting: Why you might not see a delete option

If you cannot find a "Delete playlist" option, the most common reason is that you're looking at a playlist someone else created and shared with you. Spotify only lets you delete playlists you made yourself. For playlists other people created, you can only unfollow them.

Another possibility is that the playlist is a Spotify-generated one, like "Release Radar" or "Discover Weekly." These playlists refresh automatically each week and cannot be deleted — you can only unfollow them. If you unfollow a generated playlist, it will reappear in your library the next time Spotify updates it, but it won't show up in your regular library view until then.

If you're on an older version of Spotify, the menu layout might be slightly different. Try updating the app from your phone's app store or the Spotify website on your computer. The three-dot menu should appear once the app is current.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover a playlist after I delete it?

No. Spotify does not keep deleted playlists in a trash folder or recovery system. Once you confirm the deletion, the playlist is permanently gone. If you need those songs again, you would have to recreate the playlist by searching for and adding each song individually, or by checking your Liked Songs if you had saved them there.

What if someone else created the playlist and shared it with me?

You cannot delete playlists other people created. You can only unfollow them, which removes the playlist from your library but leaves it on Spotify and in the creator's account. The creator can still see it and share it with others.

Will deleting a playlist remove the songs from my Liked Songs?

No. Deleting a playlist only removes the playlist itself, not the individual songs. If you saved any of those songs to your Liked Songs library, they stay there. Songs in other playlists also remain untouched.

Can I delete a Spotify-generated playlist like Release Radar?

No. Playlists Spotify creates automatically, like Release Radar, Discover Weekly, and New Music Daily, cannot be deleted. You can unfollow them to hide them from your library, but they will reappear when Spotify updates them the following week.

Does deleting a playlist affect other people who follow it?

Yes. If you created a playlist and other people followed it, deleting it removes it from their libraries too. They will no longer see it in their library or be able to listen to it. If you want to keep the playlist but stop sharing it, unfollow the followers instead by changing the playlist's privacy settings to private.