Overview

• The feature launches this week on mobile in select Latin and South American markets for Free and Premium users 16 and older, with expansion to the US, Canada, Brazil, the EU, the UK, Australia and New Zealand in the coming weeks.
• Users start a message from the share icon in the Now Playing view, and all shared items live in a Messages inbox accessible from the profile photo.
• You can only message people you have interacted with via Jams, Blends or Collaborative Playlists or who share a Family or Duo plan, and recipients must approve requests and can reply with text or emoji reactions.
• Users can block or report accounts or opt out entirely, and Spotify says messages are encrypted in transit and at rest and will be proactively scanned and moderated under its Platform Rules.
• Coverage differs on whether chats use end-to-end encryption, and Spotify frames Messages as a complement to external sharing that could increase engagement and potentially support its advertising business.