Stop Apple Music Opening Automatically In 7 Simple Steps

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Does Apple Music keep opening automatically?

What a nightmare! Although listening to music is fun and great, sometimes we’re not in the mood. Believe me, I understand how annoying it can be to desperately try to focus, only to get constantly interrupted by Apple Music.

This issue is more common than you’d think, and it has even caused some users to cancel their subscription and choose another music streaming service.

I bet you’re thinking of joining them, but before you do, try fixing this inconvenience with these easy steps. I have no doubt that you’ll recover your quiet time in the blink of an eye!

The 7 fixes that will stop Apple Music from opening automatically are:

  1. Close your apps.
  2. Disable AutoPlay.
  3. Turn off your phone’s Bluetooth.
  4. Put away your earphones.
  5. Disable the Handoff feature.
  6. Turn off CarPlay on iPhone.
  7. Change your iTunes settings (For PC and Mac)

Keep reading to leave this annoying situation in the past!

#1 Close Your Apps

The first thing you want to do is fully close all apps. Chances are that there could be one (like Apple Music) that is playing songs in the background.

This issue is really simple to fix, just follow these steps:

For Android:

  1. Swipe up from the bottom of your screen, hold until you see your background apps, and then release. 
  2. Swipe up on Apple Music.

For iPhone SE, 8, and earlier:

  1. Double-click the home button to see the apps you have running in the background.
  2. Swipe up on Apple Music.

For iPhone X and later:

  1. Go to the Home Screen, then swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle of the screen. This will show the apps you currently have open in the background.
  2. Swipe up on Apple Music to close it.

If this didn’t do the trick, don’t worry! Keep reading to find the solution.

#2 Disable AutoPlay

Apple Music offers an AutoPlay feature, which is great if you like to discover new music and keep the party going. However, if you’re not in the mood and want to enjoy the silence, this can be annoying.

Turning off AutoPlay may help you stop Apple Music from opening automatically.

Disable the feature following these steps:

  1. Open Apple Music.
  2. Play a random song.
  3. Click the mini-player in the bottom of your screen.
  4. Press the 3 dots icon in the lower-right corner of the screen.
  5. Tap the AutoPlay icon (infinite sign) to disable it.

If you ever want to turn on AutoPlay again, repeat the same steps from above.

#3 Turn Off Your Phone’s Bluetooth

I know, it’s probably the scare of a lifetime to be in complete silence and then have Apple Music start playing a song out of nowhere. It can even make you think your devices are haunted.

But wait, don’t call the Ghostbusters just yet!

Apple Music may launch itself when you suddenly connect to a Bluetooth device, like your car radio or earphones.

The easiest way to end this problem is by turning off your Bluetooth adapter temporarily. Follow these instructions:

For iPhone X and newer:

  1. Access the Control Center by sliding your finger downward from the upper right corner of the screen.
  2. Tap the Bluetooth icon to turn off Bluetooth temporarily.

For iPhone SE, 8 and earlier:

  1. Slide your finger upward from the bottom of the screen to open the Control Center
  2. Press the Bluetooth icon.

Android devices:

There are tons of Android models, which is why the process of turning off the Bluetooth adapter may vary.

The broad strokes for turning off Bluetooth on an Android device are:

  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to access the Status Bar.
  2. Swipe down and locate the Bluetooth icon, then turn it off.

Please note that when you turn off the Bluetooth connection on an Android phone, it will stay that way until you decide to manually turn it on again.

#4 Put Away Your Earphones

The next thing you might want to try is putting away your earphones. Yes, it’s that easy!

AirPods have great features; however, sometimes using them might be tricky.

Although, Apple AirPods are designed to detect when you’re wearing them, this function may fail if you keep them in your pocket or somewhere other than your case. Storing them in the right place will prevent Apple Music from launching on its own and playing random songs.

Do you have another model of earphones? These often come equipped with physical buttons to control your music. To avoid pressing play accidentally, make sure to keep them somewhere safe.

#5 Disable the Handoff Feature.

Assuming you’re an iOS user and nothing has worked so far, you might want to check your Handoff feature.

This allows iOS users to start something on one device and pick up where they left off on a different one. For example, you can start writing an email on your iPhone and finish it later on your Mac.

This is really helpful; however, Handoff also continues media playback on devices when they’re detected, which can cause your Apple Music to open automatically.

Follow these simple steps to disable the Handoff feature:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Tap on “General”
  3. Go to “AirPlay & Handoff”
  4. Turn off the “Handoff” option.

#6 Turn off CarPlay in iPhone

If you have an iOS device and use CarPlay, you might want to keep reading!

Apple CarPlay has fantastic features! It allows users to sync their iPhone with the car’s system to enjoy navigation software, voice commands, music, messages, etc.

And while this technology is mostly great, it may also be causing Apple Music to open and play music automatically every time you’re in your car.

Turning off your CarPlay feature is really quick and might stop the problem. All you have to do is:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Tap on “Screen Time”
  3. Go to “Content & Privacy Restrictions”
  4. Press “Allowed Apps”
  5. Turn off “CarPlay”

#7 Change Your iTunes Settings

If you’re looking to stop your Apple Music from opening automatically on your computer, you might want to change your iTunes settings.

Sometimes iTunes launches automatically whenever it detects that an iOS device has been connected to your computer.

This can be extremely frustrating, especially when you don’t want to listen to music.

Luckily, this issue can be fixed with these simple steps:

  1. Connect your iOS device to your Mac or Windows computer.
  2. Once Apple Music (iTunes) launches, click on the phone icon placed below the top menu bar.
  3. Click on “Summary” and uncheck “Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected”

Conclusion

Listening to music is really fun and one of the greatest things you can do with your time; however, there are moments when we need to focus and require silence.

I understand how frustrating (and sometimes scary) it can be to have your Apple Music opening and playing music on its own.

Luckily, as I hope you’ve learned throughout this article, closing your apps, disabling AutoPlay and your phone’s Bluetooth, or even something as simple as putting away your earphones properly, should do the trick!

I really appreciate everyone who checks out our content! Here, at Tech Detective, we love bringing simple solutions to everyday problems. If you found these fixes helpful, make sure to read our other related articles below.