How do I stop Apple Music from running in the background?

A common issue that iPhone users face with Apple Music is that it continues playing music in the background even when the app is closed. This can be frustrating if you want the music to stop as soon as you exit the app, but it keeps going. There are a few reasons why Apple Music may continue running in the background:

• Background App Refresh is enabled, allowing apps to refresh content in the background.
• Apple Music uses background audio modes to keep playing music even when not in the foreground.
• The app was not properly force quit, allowing background processes to continue.
• Auto-play is enabled, cueing up more songs.
• Cellular data was not disabled, allowing streaming over mobile data.

In this article, we’ll go through different methods to stop Apple Music from running in the background when the app is closed on your iPhone.

Check Background App Refresh Settings

One of the easiest ways to stop Apple Music from running in the background is to turn off the Background App Refresh setting for the Apple Music app specifically. According to Tom’s Guide, you can disable Background App Refresh for individual apps on your iPhone.

To turn off Background App Refresh for Apple Music, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. This will open up a list of all your downloaded apps that are using Background App Refresh. Find Apple Music in this list and toggle the switch next to it to the off position. This prevents Apple Music from refreshing its content in the background when you are not actively using the app.

With Background App Refresh disabled for Apple Music, the app will no longer be able to run in the background or use cellular data when you are not actively using it. This can help reduce battery drain and cellular data usage.

Stop Music Before Closing App

One of the most straightforward ways to prevent Apple Music from continuing to play in the background is to manually stop the music before closing the Music app. According to discussions on Apple’s forums, music apps sometimes continue to run playback processes even after the app itself is closed, so failing to stop the music can lead to it playing indefinitely in the background (source).

To avoid this, always remember to tap the pause button or manually stop song playback before exiting the Apple Music app. This will ensure no background music processes are still running. Some users report this simple habit resolves the issue of music persisting after the app is closed (source). Getting in the routine of stopping playback before closing Music is an easy and effective way to prevent unwanted background music.

Force Quit the App

One way to stop Apple Music from running in the background on your iPhone is to force quit the app. According to Apple Support, you can force quit an app by opening the App Switcher and swiping up on the app card.

To force quit Apple Music, follow these steps:

1. Double click the Home button to open the App Switcher.
2. Swipe right or left to find the Apple Music app.
3. Swipe up on the Apple Music app card to force quit it.

This will completely quit out of Apple Music, stopping it from running or using resources in the background. Just remember you will need to reopen Apple Music from the Home Screen when you want to use it again.

Turn Off Auto-Play

One way to prevent Apple Music from automatically playing music in the background is to turn off the Auto-Play feature. According to How to Stop Apple Music From Automatically Playing, you can disable Auto-Play by going to your iPhone’s Settings.

To turn off Auto-Play in Apple Music:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on “Music”.
3. Under “Playback”, toggle the switch off next to “Auto-Play”.

With Auto-Play disabled, Apple Music will no longer automatically start playing music when you connect headphones or speakers. This prevents music from unexpectedly playing in the background when you don’t want it to.

Disable Cellular Data for Apple Music

A simple way to prevent Apple Music from using cellular data in the background is to disable cellular data access for the Apple Music app specifically. You can do this by going to Settings > Cellular and scrolling down to find Apple Music in the list of apps. Tap on Apple Music and toggle the Cellular Data switch to the off position.

With cellular data disabled for Apple Music, the app will no longer be able to use mobile data in the background. It will only be able to access the internet via Wi-Fi. This prevents any unwanted data usage on your cellular network by the music app. According to Apple’s support article, you can turn cellular data on or off for any individual app that uses mobile data.

Airplane Mode

One simple way to prevent Apple Music from running in the background is to enable Airplane Mode on your iPhone or iPad. Airplane Mode disables all wireless network connectivity, including cellular data, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and more (1).

When Airplane Mode is turned on, apps cannot access the internet in the background to refresh content or stream music. This will completely stop Apple Music or any other audio apps from using data to play music while in the background (2).

To enable Airplane Mode on an iPhone or iPad, simply swipe down from the top right corner to access Control Center and tap on the airplane icon. The icon will turn orange when Airplane Mode is active. This will disable all connectivity until Airplane Mode is turned off again.

The downside to this method is that it disables all internet access, so you won’t be able to use any apps that require an internet connection. However, it’s a quick and convenient way to temporarily halt background activity from Apple Music or other apps.

Reset Network Settings

One way to stop Apple Music from automatically running in the background is to reset your iPhone’s network settings. According to a MakeUseOf article, resetting your network settings can fix many iPhone issues related to Wi-Fi and cellular connections.

To reset your network settings on an iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset. Tap on “Reset Network Settings” – this will reset your Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN configurations, but won’t erase any other data on your iPhone.

After your network settings are reset, reboot your iPhone and reconnect to Wi-Fi. With the network settings cleared, Apple Music should no longer automatically run in the background unless launched intentionally. However, resetting network settings can be inconvenient if you rely on many saved Wi-Fi networks, so only use this fix as a last resort.

Update iOS

One potential solution is to make sure you have updated to the latest version of iOS on your device. Apple frequently releases software updates that include bug fixes and performance improvements that could resolve background issues with Apple Music.

To update iOS, go to Settings > General > Software Update. Your device will check for available updates and prompt you to download and install the latest iOS version. Make sure your device is charged and connected to Wi-Fi before installing an iOS update.

According to some user reports, updating to the newest iOS versions, such as iOS 16 or later, has helped resolve excessive background activity from Apple Music. Installing the latest updates ensures you have the most optimized version of iOS to prevent problems like music continuing to play after closing the app.

Updating your operating system is an easy troubleshooting step that could potentially fix any bugs causing Apple Music to run uncontrollably in the background. Always keep your device’s iOS version up-to-date for the best performance.

Contact Apple Support

If none of the troubleshooting steps resolve the issue of Apple Music continuing to run in the background, the next step is to contact Apple support directly for further assistance. Apple provides phone and chat support to help diagnose and fix problems that cannot be resolved through the standard settings and options on your device.

When contacting Apple support, be prepared to provide details about your device model, iOS version, and the specific background activity issue you are encountering with Apple Music. Support can walk through additional troubleshooting, reset device settings if needed, and determine if the issue may require a software update or other fix from Apple to properly address.

Direct user support from Apple is the best way to get help tailored to your specific background app situation if you’ve exhausted all standard options without success. Apple’s customer service aims to help users get the most out of their devices.