New Your Library view (iOS & Android)

[MattSuda]

Spotify is introducing a new version of the Your Library view to mobile users of the iOS and Android apps. When you open up the Spotify mobile app you will see this new view. 📱

Check out this Spotify news article for more information:

Listeners Can Explore Their Spotify Collections Faster and Easier With a New ‘Your Library’

This thread is your go-to destination for getting an overview of what's new, asking questions, getting help for issues you might have, as well as to share your feedback on this new version of Your Library. Also, do you have any tips for other users on how you are using the new Your Library? We'd love to hear them.

What's new?

• See your entire collection in one simple list
• Dynamic filters and better sort options for your collection
• Pinned library items to find your favorites, faster
• More control at your fingertips with a new grid view
• Universal search allows you to search through your entire collection and see your recent searches
• Faster settings navigation allows you to tap on your profile picture to get to settings faster
• Get to your downloads, faster

Here is a walkthrough of what's new:

One simple list:

Your Library is now one simple list. At the top, tap on the filters to filter the content you want to see and tap on the sort options to change the sort order of the list. To create a new playlist, tap on the + (plus) symbol at the top right corner.

Dynamic filter options:

At the top, tap on the filters to filter the content you want to see. Tap on the X and then chose another filter to see another type of content. Having no filter selected will show all types of content in the list.

• Playlists
• Artists
• Albums
• Podcasts & Shows
• Downloaded

Sort options:

At the top, tap on the sort options to change the sort order of the list.

• Recents
• Recently added
• Alphabetical
• Creator

And in the "Playlists" filter view, you'll have this option to see your playlists in your own order like in the desktop app and web player:

• Custom order

📌 Pinned library items:

If you tap and hold on the screen on any item in the Your Library list or swipe right on it, an option will show up allowing you to pin it and it will stay at the top of the Your Library list.

You can pin anything in Your Library such as playlists, playlist folders, artists, albums, and podcasts. The limit is 4 pinned items. You can unpin "New Episodes" to free up a pin and still get to that using the "Podcasts & Shows" filter or by searching for it. Same with "Liked Songs", you can unpin it and still get back to it at the top of the "Playlists" filter when it is sorted by "Custom order" or by searching for it. You can also pin the "Your Episodes" list to the main library view in addition to the "New Episodes" list if you also want to be able to access "Your Episodes" from the main library view without having to filter to "Podcasts & Shows" first.

To pin more playlists when you run out of the 4 item pins, you can make a playlist folder in the desktop app or web player and then move multiple playlists inside it and then pin the folder in the mobile app. Then tap on the folder at the top and there you go, easier access to all the playlists in that folder and that can be your 4th pin. However, you can't pin a specific playlist if it is in a folder, so you will need to pin the folder instead. Tip: In the desktop app or web player you can also move playlist folders inside of another playlist folder. That means you can pin a playlist folder that contains a whole bunch of other playlist folders if you want to get super organized.

To easily find the item you want to pin, the best way is to use the universal search. At the top of Your Library, tap on the search icon and search for the item you want to pin. The universal search searches your entire library for playlists, playlist folders, artists, albums, podcasts and also shows you your recent searches.

Grid view:

Are you a visual person? You're in control. With the new grid view you can view Your Library with bigger artwork if that's your jam. This is great for when you're on the go or in the car so you can find what you're looking for faster. To switch to the grid view, tap on the squares icon to the right. Tap on it again to go back to the list view.

Universal search:

The new universal search can be accessed by tapping the search icon at the top right corner. The new search allows you to quickly search through your entire library for playlists, playlist folders, artists, albums, and podcasts without having to go to a specific content section.

Recent searches:

The new universal search also shows you your most recent Your Library searches so you can quickly get back to what you previously searched for.

Faster settings navigation:

Tap on your profile picture in the top left corner to get to settings faster.

Downloads: (Requires Premium)

When you are in offline mode you'll see your downloaded content faster upon app launch in the home tab.

In Your Library, tap on the "Downloaded" filter either in the main list view or after tapping on a filter to view your downloaded content.

How the new version of Your Library (iOS & Android) evolved over time during testing:

When the new version of Your Library on mobile was being tested with users, a few of the main points of feedback were the following:

• Add a custom sort option for the playlists filter like in the old library view
• Add a way to see a feed of new podcast episodes like in the old library view

These two options were added during the testing phase. Other points of feedback were also made by users during the test, but Spotify is always looking to improve the app so hopefully the new library experience will improve over time.

I personally like being able to see my playlists in the same custom sort order I have them arranged in the desktop app, so I was glad to see that issue was addressed. A bonus feature was also added which is the ability to pin a few of your favorite items to the top of Your Library. I really like being able to have my favorites one tap away at the top of my library. A few other new features that I like are being able to quickly search through my entire library, being able to see my library in a new grid view, and being able to get to settings right from the library view.

Feedback:

Now that the new version of Your Library on mobile is rolling out to all users, what do you think? You can leave your feedback as a reply in this thread. If your feedback is suggesting certain changes, it is best to also post each individual idea in the Community Idea Exchange where users can vote and comment on your ideas and it'll be easier to track each idea. You can read more about how your feedback reaches Spotify here.

[23583088]

Many people have commented. This person did a very good job of articulating concerns. Please listen to this. I may or may not be able to continue to use Spotify. I definitely cannot continue to use Spotify for podcasts with this update. We'll probably cancel our family plan if this stays.

[23583088]

Yes yes yes this comment. I have this same situation and will have to switch away from Spotify for podcasts if this is not fixed.

[23583088]

This does not actually work does it? Your instructions just give me a list of shows for which I have downloaded episodes. It does not show the downloaded episodes. To see those, you have to click each one individually and then go back up a level to click the next. It's terrible and will cause me to switch apps for podcasts.

[23583088]

Yes this. I for one will not be able to use Spotify for podcasts if this cannot be fixed.

The new framework also makes it impossible to find some downloads - those that are not associated with shows we follow or were added before the current system is in place. Many have reported this. https://community.spotify.com/t5/Your-Library/New-Your-Library-view-iOS-amp-Android/m-p/5201774/high...

[psgpremium]

I don't like this new style, it's useless and mix everting including custom order.
DEV you have to look to serious problems like all platform volume control when Spotify Connect, bring back search when scroll down, make a party room with admin and invited user's wish list etc.... stop wasting your coders time by giving them useless jobs!

[zidgelT]

I just got back from a long rant to my mom about how positively awful the new layout and organization is. I completely agree with this post on that they should have just stuck with the previous version. 

I've only been using the new version for an hour and I can confidently say that this is the most frustrated I've ever been with Spotify. Bring back the old layout!!

[LycanTabris]

This "update" has the opposite effect of making it "faster and easier" to get to what I want. Not to mention, compared to the old "My Library" it's just so visually unappealing and ugly. It's just bad design on every level, and I sincerely hope this is rolled back to never return. In fact, I might just have to cancel if this is the way things are going.

[Earth2Krystal]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one completely disappointed with the new interface. A simple switch to allow users to switch on or off the new layout would be greatly appreciated. For example, Microsoft Outlook does this when they update the layout so the user can opt in to the new interface if they wish and revert back if the updates don't suit them.

[Marcus_Farkus]

I would like to say that this update has completely broken how I use spotify. I don't understand what world anyone would want albums, playlists, and of all things podcasts, mixed into one list by default.

I really, really wish your team would understand that music and podcasts are two separate use cases, I don't want the mixed. The fact you can't easily decouple spotify for music and spotify for podcasts keeps me from using the app for podcasts at all. I mean you don't even have a separate queue for podcasts.

Giving me no choice in the default sorting on the your library page is just plan anti consumer. It makes the process frustrating and harder to use. I've sat with it for a few days and have decided to end my subscription and move to another service.

[riotmu51k]

Spotify ruined their apps (mobile and desktop) over the last couple of years, step by step. Being a pain in the *** every day. They giving a **** of paying cutomers optinion. But i don't left because of the killer feature "spotify connect". But with this lib-ui update, even the "connect" feature is sowhat useless.

As a workaround, i do:

- I unfollowed all albums

- I unfollowed all artists

So i have a playlist view by default for the last days, until my canceled subscruption ended.

Bye bye spotify! I'm NOT missing you!

And quess what? Even this update is reverted, i'll never come back, it's still a pain to use!

[Jochot]

I've got spotify since nearly 10 years now.

I've carefully organized playlists and folders to create a structure which suites my needs, and I'm not looking to "better" that way.

Since today, I've got to go to my library, then select "playlists" and then select "custom order" to get to my organization

Just leave my views alone, add new ones if you like, but don't force it...

You've just worsen my user experience by a lot.

[zeds_ded]

They should completely bring the old library view back or at least make the Filters „remember“ what the User have chosen the last time. Otherwise this new UI is completly useless. 

i hope they see the very bad Feedback they‘re getting for this stupid change and they are working on it right now, to resolve this issue ASAP. 

[Kirikoza]

i'm quitting spotify. They've shown time and time again that they refuse to listen to their paying customers. Every update gets ratio'd by people complaining about how spotify keeps making the app harder and harder to use. This is the absolute last straw. I've been a customer for 4 years now and this entire time I haven't gotten a single update, NOT ONE UPDATE that i've found useful at all. In fact, if they stuck with the 2016 version of spotify, it might still be the best streaming platform, instead of how it is now. The absolute bottom of the barrel music streaming service. I'd actually rather use YouTube Music now, and that's just depressing

F*** off spotify, I'm sick of your **bleep**.

[Kirikoza]

Don't hold your breathe, they've never, not once, reverted an update. In my 4 years on this platform they've gotten so much **bleep** for garbage updates but Spotify sticks to their guns. You're better off abandoning them like everyone else.

edit: misspelling

[sjsully21]

I am not a fan of participating in these community chats. Even when I do, I strive to provide clear, concise feedback on my issues, along with some proposed solutions and a sincere thank you to those working to improve a product. But I'm logging in again today just to say that I truly, genuinely loathe this new update.

As has been articulated elsewhere in this thread -- and as I wrote out in a previous feedback thread during beta testing -- this update makes podcasts essentially unuseable. A vast majority of people DO. NOT. listen to music and podcasts in the same way -- they are very different media that have very different listening habits associated with them. Lumping them together in a single list shows a complete disregard for this fact -- it is a fundamental failure on rule #1 of UX design. Not being able to access a list of downloaded podcast episodes is totally unacceptable. I cannot believe this wasn't fixed before rolling this trash update out.

I know that being overly frustrated and expressing myself through mean, negative feedback is a less effective approach in getting to the outcome that I want. But I am just so **bleep** about this update, I don't even care.

[taylorjoe]

Hi,

This will be repetition from other comments but having read through two pages I can't see the answer.

Why can't you filter to see a list of downloaded episodes of podcasts from all shows in a single list, if you choose podcasts & shows and downloads from the filters you get a list of shows from which you have downloaded an episode, but you then have to click into each and find the episodes you have downloaded.

Is there a plan to fix this? What is the timeline?

Thanks, Joe

[Butterfliestdc]

I don’t want to be difficult, but I REALLY DON’T LIKE this new version!!!! I listen to podcasts (ALOT of them), the old version would have the newly added episodes on the top of my lists of them. That way I always new when a new episode posted. Not with this one. I want my old version back. I’ve had a premium subscription with Spotify for 5-6 years now, just a FYI. 

[MattSuda]

@mikutzz 

This sounds like a similar issue that multiple users have reported.

You can read more about this issue here:
https://community.spotify.com/t5/Ongoing-Issues/Mobile-Issues-with-playlist-sorting-and-playing-song...

Update: I see you've already commented there. If anyone else is having this same issue, please comment in the linked thread.

[lmilianl]

I feel the same way. Things got more complicated. I have to do extra steps as before, which makes it less user friendly.

[SushiGuy]

Screenshot to illustrate Downloaded Podcasts missing problems. Right-click Save As... to see in full resolution.
Finally stumbled on the "Your Episodes" button, not sure how I missed before now. Maybe because

1. I had already filtered to Downloaded, and was scanning the screen for ready to play episodes and/or little download icons
2. It didn't say "Your Downloads" but "Your Episodes"
3. Your Episodes icon looked like something else, like a "Suggested for You"