Spotify hacks can happen because of data breaches or other security issues. And a hacked Spotify account can not only contaminate your playlists with a stranger’s music — ruining your tailored recommendations — it could also mean that your passwords or personal details are compromised. Learn how to recover a hacked Spotify account and restore it to its original glory. Then, help avoid hacking attacks in the future by using data breach detection software.
You can tell someone has hacked your Spotify if you see signs of someone else using your account. This could include a lot of unfamiliar music in your Wrapped, emails about new logins, or your payment or contact information changing suddenly.
It may take months for you to realize your Spotify account has been hacked — until the holidays roll around and you check your Spotify Wrapped, only to find you don’t recognize a single artist on the list!
If you don’t use the library feature or regularly check out your curated playlists, you may never be able to tell that you’ve been hacked and someone else is using your Spotify Premium account to stream their own music. That is, unless you spot one of the other signs.
Here’s how to know if your Spotify is hacked:
Unknown or unfamiliar music or playlists appear.
Your playlists disappear.
You see paired devices you don’t recognize.
There are changes to your payment details or plans.
Someone appears to have altered your contact information.
Your password isn’t working anymore.
A device in another country has logged into your account.
Discover Weekly and Wrapped are some of the top reasons to use Spotify. It’s so much fun to discover new music based on your tastes or be shown music you’d forgotten about. When your Spotify account is hacked, you miss out on these features. It’s like someone else’s memories are getting mixed in with yours — and the music might be terrible.
Worse, you could get locked out of your account.
If your Spotify has been hacked, contact Spotify and be ready to send proof that the account is yours, like a bank statement. Oh, and change your passwords ASAP.
Here’s what to do if your Spotify is hacked:
Check if you can still log in and if your email address is still connected to your account.
If not, contact Spotify support so they can help you retrieve your account.
Once you have access, run an antivirus scan to ensure malicious threats aren’t lurking on your device.
Tell your Spotify app to log out from all active sessions.
Unlink all apps (like Facebook) and devices (such as unknown Bluetooth speakers).
Change to a stronger password.
If your Spotify gets hacked, they’ll be able to use your Spotify Premium features, like unlimited playback without ads. But the real danger is that they probably gained access because your password wasn’t strong enough.
This Reddit user managed to recover their account the same day it was hacked and admitted they had been using an old password. To avoid being targeted by hackers, make sure all your accounts have strong, unique passwords. You can use a password manager to create random passwords and store them securely and easily.
If you still have access to your account, you can recover your hacked Spotify account by changing your password. You can only do this through their website.
Go to Spotify and click Log in in the upper-right.
Click Forgot your password?
Enter your email address or username and click Send link.
Check your email, click Reset Password, and follow the rest of the instructions.
If you don’t get an email, try following these steps on another device or on cell data rather than Wi-Fi. Some Reddit users have complained about these steps not working for them, and it only worked when they used Safari on iOS, for example. If you use one, try turning off your VPN when attempting to reset your password.
You can log out of all devices on Spotify by going to spotify.com/account. Then, under Security and privacy, click Sign out everywhere. This will kick any strangers out of your Spotify account.
Note that you’ll also be kicked out of Spotify, and you’ll need to either sign in again or reset your password to get back in.
You can recover deleted playlists on Spotify by going to spotify.com/account. Then, under Account, click Recover playlists. Any playlist deleted in the last 90 days will show up here. Next to each playlist, click Restore.
It’s fortunate that you can recover deleted Spotify playlists, as they often have priceless sentimental value. Here’s how to get back deleted playlists in more detail:
Go to spotify.com/account.
Under Account, click Recover playlists.
Next to whichever playlist you want to bring back, click Restore.
If your Spotify account keeps getting hacked, your info may have ended up in a data breach. It’s time to take serious security measures like running an antivirus scan, disconnecting any third-party apps from Spotify, logging out all sessions of your Spotify and email address, and changing to a strong password.
Email addresses and passwords often get exposed due to security breaches. You can check whether your info has been found in a breach by visiting Have I Been Pwned or Avast Hack Check. If your information has been leaked, create strong, unique passwords for every compromised account.
Another reason you keep getting hacked could be a keylogger on your system. A keylogger is a kind of spyware that records what you type for a hacker to see.
They’re one potential reason your Facebook account could get hacked and password changed, too, so the danger isn’t limited to some random plays of unknown music on your Spotify. You can remove malware from your computer using a good antivirus.
You’re more likely to be targeted by a keylogger and certain other malware if your info shows up in a breach. Don’t be the last to know when this happened; get AVG BreachGuard to help protect your digital life. It’ll alert you to potential breaches so you can change your passwords and secure your online accounts.
Someone might hack your Spotify account to sell access to your premium subscription on the black market, manipulate artist metrics by streaming music through your account, or steal the personal info linked to your account.
Another reason hackers might target Spotify accounts is the comparatively weak security. Spotify doesn’t offer two-factor authentication for most of its users, even though 2FA is available on almost every other big-name platform. This makes it especially important to create a strong password for your Spotify account, since it’s your only defense against hackers.
The best way to prevent your Spotify account from being hacked is to use a strong password that’s at least 15 characters long.
The importance of a strong password cannot be overstated. A weak password is one of the most common ways email accounts are hacked. And since your email may contain details about your Spotify account and other personal information, make sure to bolster your email security.
Don’t use modded Spotify APKs that let you use Spotify Premium for free. These can easily expose you to malware and other threats. Steer clear of illegal software of all kinds to help prevent your computer being hacked.
You could always cancel Spotify Premium and make yourself less of a target to hackers wanting to sell access to your premium subscription. But that wouldn’t solve the root cause of the problem. Securing your account with a strong password, using antivirus software, and monitoring for data breaches should all keep you safer from hackers, as they will turn to easier targets who have yet to improve their Spotify security.
To amp up your security, get AVG BreachGuard. BreachGuard is a 24/7 assistant that alerts you when it discovers any of your info in a large-scale data breach. Time is of the essence in these circumstances — which is why the app urges you to change your passwords the moment it finds they have been leaked or your email address is for sale on the dark web.
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