How to Hide Playlists on Apple Music to Keep Them Private

Part 1. Hide Apple Music Playlists from Your Profile

If you've ever wanted to keep a playlist just for yourself, Apple Music actually has an option to hide it from the public. It's called "Show on My Profile and in Search". The idea is simple: when you turn it off, your playlist won't appear on your profile or in Apple Music search results.

That said, don't be surprised if you don't see this option right away. Apple Music is always changing. Some updates add features, while others remove or tweak things that didn't seem popular. Even if the option feels hidden, it's usually still possible to find it with a little navigation.

How to Hide the Playlist from Your Apple Music Profile

1. Open the Apple Music app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
2. Go to the Library tab and open the playlist you want to hide.
3. Tap the three dots (…) at the top.
4. Select Edit.
5. Toggle off Show on My Profile and in Search.

If you do this successfully, the playlist should be private. It won't appear to followers or in search results, giving you that extra layer of control over your music.

Part 2. Hide Apple Music Playlists from Your Library

Unlike hiding playlists from your profile, Apple Music doesn't offer a direct option to hide individual playlists within your Library. While you can hide iTunes Store purchases, individual playlists don't have a dedicated "hide" button in the settings. One workaround is to organize them into a playlist folder, like "Retired Playlists", and simply not open it again - your playlists remain in the Library but out of sight (we'll cover this alternative further in Part 5).

If you want to hide all your playlists, Apple Music allows you to customize your Library view. You can disable the Playlists section while keeping others, like Songs, Downloaded, Genres, and Albums, visible.

How to Hide the Playlist Section in Your Apple Music Library

For iOS/Android:

1. Launch the Apple Music app on your device.
2. Go to the Library tab.
3. Tap Edit at the top-right of your screen.
4. Uncheck the Playlists option.
5. Tap Done.
6. Your playlists are now hidden from your Library.
7. To bring them back, repeat the steps and recheck the Playlists option.

How to Hide All Playlists in Your Apple Music Library

If you want to keep playlists out of sight without deleting them, you can hide the entire Playlists section temporarily.

For Mac:

1. Open the Music app on your Mac.
2. In the sidebar, hover over Playlists.
3. Click the ">" icon next to Playlists.
4. Your playlists will now be hidden from the sidebar.
5. To show them again, hover over Playlists and click the ">" icon once more.

For PC or Mac using iTunes:

1. Open the iTunes app on your computer.
2. Locate the Playlists section in the sidebar.
3. Hover over "Apple Music Playlists" or "Music Playlists" to reveal the Hide option.
4. Click Hide, and all playlists will be hidden from view.
5. To show them again, hover over the "Apple Music Playlists" or "Music Playlists" bar and select Show.

Part 3. Hide Purchased Apple Music from Family Sharing

This section isn't directly about hiding playlists, but it's useful if you want to keep certain purchases private. If you're in a Family Sharing group, you might not want some albums or songs to be visible to other members. You can hide them so they don't appear for others, while still keeping full access for yourself.

How to Hide the Purchases in Your Apple Music Library

For iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap your Apple ID at the top, then go to Media & Purchases.
3. Tap View Account, then sign in if prompted.
4. Scroll down to Purchase History or Hidden Purchases.
5. Find the album or song you want to hide and swipe to hide it.

For Mac:

1. Open the Music app.
2. From the menu bar, click Account > Purchased.
3. Find the content you want to hide.
4. Click the three dots (…) next to it and select Hide Purchase.

For PC or Mac using iTunes:

1. Open iTunes and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. Click Account > Purchased.
3. Locate the content you want to hide.
4. Click the X or Hide option next to the item.

Once hidden, the purchase won't appear for other family members, but you can always unhide it later if needed.

Part 4. Stop Apple Music Playlists from Showing in "Listen Now" Recommendations

Certain playlists or songs show up in your "Listen Now" recommendations, even when you don't want them to. While you can't stop Apple Music from creating recommendations and playlists for you, you can control whether the specific tracks you play affect recommendations by managing your listening history on each device.

Apple Music has an option called "Use Listening History". When it's turned on, your plays contribute to recommendations on that device. By turning it off on one device, you can prevent the music you play there from influencing recommendations on other devices. For example, you could play a private playlist on your iPhone without it affecting the "Listen Now" suggestions on your Mac.

How to Hide the Listening History on Your Apple Music Device

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Music.
3. Find Use Listening History and toggle it on or off depending on whether you want your listening to affect recommendations.

Once you turn it off on a device, anything you play there won't appear in "Listen Now" suggestions elsewhere, giving you more control over what shows up across your devices.

Part 5. Prevent Multiple Apple Music Playlists from Appearing in Your Library

You may have several playlists that you don't want cluttering your Library or drawing attention. While hiding them individually isn't an option, there's one practical approach to organize them into a specific folder - something like "Retired Playlists". This doesn't hide them completely, but it does reduce their visibility and gives you a bit of peace of mind.

How to Put Unwanted Playlists in Playlist Folder

For iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the Apple Music app.
2. Go to the Library tab and tap Playlists.
3. Tap Edit at the top-right.
4. Create a new playlist folder and name it, for example, "Retired Playlists".
5. Move the playlists you want to hide into that folder.

For Mac:

1. Open the Music app.
2. In the menu bar, click File > New > Playlist Folder.
3. Name the folder (e.g., "Retired Playlists").
4. Drag the playlists you want to reduce visibility for into this folder.

For PC or Mac using iTunes:

1. Open iTunes and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. Click File > New > Playlist Folder.
3. Name the folder appropriately.
4. Drag the playlists you want to keep out of immediate view into the folder.

Organizing your playlists into a dedicated folder keeps your main Library clean and focused, while still allowing you to access your older or less-used playlists whenever you want.

Bonus Tip: Export and Back Up All Apple Music Playlists

One alternative you could take is to export your playlist from Apple Music as a local file and then delete the playlist from your Apple Music library. By doing this, the playlist will no longer be visible within the Apple Music app, but you'll still have a copy of it stored locally on your device.

How to Download a Playlist off Apple Music

As a bonus, you can download your cherished playlists off the Apple Music platform easily by using our ViWizard Apple Music Converter. While the downloaded playlists are encrypted in M4P format, ViWizard helps with the downloading and conversion into various format, such as MP3. This enables you to transfer your playlists to other devices and platforms for a permanent backup. Even your Apple Music subscription is expired, your access to your playlists won't disappear.

Key Features of ViWizard Apple Music Converter

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• Convert Apple Music songs, albums, playlists, and artists into MP3 for easy access
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• Save converted audio files while retaining full ID3 tag details

Conclusion

You now know how to safeguard your cherished playlists from prying eyes on Apple Music. So, the next time whether you create a playlist that you'd like to keep yourself, follow the simple solution we've shared. Remember, ViWizard Apple Music is all about giving you control over your music experience.