Adjust Spotify’s queue

You adjust Spotify’s queue from the Now Playing screen. Open the queue icon there. Then you can add songs, remove them, or drag them to another position. On mobile devices, Spotify says editing the playback queue is a Premium feature.

The queue shows what Spotify will play next. That is different from the fixed order of a playlist. A change in the queue usually applies only to your current listening session. Your original playlist stays the same.

In this guide, you will find the official steps for phone, tablet, desktop, and the web player. You will also learn why a track sometimes plays at an unexpected moment and how to prevent that.

Where do you find the queue in Spotify?

Start a song first. Tap the Now Playing bar at the bottom. On the large playback screen, you will find the queue icon at the bottom. It looks like a few horizontal lines with a play symbol.

On a tablet, you may first need to tap the album cover in the side menu. That opens the Now Playing screen. On desktop and in the web player, the queue icon sits next to the playback bar at the bottom of the screen.

Can’t see the icon? Make the window larger, close an open side panel, or update Spotify. Also check whether a song is actually playing. Without an active listening session, the queue may be empty or less visible.

The exact position of the icon can change after a Spotify update. The basic route usually stays the same: open the current track and then look for the queue icon.

How do you add a song to the Spotify queue?

How do you add songs on iPhone and Android?

1. Find the song you want to hear.
2. Tap the three dots next to the song.
3. Choose Add to Queue.
4. Open the Now Playing screen.
5. Tap the queue icon.
6. Check where the added song appears.

In some versions of the Spotify app, you can also swipe a song to the right in the queue to add it. Use the three-dot menu when you are not sure what a swipe will do.

Adding more than one song? They appear in the section with manually added tracks. The order depends on how and when you add them. So check the queue after each batch.

You can add a song from an album, playlist, artist page, or search result. The song does not need to be in your library or in one of your own playlists first.

How do you add songs on desktop and in the web player?

1. Find the song you want.
2. Right-click the title or click the three dots.
3. Choose Add to Queue.
4. Click the queue icon at the bottom.
5. Check the list of upcoming tracks.

You can also do this from an album, playlist, search result, or artist page on desktop. The song does not need to be in your own playlist.

Want to add several songs from the same album? Add them one by one if you want full control over the order. If you start the entire album directly, Spotify uses the album order as the active playback source.

How do you change the order of songs?

Open the queue. On mobile, press and hold the handle next to a song. Then drag the song up or down and let it go where you want it.

On desktop, click a song and hold the mouse button down. Then drag the song to the right position. A clear line usually shows where the song will land.

Move one song first and check whether it sits correctly. With a long list, it is easy to grab the wrong track by accident. Then work from top to bottom. The first available song at the top is normally played next.

You cannot simply drag the current track to a later moment without starting another track. The queue mainly covers the songs after the current one.

Do you see different sections in the queue? Spotify may show manually added tracks separately from songs that will play next from your playlist, album, or recommendations. So pay attention to which section you are moving a song in.

How do you remove or clear songs from the queue?

On mobile, you can swipe left across songs in the queue to remove them. The exact controls can vary by app version. Spotify also offers a Clear button that removes all songs you added to the queue yourself.

On desktop, right-click a song or open the three dots. Then choose Remove from Queue. Want to clear all manually added songs? Choose Clear Queue and confirm.

Pay close attention to the words Spotify uses. Clear may only refer to tracks you added manually. Songs from the current playlist, shuffle, or autoplay can still appear in another part of the queue.

Does a removed song appear again later? Then the same track may also be in the playlist or album you are playing. In that case, you removed only the manually added version. Spotify can later start the track again from the original source.

Which quick checklist can you follow?

1. Start a song.
2. Open Now Playing.
3. Tap or click the queue icon.
4. Check which song is next.
5. Add songs through the three dots.
6. Drag songs into the order you want.
7. Remove songs you do not want to hear.
8. Clear manually added tracks if you want to start over.
9. Check regular shuffle and Smart Shuffle.
10. Check autoplay before the end of the list.

Those last two checks help prevent Spotify from choosing other music after your own selection. Also check which device is currently playing the music. This is especially important when you use Spotify Connect.

Does the Spotify queue work the same on every device?

Spotify states that the mobile and tablet route is for Premium. A Free account has other playback limits. Because of that, you cannot always force every order exactly.

On desktop and in the web player, the interface may look a little different from your phone. The main options stay the same. You open the queue, check the next songs, and then adjust the order.

Why does the queue sometimes not match your playlist?

The queue can combine songs from several sources. You can add tracks manually while a playlist, album, or recommendation is active. Spotify then has to decide which sequence takes priority.

Manually added songs

You selected these songs on purpose through Add to Queue. They usually take priority over the normal next songs from the source you were playing before.

The current playlist or album

After the manually added songs, Spotify often continues with the original listening session. Your playlist itself has not changed. Want a permanent order? Edit the playlist instead of only the temporary queue.

Shuffle and Smart Shuffle

With regular shuffle, Spotify plays songs in a random order. Smart Shuffle can also place personal recommendations between your own songs. According to Spotify, a recommended song is marked with a special badge next to the artist name.

Check the shuffle icon if the order you see does not match what you hear. With Smart Shuffle, Spotify may intentionally add tracks that are not in your original playlist.

Autoplay

When an album, playlist, or your own selection ends, Spotify can start similar songs. This is called autoplay. It only happens when your chosen content has finished, but it can feel like your queue was not cleared properly.

How do you prevent unexpected songs after your queue?

Open your profile photo, choose Settings and privacy, and go to Playback. Check the settings for shuffle, Smart Shuffle, and autoplay there.

Premium users can turn off Smart Shuffle in the playback settings so it is no longer part of the play modes. After that, you can use the shuffle icon to switch between a fixed order and regular shuffle without having to keep using Smart Shuffle.

You can also turn off autoplay in the playback settings. Spotify will then stop after your album, playlist, or selected sequence ends. Manually added songs will still play as long as they remain in the queue.

On Spotify Free on mobile devices, Smart Shuffle is always active according to Spotify. That gives you less control over the exact order and recommendations. Reinstalling the app will not make a Premium feature available.

After changing a setting, check your queue again. Sometimes the existing session still shows until you start a different playlist or album.

Which error or limitation can you run into?

Why is Add to Queue missing?

Check your account type, device, and app version. On mobile devices, the feature is officially tied to Premium. Update the app and try the feature on desktop if needed. Also open the menu for a single song, not just the general menu of a playlist.

Why does a removed song return?

The song may also be in the active playlist or the active album. In that case, you remove the manually queued copy, but Spotify later returns to the same title in the original source. Remove the song from the playlist if you never want to hear it there again.

Why can’t the queue be completely empty?

Spotify may still show songs from the active playlist, radio, or autoplay sequence. First clear the manually added songs and then start a different source. Turn off autoplay if you want the music to stop at the end.

Why does a greyed-out song not play?

A track can be in the queue but unavailable. Spotify then skips it. Read why is a song grayed out on Spotify for possible causes and solutions.

Why does the queue not sync well between devices?

With Spotify Connect, you can control your listening session from different devices. However, a temporary queue can change when you reconnect or start a different playback source. So always check the queue on the device that is actually playing the music.

Why do drag and swipe actions not respond?

Close Spotify completely and update the app. Then test the control with one track. On mobile devices, you often need to hold the small handle instead of the whole title. A screen reader or other accessibility setting may use a different control method.

What changes when you adjust the queue?

You change what Spotify plays next. Your playlist, album, and saved songs normally stay the same. The change is temporary and belongs to your current listening session.

Moving a song in the queue does not change a public playlist order. Other followers will not see your temporary choice. Want to organize a shared list permanently? Then edit the playlist itself.

A song in the queue does not count as played unless you actually listen to it. So a queue position says nothing about earnings. Read making money with Spotify playlist if you want to understand how streaming income works.

If you want to build more reach for an artist release, you can also buy Spotify streams. Adjusting your own queue is not a substitute for real promotion and will not automatically increase reach.

The number of followers also does not change when you add a track to your queue. For extra visibility of an artist profile, you can buy Spotify followers. Always combine that with good music, regular releases, and promotion through your own channels.

Lyrics and the queue are separate features too. Is the lyrics view for the current song not working? Then use the fixes for Spotify lyrics not working.

How do you build a good temporary listening order?

Start with your goal. Do you want a calm 30-minute work session, an hour of exercise, or background music for dinner? First choose a clear length and mood.

Do not add fifty songs at once. Start with five to ten tracks. Listen to the transition between the current song and the first song in the queue. Then move the tracks that do not fit well together.

Do not place an important song all the way at the bottom if you want to hear it soon. A long track or an unexpected recommendation can shift your plan.

Use the queue for a temporary choice. Use a playlist for an order you want to use again later or share with others. That keeps your Spotify library organized.

Before a party or presentation, also check your internet connection and whether the songs are available. A queue is not a backup copy. Download allowed content in advance when your plan and device support it.

Do you use Spotify with several people in the same room? Then agree on who controls the queue. When everyone adds songs at the same time, the order changes quickly and duplicate tracks can appear.

Let others send requests first, or use a shared playlist during preparation. Then use the queue only for last-minute choices. Also check the volume and the active output device before you start a new song. A good order helps little if the music unexpectedly starts on another speaker.

The same idea applies to spoken content. If you manage your own show and want to grow its reach, you can also buy Spotify podcast streams alongside normal promotion. The queue only decides when an episode plays within your session.

Which mistakes do people often make with the queue?

• People think that dragging tracks in the queue permanently changes the playlist. It does not.
• They clear manually added songs but leave autoplay on. Then new music starts anyway.
• They confuse regular shuffle with Smart Shuffle. Smart Shuffle can add recommendations to the play order.
• They use Spotify Free on a mobile device and expect full control that belongs to Premium.
• They add the same song several times and then think Spotify is repeating it by itself.
• They check the queue on their phone while another device is playing the music.
• They use the queue as permanent storage and lose their chosen order after the session.

You can avoid most mistakes by briefly checking the top part of the queue after each change. Also check whether shuffle, Smart Shuffle, or autoplay is active.

Frequently asked questions about the Spotify queue

What should you know first about the queue?

The queue sets the temporary playback order. The feature does not automatically change your playlist. Open Now Playing and always check which song is at the top.

Does the queue work on iPhone and Android?

Yes, the official route is similar on both devices. Spotify says mobile editing is for Premium. The menu usually uses horizontal dots on iPhone and often vertical dots on Android.

Is the feature available for every account?

Not with the same amount of control. Especially on mobile devices, Spotify Free has limits and Smart Shuffle is active. Premium gives you more freedom to manage the order and queue.

Which setting matters most?

Check Smart Shuffle and autoplay under Playback. These features often explain why other tracks appear after your own songs.

Can you save the queue as a playlist?

Spotify does not always offer a direct button to save the entire temporary queue as a new playlist. Want to keep the order? Then make a playlist and add the songs there in the same order.

What are the most common mistakes?

People confuse the temporary queue with a fixed playlist, add duplicate tracks, or clear only one part of the queue. They also often forget to turn off shuffle or autoplay.

Why do you hear a song that is not in your playlist?

That is usually due to Smart Shuffle, autoplay, or a manually added song. Open the queue and look at which section the unexpected track is in.

Which feature should you check next?

Check song availability when tracks are skipped. Also look at the lyrics feature when only the lyric display for the current song is missing.

Which step can you take first now?

Start one song and open the queue. Then deliberately add two other songs. Drag them into a different order and then remove one of them. That way, you can learn the controls without disrupting a long listening session.

After that, check shuffle, Smart Shuffle, and autoplay. Then you will know not only which song comes next, but also why Spotify does or does not continue after the end.

For a recurring session, make a regular playlist once you are happy with the order. The temporary queue is useful for what you want to hear now, but it is not meant to be a reliable archive for later.