Over a decade later, Spotify finally brings this useful desktop playlist tool to mobile users

Last month, we spotted code strings in an APK teardown suggesting that Spotify was finally (finally!) working on bringing playlist folders to its mobile app. Today, it looks like that work is finally bearing fruit. Users are reporting that the feature is finally live on both iOS and Android, ending a decade-long library organization nightmare for mobile-first listeners.

Since 2010, playlist folders have been a “desktop-only” luxury. If you wanted to declutter your library, you had to scurry back to a PC like it was the early 2000s. Reddit user FN1708 reports that they can now create playlist folders on the Spotify app on iOS. These folders come in very handy for decluttering your playlist interface, particularly when features like prompted playlists encourage users to be moody and whimsical with their playlists.

Based on the rollout, you can now tap the “+” icon in your Library and see a new “Folder” option. From there, you can name your new folder and start moving your existing playlists into it.

What makes the feature even neater than originally envisaged is that you can create a playlist folder, then choose to play all the playlists within it, and even hit shuffle on them.

Reddit user Electronic_Income239 mentions they’ve got the playlist feature on their Android phone too, so the rollout goes beyond iOS, thankfully.

It sounds like a small “quality of life” update, but for those of us who use Spotify as our primary music hub, this is massive. Being able to hit “Shuffle” on an entire folder of playlists directly from your phone is a game-changer for long road trips or gym sessions where you don’t want to keep menu-diving.

However, as is the case with rollouts, it isn’t perfect. Not all users can see the playlist folder feature right away, so you have to be patient for the server-side switch to be flipped for your account. While you can create and rename folders, you can’t add custom cover art yet. You can also only move playlists into these folders, not albums.

Still, this is a great first step that finally brings the feature from desktop to mobile, so you no longer have to rely on a PC to tidy up your music library. Better late than never, Spotify.