To make your Apple Music profile private, open the Music app, tap the account button or your profile picture, tap Music Profile, tap Edit, and choose People You Approve. To make it public, choose Everyone instead. Apple says Everyone includes all Apple Music subscribers who have a profile.
This guide follows Apple’s iPhone User Guide pages Share music with friends on iPhone, Create an Apple Music profile on iPhone and Create, edit, and delete music playlists on iPhone. It covers switching between private and public, hiding playlists and listening activity, handling follow requests, blocking followers, and deleting your profile.
How to Make Your Apple Music Profile Private or Public
- Open the Music app on your iPhone.
- Tap the account button or your profile picture.
- Tap Music Profile at the top of the screen.
- Tap Edit.
- Choose People You Approve to make the profile private, or Everyone to make it public.
Result: With People You Approve, only people you accept can follow you and see your shared music. Older guides call this section Who Can Follow Your Activity.
One limit to know: If you have a profile, you can’t stop sharing your activity with approved followers unless you delete the profile.
How to Respond to Follow Requests
Apple says you only get follow requests when your profile is set to People You Approve.
- Open the Music app and tap the account button or your profile picture.
- Tap Follow Requests.
- Accept or decline each request.
Result: People you accept can see your shared playlists and listening activity. Requests can also arrive as a link in an email or text, and you accept by tapping the link.
How to Hide Playlists From Your Profile
Apple says your followers see the playlists you create by default. You have two ways to change that:
- All shared playlists: go to Music Profile > Edit and turn Shared Playlists on or off.
- One playlist: open the playlist, tap the More button, tap Edit, and turn off Show on My Profile and in Search.
You can only share playlists you’ve made yourself. Apple Music playlists and smart playlists can’t be shared.
How to Hide What You’re Listening To
- One album or playlist: in Music Profile, touch and hold the item below Listening To and tap Hide from Profile.
- Everything: tap Edit on the profile screen and turn off Listening To at the bottom.
Result: Your followers no longer see that listening history. Apple notes it can take up to 10 minutes for hidden music to disappear from their view.
How to Block Someone From Following You
- Go to Music Profile.
- Touch and hold the person’s profile picture.
- Tap Block.
Result: Apple says people you block can’t see your music or find your profile. They can still play any of your shared playlists they already added to their library. To flag a problem, touch and hold their picture and tap Report a Concern.
How to Delete Your Apple Music Profile
- Tap the account button or your profile picture.
- Tap Music Profile, then tap Edit.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Delete Profile.
Result: Your playlists and music no longer appear in searches, and followers can’t see your profile. Apple says your subscription, library and playlists aren’t affected, but you can no longer see what friends are listening to. It may take several minutes for the profile to disappear. If you set up a profile again within 90 days, your previous information and followers come back.
Another Privacy Setting: Discoverable by Nearby Contacts
This one isn’t part of your profile, but it comes up often. Discoverable by Nearby Contacts lets car passengers join your CarPlay music sessions. You can turn it off in Settings > Music under Shared Listening. Turning it off can affect shared listening and playlist collaboration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can see my profile if it’s set to Everyone?
Apple says Everyone includes all Apple Music subscribers who have a profile. They can follow you without approval and see the playlists and listening activity you share.
Can kids have an Apple Music profile?
Apple says children under 13 can’t create one. A Family Sharing organizer can allow or prevent profiles for children ages 13 to 18, and age limits vary by region.
More Apple Music Guides
- How to add or remove songs in an Apple Music playlist
- How to listen to Apple Music offline
- How to turn off Apple Music automatic renewal
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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