Master iOS 10’s Music app

Discover the improvements that help you browse and listen to tracks

REQUIRES

iOS 10

you will learn

How to navigate and get the most from the redesigned Music app

IT WILL TAKE

15 minutes

apple has made many changes to Music in iOS 10, and it’s now a much better app to use. However, among the changes is one that may require you to think a bit harder at first.

Notice that there’s no longer an ellipsis next to library items, which used to reveal contextual commands. On a device with 3D Touch, you only have to press firmly on an item to reveal the same options, but on those without it you have to hold a finger on an item for a couple of seconds instead. This works on song and artist names in the alphabetical lists, album and playlist artwork, and even the Mini Player bar that appears across the bottom of the screen when music’s playing.

The actions available differ by item, but they generally include adding it – whether it’s one track or a collection of them – to a playlist or the queue, downloading it so you can play it while offline, or marking it as something you love or dislike to influence the suggestions in For You.

You’ll find an important new item called Optimize Storage listed under the Downloads heading in Settings > Music. However, it’s only present if iCloud Music Library is enabled further up the page. When this feature’s off, iOS doesn’t touch your music when it needs space to You can ensure your device always contains some songs with Optimize Storage. You can apply 3D Touch to many items to take quick action, assuming your device supports it. download an app or play other media. When it’s switched on, you can tell iOS to retain no less than a certain amount of music on your device, or you can choose None to give it free rein to remove all of your music if need be.

taking control

If you prefer to manage things manually, you can now do this from the app’s own page in Settings, rather than having to dig around elsewhere. Tap Downloaded Music (even if you sync music from iTunes on your Mac) for an overview of what’s using space. Whether you are at the list of artists, albums, or an album’s track list, you can quickly reclaim space by swiping left on any item and then tapping the Delete button.

If you’re not interested in Apple Music, you can switch it off in Settings > Music. This hides For You and Discover, but moves Connect – posts from artists and curators – to the bottom bar. As in iOS 9, you can hide Connect by going to Settings > General > Restrictions and turning off the switch labeled Apple Music Connect. This leaves Library, Radio, and Search in the bottom bar.

Sadly, there’s no way to separate out the Playlists view from your library. Even so, this leaves you with a much leaner and more efficient view.