Trouble with Apple Music? Here’s How to Get It Working Again
Apple Music is usually reliable, but like all digital services, it isn’t immune to the occasional hiccup. If you’ve launched the app expecting to dive into your favourite playlist only to find it unresponsive, there are a number of steps you can take to resolve the issue quickly.
Here’s a comprehensive checklist to help get your music streaming smoothly again, whether you’re on an iPhone, Android device, or Mac.
Restart the Apple Music App
The simplest solutions are often the most effective. Closing and reopening the app might be all that’s needed.
On Android:
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Open the Settings app.
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Tap Apps, then See all apps.
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Scroll to find Apple Music.
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Select Force Stop.
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Confirm by tapping OK.
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Reopen the app.
On iPhone:
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Swipe up from the bottom and pause in the centre to bring up the app switcher.
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Find Apple Music.
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Swipe the app upwards to close it.
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Open the app again.
On Mac:
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Right-click the Apple Music icon in the Dock.
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Select Quit.
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If the black dot under the icon disappears, it has closed. Then relaunch the app.
If it refuses to close, try a force quit:
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Open Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities.
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Find and highlight Apple Music.
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Click the X button at the top and choose Force Quit.
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Launch the app once more.
Restart Your Device
If restarting the app didn’t help, rebooting the device is the next logical step. It’s surprising how many issues this can resolve.
To restart an Android phone:
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Hold the power button and volume up button at the same time.
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Select Restart from the menu.
To restart an iPhone:
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Press and hold the side button along with either volume button.
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Slide the power-off slider.
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Wait until the phone shuts down.
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Press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears.
To restart a Mac:
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Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner.
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Select Restart, then confirm.
Check Your Internet Connection
Apple Music requires a stable internet connection. If the app still isn’t working, your next step is to verify whether your device is connected to the internet.
Open a web browser and try visiting a few websites. If they don’t load, the issue might be with your device or Wi-Fi.
To troubleshoot:
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Toggle your device’s Wi-Fi off and back on.
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If there’s still no internet, try restarting your router. This can usually be done with a physical reset button or through an app. If unsure, unplug it, wait a minute, then plug it back in.
Is Apple Music Down?
If everything else appears fine, the fault may lie with Apple’s own servers. While rare, outages can occur.
To check, visit Apple’s System Status page. Each service is marked with a colour: green means it’s working, while red indicates an outage. Look specifically for Apple Music on the list.
Final Thoughts
While Apple Music is generally dependable, occasional disruptions do happen. Fortunately, most problems can be fixed with a few quick steps. Whether it’s a simple app restart, checking your internet connection, or rebooting your device, this checklist should help you get back to enjoying your music in no time.
If issues persist, further troubleshooting or a visit to Apple Support may be necessary — but in most cases, these fixes are all you’ll need.
